Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-03-26
THE DELL RAPIDS ROBBERY
NAY YET TURN OUT TO BE A CASE OF
MURDER.

Gustav Kroening and Peter Wines heturh
Home to Grant County and Are Inter
viewed by a Herald Reporter.
Yesterday Tuesday morning the
HERALD reporter, coming from the
north. took cars at Woodman. Among
other passengers on the same tram
were Messrs. Gus Kroening and Peter
Wines who were on their way from
Dell Rapids. South Dakota, to their
homes in south Lancaster. On max
inc his wishes known an interview was
readily granted by the young men
and they willingly took double seat
with the reporter and Mr.. John Car
thew, who was returning to Lancas-
ter from Savannah. H., where he had
parted with Miss Nellie Smith who
had terminated an eight-mCnths' visit
with him and was returning to her
home in Colorado Springs.
.HERALD readers have been given
the particulars of the Dell Rapids
trouble as far as we could get at the
facts from the very meagre informa-
ton obtainable but | want you
gentlemen to tell how it was. so
that we can give 1t to them straight, ,
said the reporter.
Mr.. Wines did most of the talking
which followed and Gus sat listening,
occasionally correcting him or assent
ING with nod OF his head. He re-
lated in substance as follows:
Gus Kroening and left Lancaster
and arrived at Dell Rapids in Septem-
Der last. l was working in another
place and do not know much about
the robbery and shooting. Gus does
not know anything about it either.
Neither do the Smith boys. You see.
Andrew Erickson and his son Edward
the people shot at the farm house
testified that the robbers wore hand
kerehiefs over their faces, or partly
over their faces, ard that they were
little men or boys as the son showed
them out of the door once before the
shooting began. Ii they had been
Gus and the Smith boys he could not
have done that as, although the Erick-
son boy was "a or % years old, he was
little bit of sickly fellow
Il take it for granted that Gus and
the Smith boys were not guilty. but |
want you to tell me something about
the robbery. the trial and the sentence
passed upon James Smith" said the
reporter.
..You can read this, said Gus
Kroening taking from his pocket an
Extra sheet issued from the Enter
prise office at Flandreau, S. d.. which
contained testimony taken at the trial
of James Smith with an explanatory
introduction and the verdict of the
Jury, headed with the single word in
large black type .sGuilty'' II want
to show that Extra to nv folks. 1t is
the only one | have and you must
give it back to me. The Judge SEN
fenced jim Smith to ID years and he
was taken to states prison before we
came away; but he has moved for a
new trial, which if granted will be
held before another judge. We all
missed it by not taking change of
venue. Here is my friend Peter Wines
he came up from where he was
threshing on our examination trial to
swear to my responsibility of past life
in Grant county, and the sheriff came
on the stand after him and swore that
Peter was a damned tramp from Mis-
souri, Joe Smith and | continued our
trial to next September term of circuit
court. | had to put up So. in cash
as bail and so did Joe Smith. CLYDE
Kephart, the boy who turned states
evidence, was put under $4,000 bail
and as he could not give it he is still
in Jail. 1t will probably cost me five
or six thousand dollars-all we are
worth-to fight my way out of it; but
am innocent and will fight it through.
Edward Erickson. the boy who tackled
the robbers. may get well and may
not. He was badly shot up. One
ball cut his neck. another took off or
gashed the end of his nose, a third
ball entered the chest in the region of
his heart and came out somewhere at
his side and back. fourth ball en-
tered his abdomen near and in front
of the hip and passing through side
wise must have lodged under or above
the other hip"
Ibid the robbers get any money!
asked the reporter.
mo said Mr.. Wines: There was
sixty dollars in the house. 1t was in
an envelope in bureau drawer The
robbers dumped the contents of the
drawers out onto the floor and in some
way missed the envelope. or did MOI