The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-19
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CRAZY OR UGLY {?
The Preliminary Examination of Mrs
Kester Develops Motive.
The State Completes Its Evidence and
an Adjournment Is Taken I'm
STC til Saturday.

TheNcQurt room was well filed wher
the case of the State of Minnesota VS.
! Martha Hester came up for prelim
mary, hearing. A warrant had
been" issued charging the defendant
with! murder in the first degree, by
drowning her little boy, Herman
A number of witnesses from Eagle
Lake were present, and a number
of ladies were scattered through
the room. The defendant was
bro4ght,jin by the sheriff and took
no interest in the proceedings, spend
ing part of the time in watching the
street. scenes through the window.
Pau & Young appeared as her attor-
neys, while County Attorney Hughes
represented the state. The case open
ed at 1920 o'clock, and the evidence
forthe prosecution was completed in
an hour. Nothing new was developed,
except that Jake Thomas, husband of
Mrs. kester's sister, presented a mo-
tive for the murderess'S deed. Mr.
Stearns.stated an incident which may
have a, tendency to support the insan.
ity defense, if such is made.
The'defendant waived the reading
of the warrant.
A. l. Cummins was the first witness
SwornnHe testified that he saw Mar
tina Kester in front of her fathers
house apShe night of August 9th. 1
saw Norman in his mothers arms
alive at the funeral of the baby in the
forenoon. Saw him dead in Jake
Thomas arms at $50 p. m. of Aug. 9.
Child was taken into Wirshing's
house, dressed and laid out. Talked
with Martha Kester about the death
of Herman at the time and she said
she, threwyit into Joe Richards we'll, a
mileFand a half northeast of Eagle
Lakes The we'll is dug down square
about, so feet and bored with an 1S-in.
augurS4 feet, according to report. She
said that the child was asleep and
that it was asleep when she threw it
into the well, that it did not wake up
and never would. She said that she
did it because her father and mother
were getting old and were liable to
die, the children were young and
would be left without a home and
with no one to care for them. l was
deputized by the justice to watch her.
She made, the statements voluntarily
without promise of favor She said
that they would both be better of
| dead, and asked me whether [ did not
think they would both get through to
gether. | asked her where" and
she said .'"..where God is" She said
that they, bad gone after the coroner
and would take her away anyway and
she did not want the boy left alone to
bother the,old folks.
On CROSS examination witness said
that this statement was made imme-
diately after her return from the well.
she had tflrst gone to-. Cooks drug
store and notified them of what she
had done. Nate and Lou Stearns
were present at the conversat:an She
started the conversation by ling
that she was going to drown herself
in Lake Madison. She said thai she
did not want to live or be a trouble tC
the old folks.
a. P. Pressnall was called and said
t0t he was at the well on the night
! o. 1.-THE drowning and assisted in taking
Rerlaan out. 1t was dark and about
@QWock. Think Gid Ewings and Joe
MGse and others helped. They took
4noby the feet and let me down and
VI &eok the child which was floating on
&t@ water and lifted it up. The water
G$me five or six feet from the surface
~ the ground. Jake Thomas took
charge of the body and took it to Wir-
fShing's house. The child was dead
0yhen took it out and could not have
Sbeen in the water less than an hour.
> Jacob Thomas testified to the TAX
4 ing of the body from the well: was
| the first to see the child in the water.
Its head was below and one foot on