Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, September 19, 1907, Page 1

THE PIONEER. DAILY BEMI VOLUME 5. NUMBER 128. PLEA OF NOT GUILTY MADE TO THE CHARGE OF MURDER M. S. Munn and Peter Mathieson Will Now Be Placed on Trial For Their Lives.---Munn’s Trial Will Begin Next Monday. Peter Mathieson, who Johan Johanson on Gull ‘Tenstrike, 2+4th, trict court when this afternoon, arraigned to plead to the indictment returned by the grand jury, charging him with murder in the first degree. M.S. Munn, who killed August Franklin at Spooner on June 14th, 1907, entered a plea of not guilty this forenoon, when arraigned be- fore Judge McClenahan to plead to the indictment of tirst degree, which was returued by the grand jury yesterday afternoon. Both Mathieson and Munn were murder in the brought into court yesterday after-| noon, at4 o’clock, to listen to the reading of the indictments brought against them. Mathieson was very quiet, his face blanched, and apparently benumbed by his condition. Munn was pale, but composed, and his restless eyes moved from side to side, taking in everything in the room. When the indictment was read to almost killed lake, near on or about February 1907, plead not guilty, in dis- Munn, he never flinched, and made his request for counsel in an even, unbroken voice, the court appoint- ing James D. Taylor of Warroad, as his attorney. Mathieson was visibly affected by the proceedings. He could scarcely talk, and was requested to speak louder. He is worried and remorse- ful for what he has done. When Munn pleau this morning,in addition to Mr. Mr. Taylor, E. D. Clough of Crookston was appointed to act as his counsel, and it is under- istood that the attorneys for the |accused man will make a determined | determined fight for Munn. G. M. Torranc> appeared as attorney for Mathieson, when the latter plead today. Just what course DMathieson’s counsel will advise is not known, Mathieson has already confessed to killing Johanson, and whether he will attempt to repudiate his former statements is not now known. The trial of Munn will commence next Monday morning, and Mathie- son’s trial will follow at the con- clusion of Munn’s trial. THERE WILL BE GOOD MUSIC AT BEMIDJI FAIR Professor Thomas Symington Will Have a Fine Band for Next Week's County Fair. There will be first-class music at the fair, which will be held in Be- midji next week, on Thursday, Fri-| day, Saturday and Sunday. F.S. Lycan, W. E. Neal and A. G. Rutledge, the committee on music, yesterday closed a contract with Prof. Thos. Symington, leader of the band, for the services of the Bemidji band during the entire four days of the fair, As it will be impossible for several of the regular members of the band to play during the fair days, Prof. Symington has made arrangements | to hire the services of several musi- cians from outside of town. Park Rapids, which has an excel- | lent band, will furnish a bass drum- | mer,a baritone player and a clarionet player, all of whom are first-class musicians. From the Big Falls band will come Dr. Adams and hie brother, |who play the trombone and the clarionet. | The above players, together with | the members of the local band who jwill be at liberty during the fair days, will give a very excellent musi- cal organization. Will Exhibit Grapes. John Gilstad came down this morning from his farm in the town of Summit. ~ Mr. Gilstad isa witness in a case in the district court. He states that he has some fine grapes, grown on his farm, which he will bring to the city and exhibit at the fair next week. ACutofa H can be made to look very fine—b: the stove itself? And is it not a good character? One that has proved conclusively that no other is as reliably good. You do not why not have one that is right, you can be satisfied with a cheap one and then you get just what you pay for. L T'he genuine ROUND 0AK It has friends everywhere. other stoves and you will get ou ROUND 0AK on the leg and doo W. M. OAK STOVE WOULD DO FOR A CASE made—any one who has ever used one will tell you this is true. It is different and it is good things that no other ever did or can do. and see the stove with a reputation, Hardware, Furniture and Undertaking eating