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

brother-in-law came In and took seats be-
side her. For several moments she sat in
earnest conversation with her brother-in-
law. At POS Judge Cox came In and took
his seat. followed by the attorneys in the
case. The court was raped to order by
Bailif Sheehan at 207 and the defendant
took the stand and her examination was
continued by Mr.. Spaan-
She said she told kfs. Schmidt to put the
pillows used under the corpse when old
Mrs. koesters was dead in the hallway,
and she (defendanD would carry them down
In the morning. She did not turn up her
nose She never did the washing. She said
she would put the pillows in the wash and
the girl would come after them In the morn
ing. When Mrs Schmidt wanted her Ghe
defendanU 10 assist In dressing the corpse
the defendant told her she could not. She
was afraid OF dead people. She was not
afraid 10 dress the corpse because she had
poisoned Mrs. Koesters.
The defendant said she could not assist
In putting the cover on the casket because
she was afraid OF the corpse; she was not
afraid because she had poisoned the woman.
She had been afraid OF the dead all her
life. Mrs. Schmidt said: Lay your hand on
them" The defendant did not do this be-
cause she was afraid Of the corpse. She
related to Mrs. Schmidt the incident of the
day on the morning after Clara koesters
died, and said she told Mrs. Schmidt the
dog was looking for the old woman. She
said she thought she told Mrs. Schmidt
that she (the defendant) thought the dog
was the ghost OF the old woman before the
boy exclaimed that it was their dog. She
S1@N NtA~ oAS AAGNA AZ oAtNP ina hASbN 1ill
had not lain down till 2 O'Clock a. m. She
said she was afraid to get up from the
lounge upon which she was lying and light
had poisoned Mrs. Koesters.
DID NOT BUY THE POISON.
On Monday. May p. 1893. she did not 60
TO Borst's drug store and buy rat poison.
She was in the alley and on the street look
ing for the children She was not at
Borst's drug store at all IN that morning.
She had got rat poison from her sister be-
fore Christmas. She said she went to the
cupboard for some cake and found the
mice had eaten INTO the cake: the next
day she found the trimming of her hat
eaten. Mr.. Koesters laughed. and she said
II cost s., and II was hard TO make that
much money. Mr.. BOOSTERS would not do
anything 10 get rid of the mice, and the
defendant went TO her sisters for the
poison. The old man said that he would
catch the mice with a trap. She got the
poison on Thursday evening. and Ii was
the next morning that the old man Koes-
ters said he would catch the mice with a
PENDANT saw no more about the house. She
never opened the box OF poison because
trap. She asked her sister If she had any
poison. She knew her sister had rat poison
the defendant was at her sisters house she
smelled a stencil and asked her sister what
IL was. and her sister told her Of the rat
poison. She went to her sisters house
twice every week. Her sister got the
poison from the kitchen cupboard. She
told the defendant she had used but little
could rave all Of t. The defendant said
never used it for any purpose. She put il
I'm the cupboard where # was found. When
DR.. Reyer asked about the poison she did
had not seen 1t since bringing IL to the
house From the time she put the poison
In the cupboard she had not seen 1t till il
was shown TO her by DR.. Beck.
When Captain Splaan and DIR. Beck came
TO the house the first time after the death
OF Clara koeSters, she was washing dishes.
She had seen DIR. Beck before. but did not
know who he was. She did not know who
Captain Splann was. She wore a blue dress.
She said they spoke in English and asked
for a room. but she did not know whether
IL was her room or Mr.. Koesters's they
the men she asked Mr.. boosters about it.
and he said to show them the room. She
thought they were persons come to settle
the estate OF Clara Koesters. She did not
know they were officers OF the law coming
20 learn II she was guilty Of poisoning
Clara BOOSTERS. She did not know that DR..
Beck was a doctor or that he was coroner.
she did not know what a coroner was. The
men We're all dressed like other men. She
did not know what a detective was. and
Captain Splann did not explain who he was.
They spoke in Enslish. and she did not
rooms upstairs. She opened the door TO her
room. and they went in. Dr.. Beck asked
her for Rough on Rats she did not un-
derstand them fully. but they said some
thing about "BOrsts' and last Monday"
She told them two weeks before she had
been 70 Borst's and bought insect povier:
showed them the powder. When the asked
for poison she thought they wanted the in
sect powder She bought il about the time
she was cleaning house. She asked Mr..
Koesters how 10 ask for insect powder. and
he told her Just ask for insect powder"
She bought 10 cents worth Of powder and
used the most OF II. She gave the powder
To one of the men. and the packaSe in
troduced in evidence looked like il. She had
not cleaned the closet in which the rat
poison was kept. After she had given the
men the insect powder they took her to the
drug store. One of the men told her TO
change dresses, and she took off the blue
dress and put on a black one All OF the
men were in the room when she was told
TO change her dress, and remained while she
changed. She did not know who IL was
that took her 10 the store. She thought IL
was the man called Captain Splann on the
witness stand. She thought Knrst AMI Dr.
Beck were all there at the store. She did
not know why she was taken 20 the store,
and II was not explained 10 her. They ;rst
TAXED IN English, and she paid no attention
10 them Borst asked her in German If
she dld not remember being IN the store.