William Barrows, a dealer in wigs and human hair, Chicago, was called to the stand after the examination of Dr. Cottle was concluded. Barrows is a new witness for the state and his evidence was corroborative in detail of that of Dr. Cottle, in regard to expert examinations of hair and fibers.

The court room was nearly filled with spectators, more than half of them being ladies, and interest in the proceedings appears to be increasing. The testimony is herewith resumed at the point reached in Monday’s issue:

Direct examination of Mrs. Sprecher continued. Mrs. Bennett told me she could not sleep all night because she had a subpoena for the grand jury; saw Anna Wiese only once before she was murdered. Mrs. Bennett said her hair and Anna’s was just alike. Mrs. Bennett was excited on Sunday morning after the murder; dragged a pair of shoes across the floor and didn’t seem to know it; was scared when Hill came to notify them; hadn’t gone to sleep when Arthur came. Heard her say when I first knew her that her left arm would fly out of place; complained of her left arm after the murder. Said she would not hire Anna because she was so silly. Told Anna not to go with Isenhart, he might do her bodily harm. On day of search she was excited. Mrs. Bennett seemed to be a strong woman. There was no scratch on Bennett’s face Friday evening at the supper table.

Cross – Neighbored with Bennett’s until the arrest; have not been them since; Mr. Bennett talks freely and is outspoken. Barney Shultz came to see me three times; I told him about how Mrs. B. acted and how she complains. I never knew Mrs. Bennett to contradict herself until she told the story about Anna and Arthur; I didn’t speak of the scratch on Bennett’s nose at the last trial because I was not asked. I thought Mrs. Bennett was sincere when she said she could not imagine why any one would murder Anna. Mrs. Bennett did not try to keep away from the searchers on Wednesday. She seemed to be excited – every person seemed to be excited. When she spoke of the shirt I did not think she had reference to her own clothing. Saw a man east of our house the night of the murder, about 2 o’clock in the morning; he was passing toward the east. Mrs. Bennett said Anna came to her house the Sunday before the murder and staid quite awhile; was asked to take tea. Mrs. Bennett said Anna and Arthur were talking confidentially in the kitchen; overheard them conversing about Isenhart. She talked afterward as if she thought Isenhart had murdered the girl.

Ex Sheriff Foster, of Tama, testified – Went to the scene of the murder on Monday, to assist in the search. Saw blood spot on the fence wire. Discovered apparent blood stains on the door knob and the casing on the west side of the door at Bennett’s house, also on the gate at cow yard. Think Mrs. Bennett was in a position to see us while we were examining the stains on the door; she was inside and the door was open. Had quite a conversation with defendant that day. She said Anna had been at her house the Sunday night prior to the murder, and she had asked the girl to take tea. Saw overalls, two pairs, at Bennett’s Wednesday after the murder. There were paint stains on them. Defendant seemed to be considerably excited; she walked out to the well and back, two or three times, while I sat out there on a bench. Mrs. Bennett said she looked at the gash in Anna’s throat, when she was being laid out; said she had the nerve to do it.

George W. Sprecker sworn – Have seen defendant carrying water in a can. She did the housework. Heard her say that if she had to go to the pen she could go, and if she had to hang she could hang. This was some time after the search.

Alva Nicholson testified that he was handed a button by one Ed Beebe (recognized button shown in court) by marks he had made upon it before delivering it to the sheriff.

Sheriff Pence was recalled to verify the date of the warrant sworn out for the arrest of Isenhart. He said it was on the morning of Aug. 30, before he went out to make the search at Bennett’s. Isenhart was brought to the Marshall county jail the next day.

Albert Isenhart. First became acquainted with Anna Wiese in May, 1893. Went to see her about half a dozen times. Saw her last the Sunday before she was murdered, at No. 5 school house. Escorted her to Henry Rusie’s after the meeting. A squabble here ensued between counsel relative to some communication or act that occurred between Arthur Sherlock and Anna at the school house. The court thought that it was piling inference upon inference and was therefore too far drawn, and sustained objection of defense to introducing this matter as competent testimony. Witness didn’t know of any clubs in anybody else’s groves like those in Bennett’s, especially in the cow yard. Saw Mrs. Bennett carry water with both hands. She carried swill to the hogs, five or six rods from the house.

Cross – Mrs. Bennett appeared to be neither stronger nor weaker than ordinary women on the farm. Walks kind of stoop shouldered. I worked there one month the summer of 1892. Never thought about clubs when I passed through feed yards of other neighbors. I passed through them the Sunday before the murder.

Adjourned till Tuesday.

