The Murder of Anna Wiese
Green Mountain, Iowa

EVENING TIMES REPUBLICAN

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1894 CONTINUED...

HEADLINES

APRIL 5, 1894

WEAVING THE WEB

Evidence Adduced Today By the State In the Wiese Murder Case

Ex-Sheriff Foster, of Tama County, Relates His Experience

Testimony of Deputy Sheriff Wildman and Undertaker Ben Dixon

Mrs. Bennett Appears in New and Better Garb - Notes of the Day

FEATURES OF THE DAY

The Jam Increases - Mrs. Bennett Dressed Up - Notes and Incidents

There was no diminution in the crowd attendant upon the Bennett murder case today. If any difference at all the jam was greater than that of yesterday. When the doors of the court room were opened there was the usual scramble for seats which were almost instantly filled, as was all available standing space in the aisles and around the three walls of the room. To accommodate the witnesses in waiting and the public generally the east court room was thrown open, adding much to the convenience and comfort of those in attendance. There was a large percentage of ladies in the audience today.

When Mrs. Bennett entered the bar this morning a decided change in her personal appearance was observed. The spectators were quick to perceive the metamorphosis that had been wrought.

She was becomingly arrayed in a dress of heavy brown material, made up in the latest style, a new hat, matching her other garb and of the fashion of today, with a high bow of silk ribbon and adorned with light green buds, knotted at the throat with heavy brown ribbons. She appeared fresher and more animated than at any time since the trial began, and there seemed to be less indifference and stoical reserve than usual. In fact, the defendant was either feeling more cheerful or determined to appear so. Several friends greeted her cordially, some strangers were introduced to her and her sister, Mrs. Shattuck, but both talked very sparingly. It is evident that they know well how to hold their tongues. When court adjourned last evening the defendant manifested considerable interest in the bloody exhibits, and watched closely the disposition of the articles for the night.

The defendant seems fortified for the severe ordeal of this trial as few women would be. Her self-control under all circumstances is truly remarkable. She is calmness personified.

Her features seem set in unvarying immobility. Neither flush nor pallor disturbs the serenity of her countenance. The most graphic recital of the bloody details incident to the murder, or of circumstances seeming to point toward her guilt, has no more effect upon, so far as can be discerned, than if it were told in a language that she can not understand. She is, in fact, an enigma that no living man can solve.

There has been considerable comment regarding the attentions paid Mrs. Bennett by some of the ladies and a disposition to criticize what is termed an attempt to "tog her up" for effect. There are those who declare that if the family is as poor as counsel for defendant claimed it is in ill taste for her to appear in court with a different hat every day (she wore a black crusher yesterday), and dressed as if she were expecting to attend a reception. But "people will talk, you know."

When the clerk sonorously announced, in stereotyped form, that "this court is now convened" this morning, the cross examination of Sheriff Pence was resumed by Mr. Caswell, and the routine proceedings of the day follow:

THURSDAY MORNING - Sheriff Pence continued - Russie's and others; found sticks and clubs there; saw limbs under the trees in these groves; didn't examine the ground at Hill's, where a young man by the name of Smelser is said to live; never noticed any dirt on the end of the club, as though it had been walked with; the gate on which the blood was found was about 150 feet west of the barn. I think the gate leads from the barnyard to the pasture; it is west of the water tank; the stain was on the second board from the top, on the under edge.

The cross examination by Mr. Caswell was continued for an hour and a half and elicited nothing new, although the attorney at times seemed to cut very fine distinctions.

Pence redirect - I offered a reward of $1,500; have in my possession papers containing promises from citizens that amount to over $1,100. I have promises from other citizens that I would not be compelled to pay any of it. Caswell asked me repeatedly for the waist to have it examined by experts; said he wanted a chance to have it examined by experts. I think there was an order of court in regard to the waist by Judge Birdsall. I don't know how the rents in the waist were made.

When Sheriff Pence was excused the court took a recess of ten minutes.

E. C. Foster testified - I am a farmer; was sheriff of Tama county four years; was sheriff in 1893. I came to Marshall county to assist Sheriff Pence in finding the murderer. I first was on the ground Monday at about 10 o'clock, went to the place of murder; saw Pence on the next Wednesday after the murder; we were there from about noon to nearly dark; I helped to search for clubs similar to the one in evidence; found a great many in the grove at Bennett's that were similar to this one; I did not find others in the neighborhood that were similar to this except at Bennett's; I examined the premises at Bennett's and found marks on a sliding board gate west of the house; there were stains on the gate, on the second board from the top; the stain was of a reddish color; there were three marks, about the size of four fingers, on the under side of the board; the stain on the board had some appearance of paint; it was not as bright as paint. I thought at the time that the stain looked like blood.

