The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-12-13
M0RCK EXPECTED TO
TESTIFY IN HIS own
BEHALF AT TODAY
Defendant Threatened to Kill
His Family and Himself,
Witnesses Say

Lawrence Morck, Sterling farmer,
charged with the murder Of H. g.
Stephan Sept. is, Is expected to take
the stand in his own defense late
this afternoon.
-Four witnesses were called by the
prosecution this morning.
H. G. Wildfang. Sterling banker.
was called by the defense to estab-
lish the identity Of the body and SUBJ
mitted q map showing the opograph-
ical aspects Of the country where the
tragedy occurred.
Testimony that Morck threatened
to 60 to his own home after the
tragedy and kill the members Of hts
entire family and himself was Of
fered by E. 8. Schmidkins. . neigh
boring farmer. Schmidkins says that
Morck deplored the fact that two Of
the children were In school and could
not be reached.
Woman. Daughter Testify
Stephan was killed as q result Of q
dispute over m~ortgaged property,
Schmidkins stated, and the informa-
ton he gave Is substantially the same
as that cited by George g. Register,
states attorney, in his outline Of the
case. Mrs. Hazel Schmidktns, his
wife gave corroborative testimony -
l4d~ his daughter Florence Schmid-
kins. u. who vas present at the
shooting.
Register Outlines Case
After having quizzed more than 10
talesmen. attorneys finally agreed on
q Jury and the clerk Of court swore
them in at Ais p. m. yesterday. and
the presentation of the case began.
Register outlined what the state
expected to prove and gave q chron-
illogical account Of what he said were
the facts Of the case.
He told Of events said to have
transpired on the highway near
Sterling on the day Of the tragedy
when Stephan was killed by q rifle
bullet which pierced his spine, pene-
trated his body and emerged from
the left side Of his neck.
Stephan, accompanied by Ed
Schmidkins and the latter's daughter,
was driving westward On the highway
In his q when he met Morck who
was going in the opposite direction In
a light spring wagon, according to
Registers account. Both vehicles
were brought to astop and schmidkins
and Stephan got out and walked over
to the side Of Morck's wagon.
It was during the course Of the en-
suing conversation, the prosecution
contends, that Morck became enraged
and, reaching under some empty bur-
lap sacks on the floor Of his wagon.
pulled out q rifle which he pointed
not only at stephanb but at Schmidkins
as we'll when the latter attempted to
demonstrate with him.
Felled BY Bullet
At this point. Register said Ste
phan became alarmed and turned
and started to return to his Car only
to be felled by the impact Of . bullet
fired from Morck's rifle. Running to
the side Of the wounded man who I'M
plored him not to shoot. Morck placed
the barrel OF his gun q few inches
from the mans head and cried. shut
your mouth or I'll blow your damned
head off," the prosecutor told the
jury. When Stephan subsidized. Morck
placed q blanket over the victims
head and drove away, the state said
1t would show.
The jurymen sitting on the case are
C. w. Magnuson, Wing; Lynn Sperry,
Wilton; Richard Erickson, Naughton
township and John scher. Roy Logan.
Eric Thorber, j. D. Healow, John
Moses, B. e. Hitchcock, F. N. Orchard.
Charles Anderson and A. E. Brink Of
Bismarck.