Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, May 13, 1910, Page 1

tried on the charge of murder in THE BEMIDJI DAILY P t\istofic‘a\ Society: IONEE < MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, VOLUME 8. NUMBER 22. BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1910. TEN CENTS PER WEEK. PAUL FOURNIER ON TRIAL WEDNESDAY Famous Murder Trial to Be Revived Again.—Life of Shorty Wesley’s Partner Again at Stake. CONVICTED, SFjflTENCED, THEN RETRIED AND ACQUITTED OF Killing Father, N. 0, Dahl, in 1904.— | = Now to Face Trial for Daugh- ter’s Death. At Aitkin, next Wednesday, Paul Fournier of this county, will be the first degree, the alleged killing of Aagot Dahl at Quiring, Beltrami county, April 7, 1904; and much local interest is being taken in the forthcoming legal battle. as the re- sult of this case will decide whether Paul Fournier will spend the re- mainder of his days behind prison bars for his alleged connection with the murder of N. O. Dahl and his daughter Aagot, or is to be given his liberty and his name freed from the blackened reputation of being a murderer. Fournier has already been once convicted and afterwards, on a new trial, acquitted of the mur- der of N. O. Dahl; and speculation is rife as to whether the state has any new evidence that will be more damaging to Fournier than has been given at the two previous trials. Fournier’s case has attracted much attention all over Minnesota, because of the fact that the mur- ders charged against him and “Shorty” Wesley were of the most brutal and cold-blooded character. In the spring of 1907, both Wesley and Fournier were convicted of having killed N. O. Dahl and they were sentenced to serve life terms in the penitentiary. Wesley has been apparently resigned to his fate; and has remained behind the bars at Stillwater, any friends he may have possessed having apparently de- serted him. C. W. Scrutchin, Be- midji’s colored attorney, has labored diligently to eventually free Fournier. He secured a new trial foy Fournier, on the charge of having killed N. O. Dabl, and the case was again tried at Brainerd last winter, Mr. Scrutchin securing a change of venue from Beltrami county to Crow WiLg county, because of alleged prejudice existing against his client in this county. At the trial held in Brainerd, Fournier was acquitted. He was immediately taken into custody, after the Brainerd trial, being charged with having killed Miss Aagot Dabhl, an indictment having been returned against him in 1907, Attorney Scrutchin again se- cured a change of venue for his client from Beltrami county to Aitkin county, and the case will be tried at Aitkin next week, with Judge C. W. Stanton of this city presiding. It is believed that next week’s trial of Fournier will be a legal battle of large proportions, as Mr. Scrutchin is determined to free Fournier of the charge of murder, and County Attorney Chester Mc- Kusick is equally set on placing Fournier behind the bars as a per- manent resident of Stillwater for the remainder of his life. There will be several legal questions to be disposed of, being very import- ant in the case as bearing on the inrroduction of an alleged confes- sion as proper evidence, and other minor questions, ; While County Attorney McKusick will gy byt 14a gpmmpeaing tha 5 | case which the state will present against Fournier, it is known that he has been working diligently, and that he has some new evidence and will put up a strong fight to convict Fournier, The killing of Aagot Dahl was one of the most horrible and revolt- ing crimes in the history of Minne- sota. With confidence in the pro- tection of the good God above, the young woman lived on her claim in the lonely woods near Quiring, hav- ing as her only companion her aged father, with neighbors many miles away. She was cruelly killed by being shot from a large-caliber rifle, and to make certain that her life would be taken, her slayer beat her over the head with the butt end of his weapon, mutilating the girl’s features in a horrible manner. The body was deposited in a meadow, and the luxuriant growth of grass at a certain point the following summer led to the discovery of the skeleton which had been left by afiend at a lonely spot, a prey to wild beasts, birds and the elements. Beltrami county land were placed on sale by State Auditor Iverson at the anpual sale at the local court house this morning. The bidding was good aud the sales netted an average | up last evening to visit his son, Gill | of $6,50 per acre. Mr. Iverson de-|Mantor, one of the popular young end will eventually be divulged, and|appraisers on Beltrami county land that persons on whom suspicion has | is responsible for there being no never fallen will be implicated. IVERSON HOLDS SALE. Five hundred and sixty acres of|2°0n train for Grand Rapids where larger sales. Auditor Iverson and his chief clerk E. G. Walden departed on the they will place on sale 30,000 acres of Itasca county land. The sale will be held Wednesday morning. W. H. Mantor of Brainerd came There are those who belive that; clared that he was well pleased with men of Bemidji. Mr. Mantor will BIG DREDGES WORKING ON STATE DITCHES Work Being Pushed on Half Million Dollar Ditch.