Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 4, 1907, Page 1

THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEEF VOLUME 4. NUMBER 292 BEMIDJ1, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 4. 1907 TEN CENTS PER WEEK JURY RETURNS A VERDICT OF MURDER FIRST DEGREE A Verdict Is Rendered in Less Than' Halt an Hour After the Jury Had Retired. i STATE OF MINNESOTA, l County of Beltrami THE STATE OF MINNESOTA ( Against James Wesley, Defendant. s 555 DISTRICT COURT 15th Judicial District Accused of the Crime of Murder in 1st Degree We, the Jury impaneled and sworn te try the guilt or innocence of the above named defendant find the said defendant James Wesley guilty as charged in the indictment. T. Dated at Bemidji, Minn., this 4th day of April, A. D. 1907. PS Just as the hands of the clock pointed to the commencement of another day (12:03 a. m.) this morning, Clerk of Court Rhoda read the verdict returned by the jury in the case of the state vs, James Wesley, charged with hav- ing killed N. O. Dahl, “We find the defendant guilty, as charged in the indictment.” The verdict was rendered in what is believed to be the short- est time on record in a criminal trial—especially where the ac- cused has been charged with murder 1n the first degree. The jury retired from the courtroom at 11:08 and at 11:35 the special officer in charge of the jury an- nounced that the twelve men had arrived at a vesdict. The court and attorneys were notified and there were about thirty specta- tors in the courtroom when the members of the jury filed into the room and took their seats, Wesley was brought from the jail, being handcuffed to Deputy Sheriff Solberg. He was looking pale and had a furtive expres- sion in his eyes, He cast anxious glances at the jurymen and waited impatiently to hear the verdict of the men who have so patiently sat through the tedious trial. His demeanor was more concerned than at any time since he has been on trial. Judge Spooner asked the mem- bers of the jury if they had ar- rived at a verdictand T\ J. Miller, the foreman, announced that they had. The paper containing the verdict was handed to Judge Spooner, who in turn passed it to Clerk of Court Rhoda. Wesley's nervousness in- creased and his eyes gave signs of extreme auxiety as the clerk scanned the verdict and read its contents, All eyes were turned toward Wesley and there was the still- ness of death for several minutes while the clerk recorded the ver- dict in the record book. The stillness became almost oppres- sive waiting for Mr. Rhoda to complete the record. Judge Spooner requested the clerk to read the verdict as re- corded, and the jurymen each separately acknowledged it to be his verdict. The judge thanked -the jury for the consideration they had given the evidence whileit was being introduced and the pa- tience which the members had exhibited during the tiresome hour of waiting, after which they were discharged. Wesley was again handcuffed and taken to his cell. under the watchful eye of Deputy Sheriff Arne Solberg. A guard was placed over him, and he will re- main in the jailuntil heis brought forth to be sentenced on the charge of having killed N. O. Dahl, one of the most brutal and dastardly crimes in the history of the state. There was a very large crowd at the court house during the evening. The courtroom was filled to overflowing and many stood in the hall and on the stair- way. While it was kiown that the |addresses of the counse) would be finished and the charge of the timber for jury given before midnight, no one for a minute suspected that the jurymen would arrive at a verdict so readily. Itis stated that two ballots were 2!l that were taken, the first standing eleven for convie- tion and one blank, the second being unanimous for conviction, While Wesley has exhibited iron nerve all through the trial and has steadfastly maintained | his innocence, it is believed that he will break down and tell everything he knows about the killing of the Dahl’s and that his statement will notv differ mater- ially to that which he is alleged to have made in the now famous confessions testified to by Fred Foote and Allan McGraw. THE GLOSING HOURS. County Attorney Funkley opened his address to the jury about 5 o’clock, and after thank- ing the jurors for their close at- tention to the case, and express- ing his appreciation of the try- ing position in which they had been placed and close confine- | ment incidental, proceeded to re- view the case of the state. Mr. Funkley said that in tak- ing up the case he was up against the task of placing the responsibility of the most hid- eous and monstrous crimes in this section of the country. In collecting the evidence he had been favorad by chance or providence, until - link by link a J. MILLER, foreman. motive, and the motive in this case is plainly robbery. In the course of bringing the perpetra- tors to justice it was necessary to look about for men who would entertain motive, and among res- idents at scene ‘of the tragedy there were none he could think of depraved enough to commit the crime except Fournier and Wesley. There was no question as to their needing or desiring money. Fournier and Shorty had made their homes in that section for years—working only occasion- ally, knew of the circumstances Iof elder Dahl, a penurious old man who kept his own counsel, and was not inclined to mingle with his neighbors. Rumor goes out that he has sold his $2000, a very large sum in the eyes of the defendant and Fournier. The date of the crime had not been disputed and the story of Caldwell about the events of that night he believed to be true. If Caldwell had desired to lie about this he could have made a better story, and all the details as told by him fitted nicely with the tes- timony of Wesley. I Dbelieve Caldwell told the