The copper country evening news., 1896-04-29
THE BASTIAN CRIMES.
Wife OF the Farmer Testifies Be.
fore the Coroner.
NEVER SUSPECTED HER HUSBAND.

Had the Utmost Faith In Mr. Bastian |
Untii the Day Before lie Killed Himself |
-Reopening of the Kuschmann Murder |
Case by the Impaneling Of "a New Cor
oner's Jury-The Event Of the bay Is the |
Testimony OF Mrs. Bastian.
MOLINE, Ills, April 29-The nvestiga-
ton Of the Bastian-K uschman murder
case was reopened Monday by the i'm
paneling of "a new coroner's jury. 1t will
be remembered that the first jury found
that kuschmann came to his death Feb
30 by being thrown from his horse and
dragged on the road. Late developments
pointed TO Henry Bastian, the farmer
who was kuschmann's employer, as the
murderer of the young man, and under
the suspicion he hanged himself in his
granary March l3. Since that time the
remains of two other hired mon who
mystoriously disappeared from the Bas-
tian farm have been unearthed and sew
eral Others are supposed to have been
made away with the objects in each case
being apparently TO avoid paying men
their wages due. Monday the new jury
visited the little German Lutheran ceme-
terry In South Rock Island and had the
body of Fred Kuschmann exhumed. No
marks whatever were found on the body
or on the legs, disproving the statement
of Bastian that he had been dragged to
death. Tho head bore the marks of sov.
eral deep cuts through the skull.
Condition of the Body.
Adjournment was then taken to the
circuit court room in Rock Island, which
was vacated by the court to accommo-
date the throng of people present from
| interest or curiosity William Kuschmann
and Robert Kuschmann, father and uncle
of the murdered boy, testified to the con-
dition of the body and the suspicious
| which resulted in having post-mortem
| held after the first inquest, which devel-
| oped the theory of murder. and to tho dis
| crepancy in tho statement of Bastian and
| his sister Carrie, the latter denying that
| she had seen her brother pay Fred
| Kuschmann's wages to him the evening
of the murder John Wiegel and Chris
Hcber described the finding of the body in
| tho road after Bastian brought in the
news to the formers house. There was
but little blood on the ground whore the
|
bloody. The buggy stood a few rods
away, the horse being tied to tree and
the side of the buggy box was broken out
| ward, for which Bastian gave conflicting
reasons. Thomas Campbell, ex.county
treasurer, testified to visiting the Bastian
farm and TO Blstian's suspicious actions
whlo men were passing particular
spot: also to his contradictory state
ments of belief concerning Kuschmann'
death.
| The Event of the Day.
The interest of the day was conferred IL
the evidence given by Mrs. Eva Bastian
which is the first puSiic statement given
out by her. Her appearance is rather pre-
possessing and she answered the questions
propoundcd by States Attorney Searle II
a low. well modulatel voice. somewha
hesitatingly, though with apparent sin
cerlty. She said she had been married Il
Bastian about five and half year
and has two children, the eldest
wears of age and the youngest abou
Ii month. She remembered kusch
mann. Laudcrback and Kreinze, VIII
had worked for her husband, and knew
of their disappearance, but supposed
was all right, as her husband had Toll
her they had gone away and he had take
their trunks away. On each occasion sh
was spending the day at her father
| though by no especial arrangement VIII
her husband that she was aware Oh Sh
was in delicate health at the time
I[uschmanns murder. Carrie Bastia
was keeping house for her. she saw ho
| husband that evening at supper, but n'
| ticed nothing particular i'll his appoa
ance or demeanor. He said Fred ha
zone home and hoped he would get the,
safely.
staid out Till Nearly Morning.
After supper he said he heard the hor'
, come back and went out ana al not
turn until 9 o'clock, when he went ava
aaain Immediately, and did not con
hack again until or o'clock In u
morning. Carrie Bastian had followe
\ bcr brother out when nc went TO look
the horse but which Mrs Bastain fail'
,o hear. Carrie remained some time b
fore canning in. Her husband, she sal
never talked TO her about kuschmann
disanpearance and she had no suspicion
whatever. Her confidence was never shake
until the night before his suicide, WHIT
ebe first learned that he had forged Il
sather's name. Mrs. Bastian's examin
tion was disappointment. People dee
IL remarkable that "A woman couid IL
wears on farm where as many men we
Slaughtered, buried under piles OF los
cnt mn 70 feed hogs, or cremated, witho
= n suspicion that anything was wron
And vet the fine, sensitive face, the me
cst demcanor, and the queit air OF
pressed grief do not comport with y
General idea of one who has guilty kno'