This is the ninth day of the Bennett murder trial. There have been few features so far and no extraordinary or sensational developments whatever. It will be remembered that on the former trial people were on the tip toe of expectancy, waiting for some startling disclosure that never came. The most sensational feature of the case at that time was its abrupt termination and its cause. One of the jurors, exhausted by the length and fatigue of the trial and over sixty hours of deliberation in the jury room, went into violent convulsions and the case at once ended in a disagreement. There has been gossip on the streets and in business places that something will “drop,” and that it will cause big excitement before the termination of the present trial. So far, however, there has not been the slightest indication of it in the proceedings. The week closes with a larger part of the evidence in on the part of defense, but it will take two or three days longer to close the testimony. The defense will probably get through by Tuesday evening, and a few hours will be occupied in the introduction of rebuttal. It may therefore require about another week to reach the final result.

The defense introduced an expert on hair this afternoon in the person of Irving J. Smith, professor of pathology and histology in the State Agricultural College. His testimony was to the effect that there is no material difference in the texture of hair taken from the heads of Anna Wiese and the defendant, and that it would be practically impossible to identify hair by color or other ordinary characteristics.

Cross – Mr. Caswell held the envelopes; Ricker placed the hair in the envelopes, four of them; was not aware of hair being taken from the girl’s hand. Don’t think any hair from the hand was put in the envelopes. There was a whispered conversation, something about some other hair, and what they better do about it.

Re-direct – Am reasonably certain that the hair was in no way mixed before being put in the envelopes, as I saw it clipped off and carried to the envelopes.

Cross – Mean by “sudsy” that there was a sort of foam on the blood.

Cross – Have noticed the peculiarity of her hair on several occasions; there were darker shades behind the ears; front parts were lighter; hair hung down her back when I saw her.

Cross – The main washing had been done and my washing done afterward and hung upstairs.

Cross – Was sent there by Ernst and Hutchins to get him to tell. The last conversation with Perry was about 5 o’clock p.m., the day of the funeral.

Cross – Grass looked as heavy this year as last; think I could have seen a man for half a mile going through the slough in bright moonlight.

Cross by Boardman – Could not have seen a man in the slough unless I had been looking in that direction. Weeds were shorter and less frequent as you pass east and north. Think I ran three-fourths of the way from Bennett’s to the scene of the murder.

Cross – The ladies buy them generally.

Samuel Bennett recalled – Went up the windmill tower twenty-three feet five inches before being able to see the ground at Arthur Hill’s.

Charles Eckles – Button in evidence is very commonly used on underwear, especially on drawers; generally smaller on shirts.

Tom Allen – I climb over the gate in Bennett’s cowyard about ten days after the murder; ‘twas a three board gate, bottom and top boards broken and spliced; saw a stain, sort of walnut color, on middle board; was looking for blood stains. Blood will dry on the hand, in summer, in going seventy rods; tried it; went rapidly.

Col. Shurtz – Think one can see the top of Bennett’s house or barn from the place of murder. Could see a man crawling through the grass on his hands and knees all the time for thirty rods, through the slough in day time. Hammond made the trip from Bennett’s to scene of murder in ten minutes and forty seconds.

Mrs. Shattuck – Sister of defendant; went there on October 13, after the murder; gathered up the soiled clothes for the wash, the blue waist in evidence among the rest; defendant was in bed; she gave no direction regarding the washing; noticed the pants button on the waist; there were no blood stains upon it; defendant was always right handed; she had trouble with her left shoulder, slipping out of joint since she was 12 years old; rheumatism seemed to settle there and bother her some; she seemed to be broken down with hard work last summer.

Mr. Caswell sworn – S. K. Ernst I saw on the way to the depot with his family, moving to Missouri; took depositions of himself and son’s wife. Deposition of the latter read by Mr. Meeker; related to having seen Anna Wiese scuffle with Sam Ernst and his sons, the elder full grown, and she seemed to be about a match for anyone of them. Her hair was light and there were several shades; it was split; she was in the habit of running out bareheaded a great deal while at Ernst’s, and her hair was bleached and sunburned; her hair was curly; have noticed splits and different shades of her hair while comparing it.