I found similar stains on the knob of the screen door and the casing of the door; it was the east door; Mrs. Bennett saw Pence and myself looking at the stains on the door; no one was present but myself, Pence and Mrs. Bennett; she was not outside the house while we were examining the stains; the stains resemble and look like blood; think they were blood; the stains on the door knob, casing and gate were all the same, in my opinion. Mrs. Bennett told me that Miss Wiese came along by her place and she spoke to her, and the last words she heard the poor girl say were "Good-night"; this, she said, was the Sunday before the murder; there were two pair of overalls up-stairs that had been washed and were yet damp. I asked her what she washed them for, and she said to get the paint out of them. I saw stains on them; she told me that she and her husband went to bed at 9 o'clock; she said she heard the last words spoken by Anna Wiese while she was at Hill's; she appeared rather excited while we were there; she was nervous; she would come out to the well and go back again, and go in and out without any apparent object; she said she called Anna Wiese from the road to talk to her on the Sunday before the murder; said she called to her to come in and take tea with them, and Anna gave her no answer, but went on. The grass on the ground east of where the murder was committed was about one and one-half feet to two feet tall, and the weeds about a foot taller; this grass extended east to Bennett's cornfield. I saw a spot on the wire just east of the place of the murder; the wire was very tight. I could just crawl through; there was no staple out of the fence; the other fences between this place and Bennett's house had only two wires. Mrs. Bennett was just in side the door when we were examining the door knob and casing; the spots on the fence wire looked as though someone had taken hold of the wire by hand.

Cross - It would have taken quite an effort to compress the wire so one could crawl through; the wire was strung very tight; I wasn't long in getting through the fence; I depressed the wire at the point where the spot was; there is a broad, flat, boggy slough running southeast from the place of the murder.

At this point court adjourned for the noon recess.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON - E. C. Foster cross examination continued - I thought the stains on the door knob and door frame and gate were all of the same character; Mrs. Bennett's continual going from the house to where we were seemed to me to indicate she was nervous and agitated; she voluntarily told me of Annie Wiese going by on the Sunday before the murder, I did not understand Mrs. Bennett to say that she said "good night" to her on that Sunday evening; she told me she said good night to her in connections with a conversation about Hill's; I don't think anyone was present at this conversation; she did not refer to the time Anna was there at the house when she said she heard her say good night. I did not see on the casing a place that looked as if some one had put his hand on the paint before it was dry; about all I paid any attention to was the stain on the casing; no one was there but Mrs. Bennett, Pence and myself; the neighbors were all somewhat nervous; I don't know as I can say there was any attempt by Mrs. Bennett to conceal anything.

J. E. Wildman, sworn: I am deputy of Marshall county and was at the time Anna Wiese was murdered. I have charge of the safe in the office; had the hair in the safe; there were two packages - about 15 hairs; the other was larger; I gave the packages of Dr. C. C. Cottle, of this city. I know it is the same hair that was delivered to me.

Cross - I had charge of the safe; no one but Mr. Pence and I had keys to the safe; there were two or three coarse hairs in the package that was said to have been taken from her hand; the hairs ranged from about one inch in length to several inches long. I did not allow the hairs to be changed while in my possession.

Peter Ben Dixon testified - I live in Gladbrook; am a furniture dealer; was called to take care of the body of Anna Wiese; reached there at about 6 o'clock a.m. on the 27th of August; the body was in Henry Russie's house; she had on the clothes in which she had been murdered. I removed the clothing, Mr. Russie's brother helped me; she had on a red-colored waist, under that a corset (shown corset); this is the corset I took from the body of Anna Wiese; it is in the same condition as when I removed it. I took the clothing from off the lower part of the body; she had on a skirt and drawers; the drawers were not torn and no buttons were missing. I washed the body. The throat was cut from the right side to the left; one injury was on the side of the head, two on the top and one on the base of the skull; there were two holes on the right side; five holes on the left side and back; some of the holes on the back were clear through to the hollow.

NOTES

Judge Hindman Wednesday afternoon ordered the county supervisors to put braces under the main stairway leading to the court floor, it being considered unsafe on account of the crowd attendant upon the trial, which is constantly increasing.

There is a growing anxiety to see Barney Shultz the Pinkerton detective placed in the witness box. He is generally supposed to be the one witness of importance above all others for the state and it is expected that he is able to throw new light upon the case.

Judge Hindman made a new ruling regarding the witnesses this morning allowing all to attend the sessions of court who chose to do so.

There is a commendable dearth of clashing between court and counsel. The attorneys recognize Judge Hindman's fairness as well as his legal acumen and his rulings usually "go" without question or cavil.