Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-02-28

9th was appointed for the hearing, ana
the prisoners were remanded to Jail, their
sentence being reserved until the motion
for new trial is argued. Their punish
ment under the statute will be imprson-
ment for life. 1t il admitted by all that
the trial was fairly conducted and the
case most ably managed by the counsel
on both sides. Judge Bennett made re-
markably favorable impression during
the trial and the defense and prosecution
alike are loud in praise of the impartial
and equitable rulings from the bench.
In the case of John Kodisch the YER
dict is something of surprise but to those
who followed the evidence closely the
finding against his wife is not SO surpris-
ing and, indeed, stands generally approx
ed by the community.
The chief points sworn to by several of
the principal witnesses on this important
trial are as follows:
Peter Dorschert.. testified: Knew Mary
Kodisch duringlher life time. She lived
with prisoners Have seen the deceased
watching cattle. Had nothing on but
old rags. Never saw a shoe on her foot.
Saw her liz this condition early in spring
and late in fall. demonstrated with her
son, John, and told him he must take bet
ter care of his mother.
John Lodesky testified that he had told
John Kodisch that if he did not take his
mother in out of the cold ne would be
prosecuted. Kodisch promised to take
her in and said he wanted his mother tax
en- to the poor house. At another time
Kodisch told Lodesky that he would
give him ten dollars if he would kill his
mother. That was in the summer of
1882 Kodisch was quite drunk at the
time. Kodisch had stroke of paralysis
last fall; he told Lodesky this after the
stroke.
Hannah Kodisch, daughter of the pris
oners, testified that she was Is years old.
Lived with her parents when grandmoth
er died. The last time she saw her grand
1882. Next day saw her dead. That
evening prisoners, myself and sister slept
in the house Grandmother went to bed
in barn about o'clock that night. We
were all in the house when she went to
bed She was weak and used a stick to
walk with. She was 95 years old. In
all hour after grandmother left the
house, mother went to the barn
to feed and water. Sister and
went to bed at o'clock. Prisoners were
up then. We got up in morning at six
o'clock. Mother went out first as she
did every morning. She came right back
and cried, ooh, Jesus, Grandmother is
dead" Sister and went out and found
grandmother dead; lying cross-ways from
what she usually lay. She was covered
with feather ticks. There was bruise
over eye and between that and ear. |
asked mother about,the wounds and she
said.graudmOther fell down. She told me
to tell everybody this. That afternoon we
took the bloody clothes grandmother had
on and buried them in the straw stack.
Mother told US to put them away Faith
er said to burn everything up that she
wore. The top of the tick she slept on was
washed. Father told me to tell that grand
mother slept in the house. Mother and
father often said that she was great deal
of trouble and they did not want to keep
her. They always said they would put
her away-in the poor house. Father
was going to sell his property to mother
in order to manage and get grandmother
in poor house. A short time before
grandmother was found dead mother went
to poor commissioner, but failed to get
grandmother in poor house. There was
a wild colt in the same barn with grand
mother; he was very wild and would
kick. l have seen him kicking That
morning [ saw blood back of colt on
straw. Two weeks before she died father
told grandmother to sleep in house, she
said she would rather sleep in barn.
Joel Boughton sworn: Saw old lady
Kodish often John Kodisch told me he
would give any person who would kill
the old lady $40. Said she was good
deal of trouble.
Messrs. Rohr and Schultz testified to
the effect that the prisoner had made re-
peated efforts to get deceased into the
poor house and had resorted to falsehood
to accomplish the purpose.
Louisa Kodisch, daughter of the pris-
oners, testified substantially to the same
thing as her sister in relation to the cir
cumstances of her grandmothers death,
and upon cross examination by the Dis
trict Attorney said: | told you father
and mother did not go TO bed that night.
I told you I never went to the barn. I
told you she slept Sin house. | told you
this becauses mother told me to. They
told me TO tell this because they were
afraid she froze in barn. | was not pres
ent when mother told Hannah to dispose
of clothing. [ have told you different
from this. I didn't tell you the truth. I
! asked mamma how the wounds happen
ed, and she said grandmother fell down.
We were told to tell that grandmother
had wounds before she went to stable.
Mother and father often quarreled about
grandmother, and about putting her in
the poor house. Grandmother said she
slept in barn because mother would not
let her sleep in house. Father had in