Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-07-03
Indications That Busse Will
Make Insanity His Defense
in Murder Trial.
Snider's Testimony at the Pre-
liminary Hearing Damaging
to the Accused.
More About Busse's History and
That Of His Murdered
Vile.


murder case has been conferred largely
in the testimony of young Snider, who
was employed by Busse at the time the
murder took place. As stated in these
over to the grand jury and is now in
the Jail here. He refuses to discuss his
case, but seems to realize that he is
in a dangerous situation. 1t is stated
that Busse's attorneys will attempt to
clear him on the insanity plea, If he
shall be indicted by the grand jury.
Attic the preliminary hearing was
held behind closed doors. the gist of the
testimony has sifted thru various chan
nels and practically everything that was
said or done at the hearing is known.
on the witness stand young Snider gave
many details of the life of Busse and his
wife.
He said Immediately after they had
eaten their dinner at noon on the day
of the murder Busse gave him a gun
and instructed him to take the two chill
dren (Busse's by his first wife) and go
over into the grove near the house and
shoot robins. The three went to the
west of the house he said and hunted
robins for some time aud then they re-
| turned to the barn After they reached
the barn young Schneider says he left
the children ard started toward the
house. He said he wanted to get ram
rod to clean the gun. Before he reached
the door of the house Busse came out
He asked the boy what he wanted and
then told him to go back to the barn.
and that he would bring the ram rod.
down TO him. He returned to the barn.
In few minutes his employer came
from the house bringing the ram rod
down to him. After giving 1t to
Schneider Busse spoke of digging some
post holes and sent the boy to the home
of a neghbor to borrow post hole au-
ger The time he was absent from the
1 Busse house this time Schneider does
not state exactly. but it s supposed he
was gone about 80 minutes. During this
Itinle Busse. II he is the man guilty of
the horrible murder of his wife may
| have completed the work which ii is
! suspected he began by the striking of
the woman to her death while Schneid-
j er and the children were hunting the
4 robins.
Schneider says when he returned to
the farm with the auger Bussae came to
4 the house again and that together they
4 dug two post holes. They worked but
a short distance from the house. not
\ more than Is feet. After they had dug
the two holes Schneider says Busse sud
denly suggested that they perform an
Operation on two small pigs He took
his knife from his pocket and the boy
helped him at this work.
] This knife, which was one found on
Busse by the county coroner on the
right of the murder when he was called
4 TO the scene of the crime. Busse gave
lit to the official then. calling attention
4 himself to the blood stains on the blade
and saying they came from the work
j on the pigs. and that he had washed
the knife. but failed to get all the blood
off The keenb laded and bloody knife
will undoubtedly play an important part
in the trial of the case. But while they
We're digging the post holes and before
they performed the work with the pigs
Schneider swore yesterday that he no
. ticed big blotches of blood covering
Busse's shirt sleeve on the right arm
After the post holes were dug and the
work done as outlined the boy says
Busse suggested that they all go hunt
ing again, and says they were west OF
the house when Fran X Busse the
brother of the accused man, discovered
the fire and came from his home half c
mile distant and extingulshed it, ane
then sought his brother to tell him thai
his wife was dead and that some on.
, Rad attempted to burn his house.
When young Schneider was asked VIII,
, he returned With the children so sool
when they went out to shoot robin:
, right after dinner. he said 1t was be
cause he heard screams coming from
the direction of the house, and that the.
turned back to see what was the matter
The story told by the boy to the coro
ner's jury, he said, was manufacture,
lfor him by Busse and the latter hat
. threatened to kill him If he did not tel
! ii exactly as he told him to. This stor.
, which was used to bolster up the theo
ry of suicide was that Busse and tn
2 hired man Immediately after dime
: went to digging post holes, and tina
! they saw Mrs. Busse on the steps of tn
r house at 2 o'clock, but did not know
t anything further of her movements un
t Eth Frank Busse came and told them o
her death.
!. 1t was learned from the evidence Q
: the boy that on the morning of the kill
n ing Busse was visited by wholesal
liquor man and it is claimed the tw
drank considerably and that Busse wa
comfortably intoxicated at noon. l
. confirmation of this is the fact that
:, cask of wine Is now in the depot a
= Greene for Busse and the date of ship
:. ment OF the same from Duluth is Jun
:, 81, three days after the murder. jus
: about time for the travelling man I
: make out the order. send it to his hous
:. and have the wine shipped.
y Many facts in regard to the coupl,
Busse and the murdered woman. ar
now coming to light 1t is learned tina
their courtship was Of very short dura
:. ton and that it was a matter of bus
r. ness transaction more than love affa
II on either side. Busse only came TO ST
is the woman four times at her hon
with a brother near Ackley and II
% fourth visit ended in their marriage.
q is claimed that on his first visit to tt
- home of Miss Cassman the accuse
murderer told her brother that he ha
decided to ask his sister to we'd hin
The brother said such an arrangemel
could not be thought OF. Then Bus.
l. said he wanted some one for hous,
IS keeper and thought 1t would be bett,
n, for him to get married. He left tn;
. Isf otta ~