Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-03-15
FOR ROSE zOLDoSKI.
Efforts Being Made to Find the
Mysterious Witness.
Attorney Tireless.
SOME PECULIAR PHASES OF THE FAMOUS
CASE.

oOAE EESb14lAh ibAsEo vt LIE FAh0Ao
CASE.
HIGHLAND CENTER, WIS, March 10.
Special Telegram-The simple state
ment that a great deal of interest is
taken here in the effort which is being
made to secure pardon for Rose Zol-
doski, does not represent the intense
feeling which pervades the commun-
ity. It is true there is not so much
bitterness shown by either side as was
manifested Immediately proceeding
and during the trial, but there are
people who believe firmly that the girl
is guilty of the crime of which she
was convicted, and others who are
quite as firmly grounded in their be-
lief that she is innocent, and is the
victim of circumstances.
Those who believe in her guilt are
somewhat more aggressive and clam
orous than the others, hence the inn
preston that the people of Richland
Center unanimously think her to be
guilty. But this city furnished the
people who befriended Miss Zoldoski
from the time she was first suspected,
and who are still her friends.
HER ENEMIES IN THE CHURCH.
Miss Zoldoski's principal accusers,
and they who seemed to be most eager
that she be punished to the full extent
of the law, came from the church So
ciety of which she had been an active
member from childhood; but her
warmest supporters also came from
that society.
This is phase of the case which
puzzles the stranger who comes to
Richland Center for day and hears
both sides of the controversy as The
Inter Ocean correspondent did yester-
day.
The accusers OF the girl in the
church are largely in the majority, yet
not only was Miss Zoldoski herself a
member of the Methodist Church
from childhood, but her father, mother
and sisters were members. The family
is not Of Polish extraction as the name
implies. The father and mother of
Rose were born in America and the
foreign name came to them through
several generations of Americans.
They are well-to-do farmers living
near Richland Center. All were held
in high esteem by their neighbors and
church associates. The reputation of
Rose, previous to her accusation, was
above reproach. DIR. Mitchell, who
was the principal witness for the pro-
secution, and who promptly entered 4
protest against the granting of the
pardon when it became known that
the application had been made. says
that prior to the time Rose was arrest
ed ne had the highest regard for her.
When he heard that she was accused
of poisoning the Maly girl he was sur
prised and shocked DR.. Mitchell is a
prominent member of the Methodist
church.
PECULIAR FEATURES OF THE CASE.
The bitter feeling against Miss Zol-
dosh and the evident determination
to minimize the value of all testimony
in her behalf and prevent the granting
of a pardon. is peculiar feature of
the case. Under certain circumstan-
ces it might be called suspicious fea-
ture. 1t is natural to expect that they
who have been the church associates
of the accused girl and who were led
to believe her guilty would be pleased
to hear Of anything tending to prove
her innocent of tire crime for which
she is now paying the penalty, but
none of her former accusers seem to
feel kindly toward the efforts being
made to prove her innocent and secure
her release from prison
The value of the new testimony
going to prove Miss Zoldoski's inno-
cence, is very uncertain. What may
develop from 1t can be known only
when the Investigations in progress
are completed. The new evidence
was found after the application for a
pardon was made.
Miss Zoldoski's attorney, Mr.. Ban
croft, is not depending upon this evil
dence; still lie is carrying on very
thorough investigation Of 1t.
Something has already been pub
lished In The Inter Ocean Of the ma
ture Of this new evidence. It con-
sists Of letter written by an UNI
known woman, who claims to have
been an intimate friend Of Ella Maly,
and who states that Ella Maly told her
a number of times that she intended
to poison herself, as for certain rea-
sons she had ceased to desire to live.
REASONS CANNOT BE TOLD.
The reasons. and other statements
in the anonymous letter which serious
ly affect the reputation Of number of
people who have been active in prose-
cutting Miss Zoldoski. it would not be
proper to publish at this time. Sever
al of the statements concerning her
self made by the anonymous writer
have been proven to be true, and this
fact lends the color Of probability to
all the statements.
A search Is being made for the
writer of the letter. as only by finding
her can the truth or falsity Of the
charges which she makes be establish