The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-01-21
STATE CHARGES
GUNNER PAL
WROTE EN- TRY
Name of "James Farrell on
Register Explained by
Prosecution :.
HAGAN TELLS STORY
Former Head of Scandinavian,
Banks Says That He Heard
No Disturbance

Valley City, Jan. 1.-THE prOsecu-
ton in the case against William Cum
mer, charged with the murder Of Miss
Marie Wick in Fargo on June last,
indicated today that it would under.
take to prove that the signature
James Farrell, .Willmar, that appear
ed On. the register of the Prescott no.
tel On the night Df the murder was
written bySsAndy Brown, Gummer's
chum and roommate. Brown held a
prisoner since September last identi-
fed a number Of letters as being in
hiy handwriting and also identified a
rage CT names that he wrote In the
office of the states attorney, William
C. Green. on June IA last as being in
his handwriting.
These were offered as evidence for
the purpose of comparison with the
signat turbi James Farrell as it ap-
peared on the register on the night OF
murder.
No explanation has been made OF
the Farrell signature, the state having
counted for every other occupant OF
the hotel that night.
Hagen on Stand
H. J. Hagen, former president OF the
Scandinavian-Americ bank of Far
go. who occupied the room next to
room No. 80 that night from 1880
until Z a. m., said. he had heard
no disturbance in the hotel, that
the first he know of the crime
was sometime after Z a. m. when TWO
men came to his door and asked him II
he had heard any disturbance during
the night and examined his room.
Hagen said that GUNNER was on
duty when he came in shortly after l
a. M, that GUNNER took him to his
room, that he had been on the train
more than two days and was very
tired, and went to sleep right after ne
got to bed.
Dr.. Paul S. Burton, of Fargo, tests
fled as to the cause of death. Dr. Bur
ton stated that it was either su1oca-
ton, fracture of the skull or memoir
rhages or combination Of the three.
He also gave testimony on which
the state expects to base its theory
that rape was the motive leading to
the Murder.
Thirty Witnesses Heard
Up to adjournment last evening ~
witnesses had been examined by the
state. Sheriff Kraemer was the first
witness on the stand this morning, and
stated that he had arrived on the
scene of the murder shortly before
8 o'clock June Z and that the chief OF
police and Deputy Sheriff South were
in charge when he arrived. he des-
cribed very infinitely the examination
and appearance of room 80 and iden-
tilted photographs which had been
entered in evidence as representing
the true condition of the room when
he entered it that morning.
A lively verbal tilt occurred be-
tween opposing counsel over the, in
PRODUCTION of testimony relative to
the contents of the purse found in
the room, but the objections OF the
defenseJ Mer0f finally overruled. Dur
ing the, ,exanaination Of Kraemer. two
pieces OF, wall paper, showing blood
stains, and finger prints were intro
duced lin evidence and shown to the
Jury. The bedstead, mattress, car
pet rags and gaggs. and bandages
: with which the body was tied were
also introduced and displayed before
the witnesses and jurors. The wit
ness identified all these articles as
being found in the rooms. He stated
that the key used in room 80 by
Marie had never been found. He said
his examination of the door leading
from 80 to 81 showed by the dust
and cobwebs .that it had not been
opened for some time, and that the
paper with which the holes in the
door were blocked had not been re-
moved. :
Examination of rooms 81, IS and
40 showed nothing out of the ordi-
nary and nothing was found in the
other rooms examined later which
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