Stove ut to be safe is it not best to see good idea to look at cne with a buy a heating stove very often— The expense is no more, unless IKE THIS, FRITZY heating stove is the best stove better than t of a ROUND OAK a great many If interested call Look always for the name r. ROSS MINNESOTA HISTORICAL BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 19, 1907. in point of attendance. red letter days. the horse races will strike the fair ever held in the great state Fair popular chord. FORTY CENTS PER MONTH Crookston Journal Predicts a= Successful Secretary A. G. Rutledge has announced the program for the Great Beltrami County Fair which will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26, 27 and 28 with a special race program on the 29th. The fair without doubt will be the biggestand best ever held in that section of the state, and people even in the Red River Valley will assist in making it the success that it is entitled to The push shown by the people of Bemidji and vicinity who have been working and boosting for the great annual event are entitled to unlimited credit and if the weather clerk is on his good behavior Bemidji will have the biggest crowds in her history during the four The exhibits are going to be exceptionally fine and the special features including It is more of such fairs that is needed in Northern Minnesota, State fairs are a grand thing, but they can never take the place of a county fair. There is room for them both. Here is hoping that the Bemidji fair will be the biggest county of Minnesota.—Crookston Journal. The death of young Carl Akerberg and the circumstances surrounding his demise is one of the most unfort- unate occurrences of recent years in this community. It now develops that young Aker- berg’s death was directly caused by strychnine poisoning, there being an unfortunate error somewhere in the giving of the prescription, filling the same and admmlstermg it to the; patient. From what facts are in the pos- session of the public, it is certain that the young man died within fifteen minutes after taking the pre- scription, and during his last moments he suffered untold agony. A coroner’s inquest was held at the court house last evening for the purpose of inquiring into the cause for Akerberg’s death, County Attor” ney Henry Funklev conducting the inquiry, and a number of witnesses were examined. Dr. Marcum, who was the attend- ing physician for young Akerberg, was examined, as was also F. A, Mayo, who received the prescription SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR FAIR BEING LIBERALLY MADE Many Are Voluntarily Placing Their Names on the List for Required Fund. The work of securing funds to pay the expenses of the forthcoming‘fair is progressing very satisfactorily. Since yesterday noon a grand rally has been made in circulating the $10 subscription list, with the result that a large number of new names have been added to the list. The committee has not received a single turn-down, as the strictly business-like manner in which the fair is being conducted precludes any suspicion of “graft” or other insinuation, except that all of the funds will be appropriated to a good purpose. There is still a considerable sum needed, and the committee is con- tinuing its good work. Subscriptions of the $10 list to date are as follows: NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS, L. Blooston .. $10.00 Johnson & Lindberg 10.00 J. M. Hanson.. .. 10.00 Wold & Nelson.. 10.00 Frank Silversack. . .+ 10.00 H. E. Anderson.. . .. 10.00 PREVIOUS SUBSCRIPTIONS. .. $10.00 10.00 Pioneer Pub. Co...... First National Bank... Lumbermen’s National Bank. 10.00 Mrs. Berman...e.oeeennnns 10.00 O’Leary & Bowser. .. . 1000 G. E. Carson....... 10.00 E. A. Schneider. . . 10.00 Wm. McCuaig. .. 10.00 F. S. Lycan. E. A. Barker. .+ 10.00 . 10.00 Gill Bros.. - 10.00 Dr. Gilmore. . 10.00 Phibbs & Erickson . 10,00 John D. Lunn.. . 