Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-06-18
WIN. B. MINER, PROPRIETOR.
Guilty of Murder.

Lancaster has never been torn from
center to circumference as it was Sun
day afternoon when the jury in the trial
of Rosa Zoldoske brought ID 2 verdict
of murder in the first degree Public
feeling ran high and groups of men and
women denounced in angry tones the
jury who upon their sworn oaths found
according TO the law and evidence.
They set their belief, founded CD frag-
ments of testimony heard in court or on
hearsay. against the opinion Of the
twelve men tried and true, who, upon
the full evidence, well considered, did
simply and solely their duty.
That the defendant was woman
naturally elected sympathy in her be-
half. The absence of absolute knowl-
edge of the case through the local
press being barred from giving infor-
nation or comment, left the field open
for a full play Of sentiment. 1t was
maintained the defense would be ample,
some thirty witnesses it was thought
would testify in her behalf. and Rosa,
herself, was expected to make strong
plea. These things tended to keep the
public pulse normal, and much of the
significance of the circumstantial evil
dence rs unfolded was lost under the
hope that the defense would knock the
bottom out of the states case.
But the unexpected sometimes hap
pens and It did. A chain of circum-
stances had been woven so tightly
around the accused that struggle
would be fruitless and none was made.
The defendant herself did not take the
stand. Why not if innocent? There is
the rub No innocent person will allow
an accusation to stand unchallenged,
even Of a trivial nature. and why do so
in a case so serious as this. Simply be-
cause Rosa Zoldoske had no defense to
make. There were points susceptible
to an explanation that would have
initiated in her favor. For instance:
what become of the three parcels of
chocolate creams she bought that day;
did she know of the contents and POI
sition of that bottle in the DOCTORS cabi-
net; and what was the nature of her i'll
ness and did this sickness permit her to
afterwards eat hearty supper and then
keep her up all night But Rosa did
not have the nerve to make up a story
and stand the fire of cross examination.
Even her counsel did not want TO argue,
but being forced to it wasted their
oratory in yilifYing witnesses and slurr-
ing the members of the Richland Center
Methodist church.
That Ella Maly died of stryehnine
poison taken within a half hour prior
to her illness, the evidence as to the
effect of the drug and its subsequent
finding in her system sufficient to pro-
duce death, leaves no doubt.
The theory of suicide could not be /
maintained, nor that she ate anything
different from what the other guests did
except what was given her by Rosa
Zoldoske, who had free access to bot
tie Of strychnine. Circumstantial evil
dence could not be stronger.
There are people who DO not believe
in conviction on anything short of direct
evidence, but justice would 60 wide of
the mark in many instances were such !
sentiment to prevail. The preserva
ton of life is the highest aim of the law.
and society would be insecure were eye /
witnesses to the very act of deprivation
necessary in ell eases.