The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-30
The TESTIMONY IN THE CASE TAKEN FOR THE TELEGRAPH
COURIER READERS.
THE DEFENDANT MAKES TWO CONFESSIONS.
The Occupies the County
SlOoO-The Court Proceedings Mrs Pevas
Forgetfulne Quite Remarkable She Placed
Testify
Wednesday Afternoons Session.
COURIER READERS.

In continuing his testimony in the
Pleva murder trial Wednesday after
noon Prof. Daniels stated that he had
found almost a grain of arsenic in the
large coffee pot. The stomach con-
tanned 842 Kilograms of arsenic, or the
same as 1919 grains. III the portion of
the liver, about one-quarter of the
whole, he found 14.12 grains of white
arsenic. The quantity of arsenic
taken into the stomach must have been
large. Rough on rats is very largely
composed of white arsenic.
II. E. Hackley was next sworn. He
stated that two women came to him on
May % and bought some carbonate of
soda. Would not recognize the women
now.
Martin Denika was sworn. He said
he had lived here with Pleva. Knew
the defendant. Mrs. Pleva requested
the witness to buy some rough on rats.
Bought two boxes of it for her. Mrs.
Pleva said she wanted the stuff for
mice. Bought them at Hackley's.
Told Mrs. Pleva she should take care
that the children should not take hold
of it for it was poison. Mrs. Pleva
said she would take care. Was not in
the city at the time Of the death.
Came back about week later. Have
seen Mrs. Pleva in jail since. Told
her it was out of her foOlishness that
no hi hn fn1 w
none of his business.
Prof Daniels was recalled for the
purpose of testifying as to how much
arsenic would dissolve in coffee and
how much could be drank with it. He
stated that he could give only indefin
tie answers to the question. He said
he found marks of purple bands in the
stomach which usually accompany ar
senical poisoning.
Peter Tenowski was sworn. He
said be had lived here two years. Is q
tanner. Has known the defendant since
July, 1896. Had conversation with
Mrs. Pleva at the jail. No threats
were made to her. Witness said he
was in torture in the Jail and he asked
her to look upon his innocence and tell
what she knew about this murder. No
inducements or threats were held out.
In that conversation witness urged
Mrs. Pleva to tell all she knew, that
the witness Swas innocently in Jail.
Mrs. Pleva asked Eff Denika was in
Kenosha. Witness said yes, and told
her if she was guilty she should say so.
She replied that she could not see how
she could say she was guilty if she
was not. Witness told her not to lie
about it. Mrs. Pleva said that Mrs.
Abramowski told her that if she would
confess she would be free and that the
city of Kenosha would spend all her
money to keep her there. Mrs. Pleva
said that if Mrs. AbramoWski would
come next evening she would tell all.
Mrs. Pleva told witness that she wanted
to make a statement. Witness ad
vised her to tell the truth, and told
her she would be crazy to lie about it.
She said she would tell the next even
ing, and that she would be free. She
also stated that she was ready to
take her sentence. Witness told her
that if she was found out she would
receive the heaviest sentence. At this
time Mrs. Pleya did not speak of her
husband. After witness told Mrs. Pleva
that Danika was in town she became
very quiet. Saw her next day about 5
o'clock, and told the sheriff then that
Mrs. Pleva would tell all. Witness
said that the reason he tried to induce
Mrs. Pleva to confess was that he
wanted his cousin to get out of Jail.
The following evening, in the presence
of several Mrs. Pleva was asked if she
knew she could get no help from any
one present. She said she did. When
she was asked if she had poison in the
house she said she had. Denika
bought three boxes of it. The con-
tents were white with red paper around
them. These boxes were in her trunk
and she had the key. When asked
why she used the poison she said for
rats. There was not one full box left.
When asked if she knew anything
about this murder or got the poison to
kill her husband, she said no. She
said after long hesitation that she put
the poison in her husbands coffee.
Later she said she fixed the coffee and
poison for herself These statements
when made were read in the English
language. Mrs. Pleva gave as her rea
son for putting the coffee in the poison
that she had quarrelled with her hus
band and that he had sworn to live
with her no longer.
Thursday Morning Session.
1t was $50 this morning before court
opened owing to the lateness of the
train on which Judge Fish comes down
from Racine. The crowd in attend
ancA was LARGER than on the two DroVi-