10.00 W. A. Gould - 10.00 Donald Land & Lumber Co.. 10.00 E. H, Ives.. over the telephone; Mrs. Akerberg, the mother of the boy and who was with him when he died, and the physicians * who conducted the autopsy were also examined. From the testimony given at the inquiry, the following facts were brought out: It appears that Dr. Marcum was called to the Akerberg home to attend Carl, who was ill, and he found that there were symptoms that might have resulted in typhoid fever. The doctor telephoned a prescrip- tion to F. A. Mayo, of the Owl drug store, which was to be given to the patient. Mr. Mayo testified that he took the prescription over - the telephone and wrote the same down on a blank, along with another prescrip- tion given at the same time, and filed it. to_be _filled: by the druggist, | who was in the store at the same time. Roy Robetts, the druggist, filled the prescription and it was taken to the Akerberg home, by a boy, who worked for Mr. Mayo. CARL AKERBERG DIED FROM A STRYCHNINE POISONING Mrs. Akerberg gave one of the powders of the prescription to Carl, which he took, and then she went down stairs to prepare the other prescription. When she arrived down stairs, she heard Carl groaning and making outcries. She rushed to the room upstairs and found her son in the last throes of death, and telephoned Dr. Marcum, who arrived just before the boy died, which Mrs. Akerberg states was not fifteen minutes after taking the powder. An autopsy was performed on the body of the dead boy by Drs. Mar- cum, Shannon, Henderson, Ward and Smith, all of whom testified at last evening’s inquest, except Dr. Shannon. All stated that there evidently was symptoms of a strych nine poisoning, and that the four remaining powders of the prescrip- tion had been sent to the state chemist at the University of Minne- 'sota for analysis. The jury refused to bring in a verdict until they received the report of the state chemist, showing the result of his analysis of the powders. C. M. . 10.00 F. W. Rhoda 10.00 E. E. McDonald. 10.00 J. J. Opsahleeeccne 10.00 Jerrard Plumbing Co.. 10.00 J. L. George«eeeen . 10.00 Clavin & Tanner . .10.00 F. L. Arnold.... 10.00 Bemidji Brewing Co.... 10.00 A. L. Wyler..... oo 10.00 Geo. T. Baker & Co. E. N. French & Co... Frank Rogers. J. A. Ludington. 10.00 10.00 «.. 10.00 - 10.00 Gennes &Layon. 10.00 Chris Olson. . 10.00 P. J. Russell 10.00 D. H. Fisk. 10.00 .+ 10.00 . 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 Andrew Dahl. Alfred Burke. Maijor Bros. J. H. Sullivan Jas. Thurston- Frank ‘Gagnon E. H. Munhall.. G. E. Kreatz... 10.00 N. McKinnon. . 10.00 Dudley & Mahon.......... 10.00 Robert Nelson:.e..oeiaann 10.00 E. K. Anderson....... .. 10.00 J. A. Hoffeeneunens wias . 10.00 Chas’ Saxrud.... vee. 10.00 Frank Lane..... 10.00 H. F. Schmidt...... Downs & O’Leary.. . Chas. Nangle....... E. H. Winter & Co.. Chester Snow. . John Graham. Chas. Scrutchin Dalton Bros.. -+« Schroeder & Schwandt. . .. 10.00 .t 10.00 . 10.00 10.00 10.00 . 10.00 10.00 .. 10.00 - 10.00 Fleming Bros.eseeeeess 10.00 F. Pierce«-sscseeneeacasss. 10,00 W. A. McDonald..(Model Bakery) . ve ... 10.00 A. E. Smith.. «v0e0.$10.00 Crocker & Crowell Land Co...10.00 John Moberg-«eeesuesiaee..10.00 Roe & Markusen.. . 10.00 Hagberg & Knopke.. . 10.00 Fred Luken. - 10.00 John Armstrong . 10.00 F. A. Mayo. - 10.00 Additional local matter will be found ARGUED MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL IN FOURNIER GASE Charles W. Scrutchin Moves for Motion to Set Aside Verdict of Life © Imprisonment. An important matter which was considered by fidge Spooner this week was the application for a new trail, which was made by Chas. W. Scrutchin, Bemidii’s colored attor- ney, on behalf of Paul Fournier, who was convicted last April on the charge of having killed N. O. Dahl, and who is now an inmate of the state pxisor{ at Stillwater, serving a life sentence for the crime for whlch he was convicted. In appearing for Fournier, Mr. Scrutchin argued in favor of a motion to set aside the verdict rendered in the trialand to grant a new trial in the case of the state vs.. Paul Fournier. County attorney, Henry Funkley represented the state. Mr. Scrutchin’s application for setting aside the verdict and giving a new new trial. was based mainly on the allegation that improper testimony was admitted in the case. Especial reference was made to the testimony of Florence Melquist, wherein the latter swore that Fournier was possessed of the hallucination that