The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-20

SdlQ she Tic not poison FRANK
The only time the old man ever compiaineo
OF her was when she excused the cnildIsn
for laughing at the table. Speaking OF tnS
ola mans conduct the old Mrs. OhleyeT hd9
said TO the defendant. You must try and
put up with IL, Mary was too particular.
she said the old man was fond oftrapDles
and had them cooked three Sundays I'm sue
cession: she did not eat them and Went
without meat. She never said TO Mrs. Kate
Ohleyer that she was glad the old man was
dead She did tell Mrs. ohleyer that Mamie
had said, "Oh, Annie. l am glad; now grand
pa can't scold any more at the table.
funeral.
The defendant said she thought Il was on
Thursday that the old man was taken sick
the first time. Old Mr.. koesters brought
nome some lverwurst, and about 10 O'Clock
this was eaten with some beer: The de-
eaten. The first time she learned that the
Old man was sick was at dinner. He came
downstairs TO eat supper that evening. ana
ola Mrs. koeSters waited upon him. he
remained downstairs till about s o'clock.
she saw him again Friday morning. she
heard him cry out during the night, and
heard Charles Koesters say the old man
was never very bad when he hallooed- she
heard some person go downstairs twice dur
Ing the night Up till Friday morning she
had given him nothing 10 eat since before
the lunch on Thursday morning. On Mon
day morning he was downstairs from s Till
II, and the defendant was upstairs cleaning
the windows. About IL O'Clock old Mrs
Koesters brought him up TO his room. and
he remained there till he died. Old Mrs.
him. The defendant did not sit up with him.
During Friday night she heard him belch-
tiers was at the house ON Friday. but she
did not know whether he remained all night
or not During. Saturday Frank Koesters
slept. The defendant did not wait upon the
old man at all on Saturday. She did not go
into the room Saturday night be-
there and she did not like to go
IN. Sunday morning Mr.. Koesters
woke her, and told her 10 go for the priest.
She went TO Mrs. Ohleyer's and asked her
to go for the priest Mrs. Ohleyer said she
was going TO 7-o'clock mass and would not
the priests house, and also TO Frank koes-
ters's house. The old man died Sunday
night.
DID o POISON L MAN.
The defendant did not cook anything for
him during the entire time of his illness.
They placed the remains in the room next
10 the defendants room. and she was afraid
TO sleep in her room. She went to her broth
er-in-law's house. She always was afraid
Of a corpse. 1t was about IL o'clock that
night when she went to her brother-in-
laws. and she was frightened and ran all
the way. She did tell Mrs. Ohleyer after
wards that she was afraid the ghost OF
the old man was near her. She had a great
deal of work TO do that week and was prob
ably more nervous than usual. She was
always afraid of ghosts. She was then
asked II she poisoned the old man to get
nm out of the way because she hated him.
the old man was not an obstacle TO any
plan she had formed TO marry Charles
koesters. The old man never said anything
TO her about her marrying his son. nor did
Mamie ever say anything to her about her
becoming a stepmother to her Mamie)
one time Mamie saw a play at the church,
In which one of the characters was a step
mother, and she asked the defendant IL all
stepmothers were as mean as the one in
the play and the defendant said. Yes most
of Them" Mamie answered, well, / don't
want a ,stepmother. then" The defendant
get one" She was then asked IL it ever en-
tered her mind to poison Mamie because the
life Of the child was an obstacle, TO her 0he
tiers. At the direct allusion to
the death Of the girl she loyec.
gave way to tears. She buried her face in
her hands and could not answer for a few
moment during which time she shook
she raised her head and replied In a firm
voice. No. / did not give her poison. I
never thought of such a thing"
A recess OF i've minutes was taken at this
point In the examination, and upon the re-
converting of. the court the witness contin-
ued. She said she remembered the day OF the
Catholic picnic. Ii was given by the Sacred
Heart Church. That was the church the
Koesters and the defendant attended. She
did not go to the picnic. Her father had
died and she had heard of it but the satur-
day previous. She attended the Sacred
Heart Church the first Sunday after she
came to this city. She went to confession
two weeks before she was arrested. On the
morning OF the picnic the old Mrs. Koesters
had been to church, and came home about
the defendant was preparing the clothes for
the picnic. When the old Mrs. Koesters
was eaten by herself and little Alphonse.
The defendant did not eat lunch. Joseph,
tine m raogeIa oG and h Slps s 9 70 %a sne g0 RnSHiSS BACK TX
and forth with his father In the wagon.
The defendant went to the meat market
that morning, and Mr.. Koesters told her
to hurry up and go TO the picnic. She told
him she could not go. because her father
was dead. She wore a blue calico dress
that morning. 1t was a new one. She
wore it every morning till she was arrest
ed. She always wore blue dresses about
her work. She identified the dress worn
on that morning, selecting IL from those
introduced in evidence last week She said
she went up the alley that morning and all
over the streets in the neighborhood look
ing for the children. She wore the blue dress.
She did not know what time the family
ate dinner that day. She. had washed
sleep because she feared II he did not
have his usual amount OF sleep he would
coffee. potatoes and pickles She prepared
e e5ftae1 for @i herself SsS The closet IN which eRut the
poison was found was in the northwest
corner of the dining room. She was then
questioned very closely. and described In
detail the contents of the closet. Ii was
a sort of catch ALL" and everything went
10 il. The kitchen was back Of the dining
room. and there was a large window be-
tween the two rooms. The defendant said
she did not at any time put rat poison In
any of the food or coffee taken by the old
lady. On Sunday, the day before the pic
mic. the old woman said she felt bad, and
thought she would not go TO the picnic.
The defendant said she was in Mrs. Hoen-
ig's store on the day of the picnic, and
Mrs. Hoenig said, "All your folks have gone
TO the picnic" and the defendant said,
YES: but the old lady was not we'll" The
old Mrs, Ohleyer said Mrs. Koesters ought
to go TO the picnic, because the fresh air
would do her good. They were waiting for
the old woman while she was In the rear
yard. and when she came in she said she
was not well. but she would go. The de-
PENDANT said she was In Mrs. Hoenig's
store on the afternoon Of the picnic. She
saw the wagons coming from the picnic.
and clasped her hands together and ex-
claimed. "Oh. how pretty: i never saw pic
did not fear to see the old woman return
home. She had not given her any poison,
and did not know that she was sick or
likely to become sick. and had nothing in
mind but the wagons. The people came
back from the picnic about s o'clock. The
defendant went out and helped the chi;-
dren to alight from the wagon. Mrs. koes-
tiers went into the back yard and out into
the alley and vomited. She came into the
ward and vomited again. Then she went
up stairs. AT supper time the defendant
sent the oldest boy up stairs 20 ask her IL
she wanted anything TO eat, and she said
she did not. Mr.. Koesters did not tell the
defendant anything about old Mrs. Koes-
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