The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-01-24
Trial to be Resumed Wednesday
Morning in the Barnes County
District Court
STATES PLAN MADE PLAIN

IlUpe 10 SNOW mat NO One EX'
cept GUNNER Could Haye
Committed the Murder
Valley City, Jan. 24.-The William
GUNNER murder trial was halted
lagatn today when continuance was
taken at the opening of court this
morning, until 10 o'clock Wednesday
morning, because Of the continuance
of the illness Of William Green,
states attorney prosecuting the case.
No session was held Yesterday after
noon because of Mr.. Green's illness.
Meanwhile, attorneys assisting Mr.
Green in the prosecuting continued
to work on the chain Of evidence on
which they hope to, convict GUNNER
Of the murder of Marie Wick in q
Fargo hotel. Defense attorneys con-
tinued silent as to what their line OF
defense for GUNNER would be.
Theory Of State ~
The theory by which the state ap-
parently hopes to fasten the crime or
the murder Of Marie Wick, is by a
process of elimination.
The evidence piled up bit by bit,
much Of it apparently irrelevant to
the casual observer in the courtroom,
is designed by States Attorney VIII
liam Green to account flor the actions
, Of every person in the hotel on the
night Of the tragedy, and to show
through this chain of circumstances
that GUNNER, the young night clerk,
alone could have committed the crime.
The. accounts Of the guests, the time
of various happenings and the loca-
ticn OF every guest at the time OF the
crime are the essentials Of the
states case as it stood when it went
into the final stages. Whether States
Attorney Green has direct evidence or
startling nature to back up his CIR
cumstantial evidence is matter OF
conjecture.
GUNNER, is said to have made i'm.
r,ortant admissions to officials a few
days after the crime was committed, Z,
Evidence along this line is eagerly
awaited, as is the possibility that
GUNNER will take the stand in his
OWlA UCu0AA anu OhpAASAAA AAAs'
the night of the tragedy.
The testimony OF Mrs. Van Worst, a
guest in the hotel, which was given
yesterday, lis regarded as one or the
strong links in the states case OF cir.
cumstantial evidence. Mrs. Van Worst
said she heard noises about l2:3V,
which by experiments, the state
claims, are shown to have emanated
from the room which the 18-year-old
Grygla, Minnesota, girl was occupy.
ing. Again Mrs. Van Worst heard
noises about 4 a. M. This, the state
contends, is the hour of the murder,
The states theory is that the little
country girl was assaulted about
12:30 a. m. and was murdered about
4 a. m. During this period of three
and one-half hours there was someone
in Marie Wicks room all or part OF
the, time, the state contends. 1t asks
the question: How could these
noises which awakened guests con-
tinue to be heard at periods three and
one-half hours apart have been caus-
ed by anyone else except William
GUNNER" '.Are not all the other
guests in the hotel accounted for?'
do not Gummer's strange actions
further fasten the crime on him.
AS to the crime itself, and the man.
ner of it's execution, the state con-
tends: =
That Miss Wick's room was enter
ed about 1880 a. nl., entrance being
gained by the use of bent hatpill
which was inserted in the keyhole.
slipped past the key, the bent point
of the pin being then inserted in the
head of the key. Thus the key was
turned, and at the same time the pin
prevented the key with the brass slug
to which it was attached from drop
ping to the floor.
On the theory that entrance was
made at 1890, and the state is pre-,
pared to produce witness who heard
noises in the room at that hour which
subsequent experiments indicated
were similar to those made by per.
son kicking against the brick wall
near which the bed in Miss Wick's
room stood, Miss Wick would have
been in her room about an hour and
half, and it would have been an hour
after the time that GUNNER is alleged
to have admitted to authorities that
he called her by telephone, attempting
to engages her in conversation.
Was Gagged and Bound
1t was upon the occasion Of this
first visit to- the girls room that the
state maintains Miss Wick was gag
Hged and bound to the bed. First, she
was choked into unconsciousness.
The right hand of her assailant was
used in this, for the four tingernall
prints were on the Aeft side OF the
girls throat, and the nail print made
by the thumb was on the right side or
her throat
Either the man, probably bent then
only on the crime Of rape, had sue
ceeded in getting to a point between
the girls bed and the brick wall at
the west side of the room, or she had
raised herself in bed, and probably
had protested his presence In the
room, before the choking took place.
If the man stood on the east side
of the bed, her head being ITO the
north wall, it would have been easier
and more natural for the assailant to
use his left hand in the choking. #
she had raised herself in bed, or il