Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-08

SOuS0t 10 SlluW tIlSUMOE AAoO
Good Reputation..Verdict
Possible Wednesday.
Special to Times Republican.
Waverly, April s.-The defense
sprung a surprise on the state in the
Busse trial yesterday when it closed its
case with the Introduction of only six
witnesses and these We're put in the
stand simply to show Buses good
character before the crime occurred.
Today the state began the introduction
of rebuttal evidence. 1t is probable
that the case will go to the jury tomor-
row, as arguments will be reached this
afternoon. Yesterday was a day OF
great developments in the case.
It saw the admission of all the
confessional evidence against Busse
and the closing up of the remainder OF
the testimony on the part of the state,
and the whole of defendants case. The
court adjourned about o'clock to per-
nit the state to get its rebutting test-
mony ready for this morning. DR.. Sim
mington Of Ackley for whom Lena
Busse formerly worked as servant was
the first witness of the morning and
testified describing the condition OF the
injuries of the skull, consisting of the
broken cheek bone, the fractured bone
u ~ = <Nft no
broken process in the temporal bone
and the fracture of the sutures of the
temporal bone. He testified that he
could hardly believe these injuries
could have been done with one blow.
Mr.. Camp who is newspaper reporter
reporting this trial. and who was clerk
of the coroner's jury. was called sew
eral times during the day, and gave
evidence for the state. His
evidence was largely in confederation
Of the testimony of former witnesses.
and cleared up number of points up
on which other witnesses were confict-
ing or in doubt. One interesting point
in his testimony was concerning the
pocket knife with which it is claimed
Busse cut his wife's throat, and which
was introduced in evidence. Mr.. Camp
testified that when the coroner's jury
found that the throat was cut, he went
to the barn ard told Busse that his
wife's throat was cut. Eusse replied In
q surprised manner that 1t seemed as
tho he had an awful lot OF trouble. Up
on Camps request Busse produced the
pocket knife upon which there was
blood which l3usse claimed had been
gotten on there by an operation on
some little pigs that afternoon. The
most important evidence for the state
was the admissions. 1t was expected
that a legal contest would be made by
The defense against admitting the dec
Iarations and confessions Of the defend
ant, but only formal objections were
made without any legal arguments
thereon. The state began by introduce
Ing the later confessions and worked
back to the original confession. Their
first witness on this subject was Dick
yahlsing who, testified in effect that
some time in August he had CONVEX
sation with defendant in which defend
ant asked him at length concerning the
at the state penttentiary af-
ter which he asked Busse If his wife
suffered much when she was killed. and
he replied. "a. don't think she ever
knew what struck her" Ex-Sheriff
Cline OF Butler county followed and de-
tailed several conversations with de-
PENDANT. From his testimony it seems
that Busse finally, after visit from his
ministers, told his story Of the killing
about as follows:
That after dinner on the day OF the
tragedy his wife came out where he
was and complained about the way her
folks had used her. He said to her.
What is the matter. with you, any
way?" and having pail of feed on the
ground, he reached down as If to strike
her and she screamed as Henry Schnei-
der testified and ran into the house.
He followed to see what she was going
to do. He opened the door and she
struck him, and then he went crazy
wild Just at that time and struck her
With something, he didn't know what.
Busse said that Henry Schneider told
The truth in almost everything; that he
Busse, cut her throat. There was not
else there. That he must also
have carried down the feathers and
poured on the kerosene, as there was
no one else there. That the fracture on
her head was made with chair. Other
were detailed in which
similar admissions were made. TIL"
cross examination was directed to the
under which the confess
sion was made, but nothing was dis
closed upon which the defendant based
4 motion to exclude the evidence. In
the cross-e.xamination the defense
seemed to lay stress on the fact that
ministers were present or had been
present. The testimony was also
brought out showing written confes-
sion was made. but this was not intro
1uced on either side. County Clerk NJ.
L. Palmer testified to the making of the
written confession, but its contents
we're not disclosed. Mr.. Hill, tax fer
ret, testified that on Aug. % Busse had
called him in as he was going by and
old him he had "coughed up" day or
.wo before; that he thought 1t would be
better for himself and his children il
he told how it happened. That on the
lay the tragedy occurred his wife went
after him about something, and she
picked up a. chair, and he picked up an
,ther chair 5nd hit her over the head
md killed her. Hills testimony was to
he effect that Busse only stated his
wife picked up chair. without saying
September, about the time of the assas-