| Show DEFENSE OPENS ARGUMENTS IN DRAPER CASE Counsel Pictures Slain Stain Bank President as Aggressor in Fatal Fight Special to io The MANTI MANT July 2 2 Louis Louis Larson chief defense counsel Saturday sought ought to convince the jury trying l I Mendon Drap Draper r for first degree murder murder mur mUt der in the torch slaying of ot Andrew N. N T. T BJerregaard aged aced Ephraim banker bank bank- er on April 12 that the killing was done in self When court resumed this morning he continued his argument begun yesterday before adjournment The bank president he said was an aggressive man Draper was retiring and meek Mr BJerregaard was the thel bulldog he said and Draper the rab rabI ru Would i it be reasonable or consistent con con I for the rabbit to attack the thel bulldog he asked the jury He contended the state erred in its analysis of ot the evidence regarding the thel fight ight that allegedly took place at the thel time of the killing in the BJerregaard bedroom Drapers Draper's clothes Mr Laron Larsan Larson Lar- Lar son san on held plainly showed that he had hadeen been een on on his back att attacked by the thc aged ged man H He referred to blood on ontie the tie back of Drapers Draper's underclothing as s proof that he had been attacked He dismissed the pouring of oil over ver the bedding in the murder chain chain- ber cr contending that it had nothing whatever to do with the crime as charged If U cognizance were to be beaken betaken betaken taken aken of this he said it could be nothing noth noth- Ing ng more grave than an arson charge DISCOUNTS BEER BEES It had been testified by Draper when on the stand in his own behalf that hat he had bought and consumed a portion of a gallon of beer on the night of the slaying saing This Mr Larson Laron Larson Lar- Lar son on held shed no light on the circumstances cir cir- cir cir- of the killing kUling A violent man might be made violent by drink he said but a man like Draper would not nol The only effect it might have had lad he said was braced him Wm himin in n spirits to give him courage to go goo goto goto to o the father of the woman he wished to o marry and ask her parents parent's con- con sent ent The evidence Mr Larson argued was vas all to the effect that Mr BJerregaard BJerregaard BJerre BJerre- gaard bore hatred toward the ac ac- used Draper had none he pleaded Draper contended that the oil used to o make a pyre of the mortally wounded wound- wound ed d victims victim's clothing and the bedding was vas obtained for oiling a pig This the he state held fell apart when he ad ad- going to the pig pen on the premises remises of Mrs Ivadel Jensen the bankers banker's daughter after dark Oiling a pig is a daylight job District Attorney Attorney At- At torney orney Fred W. W Kellar had argued Mr Larson contended that it was a common practice to apply oil at night to pigs infested with lice He asked the jury to disregard this evidence evi dence and argument Mr Larson sought to impress the jury with the mild and orderly nature nature na na- na- na ture ure of Draper as testified to by the character r witnesses who were on the stand as defense witnesses HELD ACCIDENT Finally before adjournment of court interrupted him Mr Larson had lad begun to show that the evidence revealed that Mr BJerregaard was not murdered but that his death was the he result of oC an unfortunate accident He ie contended that in the struggle between between between be be- tween the two men with Mr Bjerregaard Bjerre- Bjerre gaard as the aggressor the aged man had lad fallen to the floor and had struck his lis head on an iron bar on a stove in inthe inthe the he room This he said caused the basal skull fracture which caused death The conclusion of or evidence taking and the demand of the state for a verdIct verdict ver ver- dict diet of murder in the first degree appear appear ap- ap pear jear to have appeased the interest of the crowds which have almost suffocated suffocated suffocated In the ho hot courtroom during the entire course of the trial When court opened this morning there were few spectators on hand Of those who were in the room when Judge Dilworth Dilworth Dil Dil- worth Woolley opened the session several left during the defense argument ment I There is no Indication when the defense de- de I de-I tense Cense argument t. t will be concluded It Its i Is s to be followed by a summary by I District Attorney Kellar and then will be placed in the jurys jury's hands It is expected that as soon as this trial rial is finally disposed of the trial tria of Mrs Jensen will be lie put on the calendar calendar cal cal- for an early hearing The state has charged her with first degree murder During the taking of evi denee in the Draper case the state sought to introduce testimony to show that Mrs 1 Jensen a divorcee was in the BJerregaard home at the time ol of the homicide Objections by the defense de de- de were sustained by the court and no testimony to this effect was ad ad- t t |