a looking-glass would reproduce the features of any person looking into it, the testi- had considerable weight with the jury in connecting Fournier with the removal of a looking-glass that was claimed to have been in the cabin of Miss Dahl at the time she was killed. Mr. Scrutchin also took exception to the manner in-which the cross-examination of Fournier was conducted, relative to the kill- ing of a man named Barkley at Pine River and also as to the death of a squaw at that place. Fournier’s attorney also submitted an affidavit which alleges prejudice mony of the young woman having | Monday An adjourned session of the vill- age council was held last evening with the following members present; W. A. Gould, Wm. McCuaig, Anton Erickson, John Washburn and Fred Brinkman. The application for liquor license of Frank Gagnon was granted, he to file the necessary bond. The resignation of S. N, Reeves as sexton at Greenwood cemetery was accepted and Willirm Bavaird was appointed to fill the position. The report of the street commis- sioner for the months of May, June, July and August was read and accepted. The report showed that about $2,000 had been paid fot street work during the summer, in addition to the amount of poll tax collected. The matter of the tax levy for the 1907 taxes was then taken up and the board of tax levy, consisting of Mayor J. P. Pogue, city clerk Thomas Maloyand W. A. Gould, president of the council, made the following recomendations: Fund. General. . Library. . Permanent improvement. . Sinking(provided for in char- acter) Interest.... seeeed 2.0 This makes a lotal levy of 14/ CITY TAX LEVY FOR 1907 AGREED UPON LAST NIGHT The Amounts Necessary for the Different Funds Will Be Levied at a Meeting to Be Held Next Evening. mills. Placing the total assessment of the city at $1,200,000, this will make an approximate tax of $14,000, to be raised by direct taxation,which will be divided as follows: General fund...... e $6,000.00 -600.00 -4,800.00 Sinking. . Interest . In addition to the above amounts, special assessments against property was made for sidewalks repaired during the year, street sprinkling, sewer assessments and other matters where the tax was directly assessed against the property. The sewer assessment is made at the rate of $16.25 per twenty-five foot lot and will be distributed over five years of tax payments. The street sprinkling amounted to $400, and is chargeable against 170 lots, an average of $2.35 per twenty- five foot lot. The plat of Henderson’s addition to the city of Bemidji was accepted. The resolution introduced by Alderman Mayer relative to the suit . |of the city of Bemidji vs. H. W. Bailey was indefinitely postponed. City-Attorney J. F. Gibbons was instructed to draw up resolutions covering the tax levy and the differ- ent'assessments which will probably be adopted at the regular meeting next Monday evening. —_— on the part of one of the jurors who convicted Fournier, charging the juror with having formed an opinion prior to the trial. Mr. Scrutchin submitted many authorities in his argument. County Attorney Henry Funkley, for the state, presented a very able argument against the granting of the motion to set aside the ver- dict and give a new trial to the defendant. He submitted authori- ties and in a discussion of consider- able length, the points brought out by Fournier’s attorney were gone into. ‘ Judge Spooner took the matter under advisement and will render his decision in the matter in a few days. Northome Mayor Resigns. Northome, Minn,, Sept. (Special to the Pioneer.)—Mayor J. J. Neary tendered his resignation to the village council and the same has been accepted, personal busi- ness matters rendering him unable to give the office of mayor the atten- tion it required being Mr. Neary’s reason for resigning. Mayor Neary’s resignation came as a surprise to his many friends, who regret his sudden retirement from office. Worth 2 Save this Coupon. Conger’s It is worth 25 cents at 0. e Coupon is worth 25¢ to you if you _buy a hat. During the week of the Fair “bring your Coupon and buy your hatat MRS. CONGER’S 4th Street 5 Cents Millinery Bemidji morrow Skating at the Rink To- Evening Greetings To All