The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-02-07

F. . .a
+ Valley City, Feb. Miss May Mel-
las, chambermaid employed in the
Prescott hotel, Fargo. where Marie
Wick was murdered. was the princi-
pal witness this morning in the trial
Of William GUNNER.
Miss Mellas said she was awakened
| about A. NJ. by noises in the room
occupied by Miss Wick. Miss Mellas
occupying the room Immediately be.
meath.
She said the sounds seemed as il
someone Jumped from the bed, hit
the bed several times and walked
around the room, opened and shut the
door, and walked down the hall to
the front stairs
The state maintains that at this
time Miss Wick was murdered.
Hagen on Stand.
H. J. Hagen, former president of
the Scandinavian American bank Of
Fargo. who occupied room 81, next
to that of Miss Wick, was chosen
for further cross examination.
Hagen gave evasive answers con-
cerning the prosecution of himself
for alleged Irregularities in the af.
fairs of that bank: On redirect ex-
animation he answered the question:
Ibid you kill Miss Wick with mo
Sir"
Asked If he had ever been in room
30 he replied, Absolutely not" He
also said that he had never seen MISS
Wick.
Call Andy Brown.
Just before the noon adjournment
the defense called Andy Brown, Cum
mer's roommate for further cross
examination. He was asked IL he
wrote the name James Farrell" on
the register Of the hotel the night of
the murder. Objection to the ques-
tion was sustained.
Immediately after lunch the state
was to call Thomas J. Cation, hand
writing expert from Minneapolis, in
an effort to prove that Brown wrote
the name Farrell as it. was signed on
he register.
MllIigan a Witness
Resuming the introduction OF the
testimony lat, yesterday, James Milli-
an. deputy sheriff Of Cass county,
was the chief witness for the state.
Milligan said that a day or two af-
ter the murder, he participated in
tests that were made in the room in
which the girl was killed; beating ON
wall, hitting the bedstead and the
spring, and that such noises were de-
clard by Mrs John Van Worst, Occu-
pant of an adjacent room, as being
similar to those that awakened her
between 1890 and 2 a. III. tho night OF
the murder.
Milligan said also that all exits or
the hotel were closely examined, that
screens" on all windows were in place.
and that two windows opening on flre
escapes had mot been disturbed, dust
indicating this condition.
Hotel Lobby Dark at 1915
George O'Brien of Fargo said that
he was in the hotel two days after the
murder. and that on that occasion
GUNNER told him all guests, except
Farrell, had been accounted for. The
state maintains that Farrell was a flo
titious name registered on the hotel
book by Andy Brown, Gummers room
mate and who was in the hotel part
of the night in question.
O'Brien also said that heZaccepted
from GUNNER on that night letter
to be mailed at the railroad station
nearby. Previous testimony was that
GUNNER had given this letter to
O'Brien the night of the murder.
The reading of testimony was COM
pletad at $3.50, and after a Is minute
recess court reOOnvened. The first
witness called to the stand by the pro-
secution was George O'Brien. Mr..
O'Brien gave his work as elevator
man at the Gardner hotel and that he
was 10 years of age and that he had
lived in Fargo for the past six years.
That he lived with his family at the
Colonial flats and that in going to and
from his home to his work at the Gard
ner he passed the Prescott hotel.
His work hours at the Gardner
were from in the evening to II mid
night. That he worked this shift
every other night That on the night
of June 6, the night Marie Wick was
murdered in room 80 at the Prescott
hotel, he went by the hotel accom-
panied by his son, Leo O'Brien, also
employed the same hours at the Gard
ner. On this night he testified that he
stopped in front of the Prescott to
light cigar. That he looked into the
fobby and noticed that the lobby was
dark That but tone light was burn
ing, a hooded light over the switch
board.
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