The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-30

trying woman, but human being
who has transgressed the law. The
Jury cannot take the element of sym
palhy for the woman into consldera-
ton. He then detailed most of the
salient points in the testimony brought
before the jury. He spoke of the sus-
i picions aroused in Pleva's mind con-
corning his wife's infdelity, and stated
that the testimony proved the suspic-
ions we'll founded. He brought ont
the confession to TrenoWski and then
returned to the circumstances surroun-
ding ne last sickness and death, hand
ling ach point in detail and drawing
out strongly the conduct of Mrs.
Pleva during the time of the sickness,
in which she sat sewing peacefully dur
ing nearly six hours and failing to offer
him any assistance. He pictured life
in home where the wife and mother
thought more Of two boarders than of
her husband, and declared that it was
because Michael Pleva was living in a
] hell upon. earth that he swore that he
would live with her no longer. Relat-
ing to- the confession made to KriZek
he remarked that it was never known
to the law that person who was inno-
/ cent should tell his attorney or any
one else that he:was guilty, because he
was frightened or for any other reason.
He called up the forgetfulness dis
played by the defendant on the witness
Istand and drew strong comparisons
between what she had testified to at
the coroner's inquest and at the pre-
liminary hearing and the forgetfulness
of salient points at the trial, and in
this respect paid his respects to the
counsel for the defense, whom he
charged with knowing something about
why she testified this time so differ
emily from what she had before.
The opening was strong one and
made good impression on the jury.
Mr.. Kral, the Bohemian attorney of
Racine, made the first argument for
the defense. He stated that the main
point in this case was: How did Pleva
come to his death. He brought out the
circumstance of Pleva's having walked
about the house the night before his
death and carried the inference that
Pleva had a dark design in his head
and might have got that poison then.
f. sat in the kitchen next morning
while Mrs. Pleva was out two or three
times and might have dumped the
| iy1fo q
tailed the lite of Mrs. Pleva from birth
mp and tried to show the jury that MI.
Buckmaster had tried to make noun
tains out of mole hills. He said a
great portion of the testimony was
very insignificant and had no particu-
lar bearing on the case, and he tried
to explain away to the jury what was
meant by some of the matters brought
out il testimony. He occupied the
time until court adjourned at 6 o'clock.
Monday Morning Session.
Court opened for the last days pro.
ceedings in the Pleva murder trial.
The attendance was small, but it was
noticeable that the ladies who had
been present to listen to the testimony
were promptlyA on time to hear the
closing argument for the defense. Mr.
Lloyd, who had been sick, was able to
be present and made the address which
closed all that could be said for Mrs.
Pleva. He began by speaking of the
relations between the mother and the
children and remarked that he was
| thankful that the children did not I'M
derstand what the Importance of this
case was. He paid his respects to Dis
trict Attorney Buckmaster and said
that he had not acted in a manner that
was fair and honorable. He said that
striking out the confessions he could not
| see a scintilla of evidence which showed
Mrs. Pleva was guilty. He said he did
not believe that d confession had ever
been made. He charged the district
attorney with having attempted to
prejudice the jury's mind and seemed
to think that greater portion of his
case rested on his paying his compli-
ments to Mr. Buckmaster. He eX-
planned away the Chicago trip of
Devetzcka and Mrs. Pleva and said
there was no undue intimacy, and took
up the carriage ride of May "A and
ridiculed the idea that there was any
intimacy on that occasion because they
drove openly all the time in broad
daylight. He charged that Pleva was
insane and had insane decisions. This
he claimed was proved by the fact of
his having attempted suicide five or
six times. He brought out the condi-
| lions under which Mrs. Pleva had been
| living and showed that she had been
worked very hard to support her
" worthless husband" He repeated
| frequently that that husband was a
brute to her and remarked that if Mrs.
Pleva was to be punished it should be
because she did not let him commit
suicide instead Of for killing him.
! With reference to the incident about