Undertaker Ben Dixon, of Gladbrook, was the first witness examined this morning. He testified relative to preparing the body of the murdered girl. On cross examination he said he did not notice any blood below the knees. He identified the undershirt worn by Anna Wiese at the time of her death. The garment was exhibited and submitted in evidence. There are five apertures in the back, made by the assassin’s knife, and the shirt had been cut open down the entire front by the undertaker.

Dr. Cottle was next called. He testified regarding microscopic examination of hair from the head and shoulder of Anna Wiese and from the head of Mrs. Bennett and also of various alleged blood stains and fibers. The various exhibits of hair, photograph plates, etc., submitted in the former trial, were here introduced, and identified by witnesses. Plates numbering from 1 to 9, exhibits of hair, were offered in evidence by state’s counsel. Witness took hair from head of murdered girl. Did not notice any hair in her hand after cutting the specimen from her head. Of the 16 hairs found in Anna’s hand, seven had split ends, some large, some smaller; six of the seventeen hairs found on shoulder were split. Examined 2,500 hairs from head of Anna; found only six or eight split hairs; examined about 1,000 hairs from head of Mrs. Bennett; found one-fourth or one-third split; the splits were large. Anna’s hair was constricted; its general color is brown; would call Mrs. Bennett’s hair red, or red auburn; shaft of the hair found in the girl’s hair was similar to that from Mrs. Bennett’s head. Color of defendant’s hair is unusual. The splits in hair found in Anna’s hair was peculiar, in that the part split off wound around the main shaft. (Large charts were here introduced showing the peculiarities of the hair, being greatly magnified by the microscope. The character of the splits was thus very clearly defined. These charts show specimens of hair taken from the girl’s hand, shoulder and head, and from the head of Mrs. Bennett’s.) Found six gray hairs among the 2,500 taken from Anna’s head, none in the hand, none in Mrs. Bennett’s hair. Found three hairs on the club that lay near the body. Have examined fibers taken from under the finger nails of Anna Wiese and from hair of Mrs. Bennett. (Drawings showing the characteristics of the fibers were introduced). Different kinds of goods have different fibers; the red ones are from cotton goods, don’t know what the black ones are from. Witness explained the chart to the jury and pointed out the resemblance between fibers taken from the nails of Anna Wiese, from the hair in her hand and on her shoulder, and hair said to be from the head of defendant, the latter being obtained by Barney Shultz in October. Could distinguish no difference between the hair found in Anna’s head and that from the head of Mrs. Bennett; color is the same, and the splits are similar. Color of hair found in hand and on head of Anna are very different. Specimens of the girl’s hair and that said to be from defendant’s head are very different; splits are finer and shorter in Anna’s hair.

Cross-examination by Mr. Caswell – These hairs were sent to Chicago twice for examination by Dr. Haines. Know he did not substitute other hair for these specimens because I know the hair. Measured them since they were returned, but not before they were sent. (Witness was searchingly questioned relative to his ability to identify human hair or to distinguish different kinds of hair by characteristics. The plates and hair specimens were then offered in evidence and submitted to the jury for examination). Witness said he acted positively under the direction of the state in the case. Testified before the grand jury that the bangs of Mrs. Bennett were split and that those of Anna Wiese were not, or but slightly. It is conceded by all recognized authorities on microscopy that there is no such thing as identity of a single hair. It is a fact that the microscope is no aid to the identification of hair by color; am not certain that I could pick out the hair of Mrs. Bennett from that of Anna Wiese if mixed together. (Plates showing hair from hand and from head of Anna Wiese were here submitted to inspection of witness, who said that no difference was discernible in the light in which they were viewed. The plates were examined by the jury). Sickness of a party might cause constriction of hair; injury to the scalp might have similar effect. Have found since testifying before the grand jury that the long hair of Anna Wiese was split and frayed. Would not swear that certain number of hairs came from any particular person’s head. Constriction is a flattening or diminuition of the shaft of the hair; constrictions were probably as long as diameter of the hair, and were all in the dark hairs from Anna’s head; found eight in 2,500. Found dark hairs and of about same diameter in specimens from both Mrs. Bennett’s and Anna’s head. Have not examined any hair from top of Mrs. Bennett’s head. Could not say what the original color of Anna’s hair was, because the samples secured were matted with blood. There was but one bulb, or root, among the thirty-three hairs found in the hand. Discovered since former trial that there is a difference of color in the same hair. (Counsel and witness here experimented with hair by getting different reflections of light upon it, to ascertain whether these were more than one shade or color. Sent pieces of waist to Chicago for examination, to Prof. Haines. I found three blood corpuscles, or what I thought to be. Found no blood stains whatever on the sleeve. I used the guac test; the solution was of a darkish color, lighter than sherry wine. Blue color, which indicates blood, came slowly in tests taken of pieces from front of waist, which would suggest that it wasn’t blood. Flour and a number of other articles will produce like results.

Adjourned till 1:30 p.m.