Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-02-02
MRS, KRtBS GUILTY.
JUNCTION CITY's MURDER TRIAL
IS ENDED.
Jury After 10 Hours Deliberation
Returns q Verdict Of Guilty Of
Murder in the Second Degree-A
Remarkable Case.

ever known in Central Kansas ended
today at Junction City when the jury
returned verdict in the case against
Mrs. John Krebs, charged with MUIR
dering Mrs. Lizzie Craig last month.
1t was tried before Judge .. l..
Moore. The murder was committed
in broad daylight with two witnesses
within a few yards and yet so pecu-
liar were the conditions that u strong
defense was made.
The verdict was that Mrs. Krebs is
guilty Of murder in the second de-
gree. The jury went out at 4 a. m.
Friday and came in at a. m. Satur'
day.
John Krebs married the defendant,
Theresa Agatha Krebs, in Illinois q
years ago. They have lived in Kan
sas 10 years and own a residence in
junction City; have two sons, one 10
and one 81 years old, who have lived
in Kansas City since last spring
Early last year Krebs rented farm
from John Kreinitz six miles north
west from junction City. On the
farm is a one story house with base
ment. John Kreinitz and his brother
Frank lived in the basement during
December, In November Krebs went
to the farm to gather corn, taking
with him Mrs. Lizzie Craig nominally
as cook. They located in room with
two beds Immediately over the
Kreinitz boys, the floor being SO thin
that an ordinary conversation could
be heard through it distinctly, krebs
and Mrs. Craig lived here until Dec.
is, Mrs. Krebs remaining in town and
caring for the home and COW. She
knew her husband and Mrs. Craig
were on the farm together and says
she felt no i'll will because OF the fact.
About 10 o'clock December l6 she
walked out to the farm from junction
City by the ordinary road, arrived
about 2 p. m. She knocked, was ad-
mitted, found Krebs and Mrs. Craig
in the room, they invited her to a
seat and she drank cup of tea. At
this point the testimony differed.
Krebs testified that his wife and Mrs.
Craig quarreled, that his wife accus-
ed the other woman of being indie
cent, said that she could prove it,,
that she had broken up her (Mrs.
Krebs) family, and that she (Mrs
Krebs) got on her knees and begged
Mrs. Craig to leave John. He says
he interfered and stopped the quarrel
and pacified the women, that his wife
agreed to stay all night and he would
take her to town in the morning. He
left the house about half an hour after
his wife arrived and went over to the
corn field, leaving the two women
alone in the room and the Kreinitz
boys in the basement. Mrs. Krebs
denies that she had any quarrel in
the presence of her husband.
In two hours Krebs returned to the
house, entering the room he found
the body of Mrs. Craig lying against
the rocking chair with her throat cut
her head being severed from the body
except for the bone and quarter Of
an inch of flesh, her hands and face
were horribly mutilated. He callec
the Kreinitz boys who we're at thu
barn, 80 steps away, and the body
was laid on the bed. Mrs. Kreb,
testified that she stayed only tel
minutes after her husband left, tina
the Craig woman told her she wa
not wanted there and that she nigh
as well 60, that she put on hat, glove
and cloak and started on foot, tina
she asked Mrs. Craig where John wa
in the field and was told that Mrs
Craig did not know. She made n,
further inquiry but walked towar'
home. She followed the road abou
a mile and then took a straight lin
across the prairie hills, fences an,
fields for junction City, arriving
Q about o'clock. There was snow o.
the ground and it was melting. Tn
two Kreinitz boys made the followin,
statement They were in the base
ment all the time Mrs. Krebs wa
\ with Mrs. Craig, John Kreinitz sal
/. he heard the quarrel between tn
n women before Krebs went to tn
corntield and his version agreed wit
e that of Krebs and contradicted hi
wife. Both bows testified that 500