—Several Counties Will Be Benefitted. THIEF RIVER MUST BE RIDDED OF BENDS TO HOLD THE WATER [ e the real truth of how N, O. Dahl and his daughter Aagot Dahl met their the result of his sales. here that the high value set by the.several days. It is believed | remain in Bemidji with his son for Money Cheerfully Refunded GILL BROS. The Popular Priced Clothiers Mail Orders Promptly Filled Stylish Suits and Overcoats af Copyright 1909 The House of Kuppenheimer hicago - Attractive Prices There’s a genuine satisfaction in buying your clothing at Gill Bros. store for you can depend upon it for Real Quality, Style and Reasonable Prices. ness has made ‘wonderful strides. There’s a reason---the best values and the lowest prices (quality considered) in the city. R e e All our Suits and Overcoats are high grade and are made especially for us, according to our own rigid specifications by the best clothing manufacturers in America.. The fabrics are the season’s choicest and most select suitings. The varity of models is so extensive and the styles so exacting that the most critical men, young and old, can readily find not only one, but several suits_to their liking. $18, $20, $22.50, $25, $30 The man who thinks $15 is enough to pay for a suit will find it enough here to get a mighty good one. We've got the best lot of $15 suits you ever saw; fine worsted facrics with fine tailoring, good style, and all the essentials of satisfaction. All sizes, including odd sizes. They’re the brand of clothes we can safely guarantee; they're essentially good values at $20 but we sell them at $15. Hosiery—new spring goods in silk lisles and mecer- ized yarns, either plain colors, fancy jacquard . stripes or figures, reinforced heels and toes, at 25¢: Neckwear—all the new silks, all styles, all shades, at 50c¢. Hats—the Mora and Mallory Hats, the best wearing hats made, in every correct and wanted spring shape, either snappy or conservative blocks, $3. School suits for boys, 6 to 16, double breasted style with bloomer knee pants. They wear like steel, they cer- tainly give the service; seams are double stitched with with silk thread and the clothes are fortified at vital points, at $5. Other reliable makes at $2.50, $3 and $3.50. GILL BROTHERS -Door to First National Bank Bemidji, Minnesota Our splendid clothing busi- Engineers Up Against Problem of Figuring* Head on Water Restrained by Bends. Crooktson, May 13.—VYesterday the Northwestern Drainage company started their first dredge on Ditch No. 11, in the eastern Marshall, Red Lake, Roseau and Beltrami counties, the greatest drainage project ever started in the entire northwest, which will cost over $500,000; and a tew days they will have another big dredge at work. Engineer W. R. Hoag, who came up from St. Paul, will have charge of the plan to redeem thousands of acres of what has been classed as swamp land, and will make it as rich agricultural land as can be found in the world. The scheme is a gigantic one, but perfectly feasable. The fall is ample and the amoant of water to be handled will by its own action wash the ditches deeper and deeper each succeeding year. One of the big problems the state will have to figure out is the amount of work that will have to be done in straightening out Thief River to take care of the immense ¥ amount of water that will be dumped into it. Mr. Hoag will devote a month or more in securing data as ‘o the precentage of decrease in the head of a stream caused by sharp bends. Ina straight ditch with a given fall, the volume of water that will be discharged can be easily figured, but no standard has ever been established upon which to base the restraining influence of a certain number of bends of a given angle of sharpness. ' Some apprehension has been felt that Red Lake River may be unable to take care of the vast amount of water that will thus be hurried into it in the spring when the snow disappears rapidly. If the state dumps more water in a river tharlx the river can take care of, ‘it is up to the state to increase the carrying capacity. EVANGELISTIC GAMPAIGN. The finance committee for the unjon evangelistic campaign, which will be held for three weeks com- mencing May 18, has been appointed by the pastors of the Presdyterian, Baptist and Methodist churches. The city was devided into dis- tricts, so that the committee can more easily collect the small amount of money necessary to carry on the campaign. Dr. E. A, Shannon was made chairman, and H. N. Douglass,. treasurer of the committee, the other members being: Glen R. Martin, Dr. E. H. Smith, O. Baker, George Smith, Fred W. Davis and Reverends White and McKee. . Died at Blackduck. James Meade of Hines, who ‘was run over, while under the 'inflluence of liquor near Hines Tuesday night, died at the Blackduck hospital yes- terday “morning, his foot being cut off by -the train, and” the shock proved too much for him. ;