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The Murder of Anna Wiese | ||
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EVENING TIMES REPUBLICAN |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1894 SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1894 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1894 | |
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HEADLINES January 9, 1894 Motion for Continuance in the Bennett Case Overruled - Body Again Exhumed THE BENNETT MURDER CASE District Court Covered and Motion for a Continuance Argued Judge Birdsall arrived in the city last evening and formally convened the district court. Adjournment was taken until this morning, when the regular docket was called. Motion was submitted by counsel for defense in the Bennett murder case for a continuance until the March term. Arguments were made for and against the motion by opposing counsel and the court took the matter under advisement until this afternoon. Eight members of the grand jury panel put in an appearance at 11 a.m., but as the members were not all present the jury was not empaneled and instructed till 1 o'clock this afternoon, when the following names were drawn as the jury: A. J. Pemberton, foreman; Moses Bovee, J. A. Clemons, Thos. Cummins, J. F. Hobbs, L. L. Mackaman, Robert Warden. The judge late this afternoon overruled the motion of continuance but gave counsel leave to amend, which it is understood they will do. NO REST IN THE GRAVE The Body of Poor Annie Wiese Again Exhumed The generally accepted theory that "there is rest in the grave" finds forcible contradiction in the case of Annie Wiese, the young girl so brutally murdered late last August. Twice before the snows of winter spread their white mantle over her grave the body was exhumed and mutilated in the hope of finding some clue that might lead to the apprehension and conviction of her slayer. It was generally supposed that when the ground above her mangled remains became solidly frozen they would be allowed to repose in peace, but the body was again taken up the latter part of last week, at the instance of Mr. O. Caswell, one of the attorneys for the defense, for the purpose of securing some of her hair and possibly obtaining other light on the case. It is said that Mr. Caswell personally assumed the responsibility of exhuming the body, after having failed to obtain the consent of the authorities or her relatives. Mr. Caswell says that the body was exhumed in this instance, by equal authority that it was when taken up twice before in behalf of the state. No authority was obtained in either case except the right that the state has and the defendant has to gather testimony to be used in the case for proper purposes, he declares. HEADLINES January 13, 1894 Ten of Mrs. Bennett's Bondsmen Demand the Withdrawal of Their Names This Action Invalidates the Bond and Will Require a New One MRS. BENNETT'S BOND INVALIDATED Ten of the Twenty-three Bondsmen Withdraw on Account of the Continuance Another sensation was sprung in connection with the Wiese murder case this afternoon. Ten of the twenty-three bondsmen came before the authorities and asked that they be released from the bonds, and declared they would not be party to further continuance of the case. The bondsmen state that they have done all that was asked of them; that they have fulfilled their part of the contract; that defendant's counsel have had ample time to prepare their case, and that they will not be party to further continuance, owing to the burden of dread and horror that has weighed upon them and their families since the commission of this terrible crime. They further say that it is with no feeling of malice or prejudice that they ask for release, but that they take this action solely in the cause of right and humanity. This action on the part of the sureties invalidates the bond, and defendant will doubtless be at once surrendered, and a new bond will be required. The names of those demanding release from Mrs. Bennett's bond are: W. J. Nichols, Phillip Russie, John Knights, Daniel Russie, T. P. Low, Eliza McKerral, John McKerral, Henry Russie, R. D. Holt and E. A. Hill. HEADLINES January 17, 1894 HAIR IN HER HAND A Discovery in the Wiese Murder Case That Again Sets Tongues Awagging Finding of a Bunch of Hair in the Dead Girl's Hand When Last Exhumed ANOTHER BUNCH OF HAIR It Starts a New Story in Connection With the Wiese Murder Case Parties who assisted Mr. O. Caswell in exhuming the body of Anna Wiese recently discovered some hair in one of her hands. This fact has leaked out and it has furnished the basis for another sensational story. A local correspondent for a Chicago paper rushes into print with the statement that Mr. Caswell removed a bunch of hair from the dead girl's fingers; that it was a bungling job and that "there is every evidence to show that Miss Wiese's body had been taken from the grave by some conspirators and this bunch of hair placed between her fingers," and that there "is considerable feeling against the attorney for this alleged attempt to manufacture evidence," etc. It is not the purpose of the TIMES-REPUBLICAN to defend Mr. Caswell. It is not its purpose to defend or condemn Mrs. Bennett. It is its purpose, however, and its determination to give the facts in this case as near as they can possibly be obtained, without reserve, and without coloring, and without prejudice. And it does not propose to be persuaded or driven from this position. |
