The Red Cloud chief., 1879-05-29

from under him, and threw him side
ways into the cresk. Siechler Jumped
after him and held old Raber'shead m
der the water until be Was dead. Old
Drews was with the party and ASST ted.
In 10 minutes Drews and Stechler came
back from the Greer to the house, and
his wife went downstairs. Stechier,
whose clothing was very wet. was given
dry clothes by Mrs. Drews. Both Drews
and Stechler remarked that old Raber
was very strong, and that 1t required
great strength to hold him under the
water until he was dead. Peters was
asked by the counsel for the defense
why he had not made the information
sooner, and he replied that Drews had
threatened TO kill the first man who
dared TO say q word about it.
Mrs Peters sworc that her father
said, before the death Of Raber, that he
(Drews) was to get $500 to kill the
old man, from Techmsn, Weise, Hum
mel, and Brandt, the four alleged on-
spirators; that her mother had told her
father tba. they might not pay him for
the awful deed, and that be replied:
"Oyes. they will pay me. We had o
hard bargain, and W made out that the
first man who would back ont OF 60
back on his promise we had . right to
shoot down" The young woman was
on the stand about FIVE hours, and
half the time wal in tears. Her
aged father sat in the prisoners row,
and looked upon her with apparent in
dift renee. Wien asked why she had
not informed the officials sooner, she
said that the entire family-wife, chill
dren, and all-were under . threat of
instant death il they told what they
knew.
The testimony developed the facts
that, when $50, 600 Of insurance was ef-
fected on the old mans life, the hold
ers Of the policies could not hire a man
10 put an end to him. On several &C.
~casions they planned to have the old
man pass over q lonely road at night;
but this he did not do. Finally, they
were unable to pay the premium on 30
large an amount, and about $4,000
dropped through by default of making
up the interfs st. The men became des-
perate, rs they saw a fortune quickly
slipping from their grasp. All their
money had been paid yer for -premi-
ums, and still old Raber was alive. Mrs.
Peters testified that Brandt accused her
that it was her fault that the old man
had not been killed; that the murder
must be done by Friday or Saturday.
Dec. 8 or 9, or all the policies would
certainly fall. Other witnesses told.
plainly and forcibly, Of offers made to
LIN %Lo ola mo Tho nlnt Uaa M On.
crtt in the Drews family, and was free
ly spoken of before the children; but
they were all under q threat of instant
death if they breathed a word about it
to any me-.
I. Drews is the oldest man of tn prison.
ers. His head aud face are q nearly per
feet ac-simile of the famous physiog-
nomy of G.. L. Fox as clown, in full
clown makeup. Dfews is yellow, how
ever, instead of white. He is nearly
hairless, has very small blue eyes, large
nose and mouth, round chin, and very
round and smooth head. He is about
81 years of age. His companion in the
direct murder, Frank Stechler, is the
youngest of the six, and is the only un
married man among them. lie is about
81. His uncle testified that the young
man was induced to help Drews to do the
deed under q promise of $500.
There are in this region hundreds of
cases where cd and decrepit old persons
have teen induced to have their lives
insured, under promise that they would
be decently buried and have a nice
gravestone. The policies are at once
assigned to the person who pays the
premiums, and who subsequently waits
with an anxious heart for the death of
the person insured. All the temptations
for foul play al be readily imagined
especially here in this wild backwoods
country.