truth, said Funkley, when he told about going to Dahl’s cabin next day and saw tracks leading towards the meadow. Had he desired to lie, he could have seen bloodspots there. He told the truth when he said the tracks ended at the beaver dam, where the stretch was exposed to the sun and the marks in the snow obliterated. Funkley stated he believed Krueger told the truth about finding the white hair on the gun barrel. It was a strong circum- stance, Miss Dahl being the only woman in that neighborhood who had very light long hair. Another circumstance pointing to the guilt of the defendant and Fournicr, is that after the commission of the crime, thay shunned the trail leading by the! Dahl places, 2 trait ‘common among criminals. The circumstances of Shorty’s confession about only receiving $87,is also borne out by what| money Fournier had after work- ing only three months and Iand Fournier saying that they strong chain of indisputable cir-| earning all told but $78,and after cumstances had connected the|making purchases to the amoant defendant and Fournier with its | of $51, and afterwards displaying GUILTY OF GAINST WESLEY Dahl after Shorty received the $20 he has confessed to. The reputation of both was bad, and they were known by the neighbors to be vicious and were feared as such to the ex- tent that Martindale believed his life wasin danger and moved away. He believed that Caldwell and wife told the truth about Wesley were going to get the old man’s plant. They were men of the character to whom booty would be a motive, which was shown when the bodies were found rifled ofall that was valuable even to the old man’s watch, and the house had been robbed of everything from the small change placed, in woman fashion, by Miss Dahl in a cup on the shelf, to the potatoes in the cellar, The circumstances of Shorty’s flight as soon as active search for the old man and daughter begun, was another piece of dam- aging evidence, continued Mr. Funkley. He was heralded as a murderer throughout the land, thousands of circulars were dis- tributed all over the country a- mong police officers and sheriffs, without leading to his discovery, until a year later. His own story showed he had traveled from place to place—something he had never done hefore. During this time he wrote no one, not even the guardian of his children, and was so little inter- ested in his own family affairs that he could hardly recall the ages of his two little girls. *“He can’t tell on oath the year his wife died,” and a man of this stamp is of a sufficient depraved mind to kill a defenseless old man arnd daughter, So far as Caldwell’s testimony goes where it stands uncorrobo- rated I do not ask you to believe it. But Ido not believe that Caldwell killed the old man or knew he was dead until he found Continued on last page. AN [MPORTART DEAL IN Donald Land & Lumber Company Pur- chases Hundreds of Acres Desir- able Farm Lands. : Mr. Roger C. Spooner, presi- dent, and Mr. John C. Parker, vice president, of the Donald Land and Lumber company of this city, have closed the pur- chaseof all the cut over lands owned by the Clearwater Log- ging company and Samuel Me- Clure, located in Beltrami county and like negotiations are pending for the holdings of said parties in Eastern Clearwater county. We have only time to make this brief notice before going to | press. These purchases mean much, as they are made for subsequent sale to actual settlers, and in- GUT-OVER FARM LANDS! volve a large amount of money. Further and more complete an- nouncements will be made by {the Donald Land and Lumber |company atan early date through our columns. Lumberjack Sunday. Rev. F. E. Higgins accom- panied by Rev. J. Buswell of Wisconsin and several of his workers are to commence a series of meetings in Bemidji next Fri- day night. There are to be street | meetings afternoon and evening. Sunday morning Mr. Davis will speak in the Methodist church, Mr. Higgins will speak in the Baptist church and Mr. Joseph Buswell will speak in the Pres- byterian church. In the evening all will unite in the city hall. Mr. Higgins makes a special request that all Christian people |will unite in these services. The Pioneer at all times has in stock office supplies of every jdescrintion No Men’s Regular just received. commiss?on. ; $75 or $80, makes almost the Thereisno crime without a' dentical amount taken from ' w Is th RIGHT NOW, at the beginnirg of the season, when you need the goods, we are offering the greatest val- ues in MEN'S TROUSERS, HATS, SHIRTS and CHIL- DREN’S SUITS that were ever offered in Bemidji. Special Bargains for Friday, Saturday and Monday Men’s All Wool $4.50 and $5.00 Trousers, $3.50 Men’s All Wool $3.50 and $4.00 Trousers, $2.50 Men’s Worsted $2,50 and $3.00 Trousers, $2.00 Men’s a.nd Boys’Hats $2.50 Hats, $1.50 Men’s Regular $3.00 Hats at $2.00 Men's Regular $1 50 and 82 Hats at $1.00 Men’s Regular $1 and $1.25 Hats at 75¢ Boys’ Hats at about 1-2 Usual Price Men’s Shirts, all new stylish patterns, at 1-4 off Young Men’'s and Children’s Suits One lot young men’s suits, sizes 32 to 35, at 1-2 regular price We are going to discontinue tkis line and offer them at a price that is s re to close them cut. Children’s regular $4.50 and $5.00 Suits at $3.75 Children’s regular 3.50 and 4.00 Suitsat 2.75 Children’s regular 2.50 and 8.00 Suitsat 1.85 A Few Numbers of Men’s Spring Top Ceats at [-2 Regular Price Do not fail to examine these before purchasing, as they are the greatest bargains ever offered in this city . WATCH our SHOW WINDOWS for SPECIAL BARGAINS in HATS and TROUSERS and be sure and come in and examine the SHOE BARGAINS on our BARGAIN TABLE. A fresh supply of RUBBERS of ALL STYLES and ALL WIDTHS Satisfaction guaranteed with every purchase or money cheerfully refunded_ me E. H. WINTER @ Co. PHONE NO, 30