If a tuft of hair was found entwined about the fingers of the murdered girl's hand, then the fact is clearly established that a damnable scheme has been resorted to in order to divert suspicion and evidence from the defendant and defeat the ends of justice. But is there sufficient reason for believing that such a plot has been hatched and its consummation attempted? Let us see. A representative of the TIMES-REPUBLICAN set to work yesterday to investigate this story of the finding of the hair, and any allusion to it in last evening's paper was withheld, with a view of obtaining more tangible and reliable information before giving the matter publicity than was forthcoming when the fact first became known. While prosecuting his inquires he interviewed Prof. Maurice Ricker, and several others. Mr. Ricker has been employed by the defense to do microscopial work in the case and has made a special and exceedingly careful study of the various samples of hair. It was with much reluctance that he consented to have anything to do with the case, but he was known to be competent in this line of work and all who know him entertain no fear but that whatever he does or says in the matter will be with but the one desire of doing justice to all parties concerned. No one doubts that he will act conscientiously, carefully, and that his statements will be the truth as he believes it. Mr. Ricker was really more amused than surprised at this last sensational and evidently exaggerated story of the finding of hair in the hand of the dead girl. In response to inquiries concerning it he said: "Yes, I have read the account in a Chicago paper in regard to some hair being found in Annie Wiese's hand when taken up by the defense recently. I have been asked to do some microscopic work for them. I had no interest in the case other than to see justice done, and when asked to accompany Mr. Caswell and others to the Vienna cemetery to cut some hair from the head of Annie Wiese, for examination, I did so. "I cut a sample of her long hair, in the presence of a disinterested party, and was about to turn away when he called my attention to a lock of hair lying loosely on her hands, which were folded on her breast. I then noticed it as a matter of interest, and would not have taken it; but as an afterthought, thinking it might be of some value, put it into an envelope, and have not examined it since. I place no value upon it, as I believe it must have been dropped there by the prosecution, as they had the body disinterred several times previously, and stated that belief to Dr. Cottle lately, who thought it quite likely that such was the case. "As to Mr. Caswell or any one else having placed it there, to be found, is certainly a very preposterous story. He did not get within ten feet of the body that I am aware of. I do not believe he has yet seen the hair in question, as he was at that time busily conversing with several neighbors who were called in to see that we did nothing wrong. I told him of it after we started away. If the prosecution think that the hair is for "made to order evidence,' I have no objections to turning it over to them unexamined, all that I found, as the defense do not wish it. "As to the necessity of exhuming the body I will say that the prosecution had not the hair that would have been CUT OFF IN STABBING HER; that what hair had been given the defense by the prosecution had been passed through several hands in unsealed envelopes, and would not have been evidence before any court. I do not make the above statement in self-defense, as my motives and connection with the case have not been questioned." The "disinterested party" alluded to in Mr. Ricker's statement was seen by a TIMES-REPUBLICAN reporter subsequent to the interview with the former. The name of this "disinterested party" is for the present withheld, at his own solicitation, but he is a leading business man of this city and his veracity would not be questioned by any one - not even by an enemy. His statement is in substance as follows: "I helped take up the body, pushed the glass lid of the casket part way back, and assisted Mr. Ricker in getting samples of the dead girl's hair. Just as we were about to close the coffin again I discovered a bunch of hair in her right hand, which was clasped over the left of her breast. There was a white mould fully a quarter of an inch thick adhering to the face, hands and all exposed parts of the flesh. The hair, however, was free from this grave mould. That in her hand stood up in a sort of loop or bow, above the second finger, and the ends were between and apparently under the index and third fingers. I called Mr. Ricker's attention to it and asked if we hadn't better bring it along with us. He said it might be well to do so. I then reached under the glass and took the hair from the hand. It pulled as if being partially grasped or inserted under the fingers. I handed it to Mr. Ricker, who put it into an envelope and marked it 'Hair in hand', and haven't seen it since. The hair was about four inches in length." These are the exact statements made by two men, both of whom were disinterested witnesses of the exhuming of Miss Wiese's body, and whose word is as good as their bond. There is no reason to doubt the honesty or sincerity of either statement. Mr. Ricker doubtless did not know that the hair "pulled" when his friend attempted to remove it. As previously stated, the hair could not have gotten under and around one or more of the fingers without being placed there. Whether the mould adhering to the flesh also adhered to the hair enough to cause it to cling to the fingers is a question. The reader can draw his own conclusions. *Note: The rest of this article, and through January 22, 1894, was a case of Horace Hill (arrested for the murder of Anna Wiese earlier) vs. S. K. Ernst. We did not feel it necessary to cover this area during this murder. You will see that the next article for the Anna Wiese case will be dated, Wednesday, March 28, 1894.
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