Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-03
SCHNEIDER ON STAND
Principal Witness for Defense
in Busse Case Gives
Testimony.
Schneider, the Defendants Hired
Man, Tells OF the Alleged
Murder.
-
His Evidence All and More Than
Was Expected by the
State.
Special to Tiems-Republican.

the BuSSe case took untll ABOUT
o'clock Wednesday forenoon. AT tina
time the jury was accepted by bot
sides, after all the peremptory chal
lenges allowed by law had been exer
cised except one on the part of TIL
composed of five farmers, a photog
rapher, butter maker brick maker, sex
ton, carpenter and laborer, one each
The defense apparently succeeded II
selecting jury in which Germans di'
not predominant, as is the usual cas-
in this county. On the whole the jur.
Is considered very good one, however
Five of the twelve jurors reside in Wa
verify.
County Attorney Burling of Butte
county, made the opening statement t.
the jury on behalf of the state, in which
he reviewed at some length the evi
dence the state expects to adduce. HI
commented especially upon the fac
| that the evidence would show clearl,
and In marked degree to the entire
satisfaction of all the jurors, that no.
only did Louis Busse commit the crime
charged against him, but that the MUIR
der of his wife was premeditated and
deliberate, and that 1t was one of the
most horrible and shocking crimes
known in the history of the state OF
Iowa. He asserted that the motive
would fairly disclose avarice, being a
desire to get the money belonging to his
wifi ole 70 ,.tA t,,,co al <>f N
wife that was distasteful to him; and
the further design to preclude the pos
sibility of divorce proceeding in
which he might be the financial loser.
The defense made no opening state
ment. The first witness was Henry
Schneider. 1t was expected that this
boy would be the star witness for the
state and he was no disappointment.
The boy, Henry Schneider, is a waif
from Brooklyn, N. Y, who came to
Clarksville with a car load of orphans
some seven years ago. On the day af-
ter his arrival. Louis Busse asked him
to come and make his home with him.
and up to the week following the MUIR
der of Lena Busse he continued to re-
side with the defendant. He 1t is upon
whom the state must rely for the mar
ration OF all the incidents that occurred
at the Busse home prior to the finding
of the body of Lena Busse at about 4
O'Clock In the afternoon of June Is last
Right we'll did he fulfill the expecta-
lions of the state. This boy, whose
only education has been gained from
attendance at the German schools for
three winters, and at English schools
for one or two other winters, was a sur
prise to every one while on the stand.
His language was remarkably good, his
expression clear, concise and pointed,
and he was able OF go thru the ordeal of
a cross-examination by Attorney Glib
son lasting turnout most of the after
noon without once becoming confused
or placing himself in an embarrassing
situation.
1t would take too much space to re-
view at length the evidence of Henry
Schneider, but a brief review is neces-
sary in order to understand the Busse
case, at least from the standpoint of the
prosecution.
Henry Schneider narrated on the
stand at length the history of Louis
Busse during his acquaintance with
him; and how on last November, Louis
Busse, after a brief acquaintance with
Lena Cassman, married her and
brought her to his home. The family
consisted Of Louis and wife, Louis two
children, aged s and 6, and Lena's child,
aged 1S months. He stated that within
a couple of weeks after the marriage
there was a quarrel over trif1ing mat
ter in which Louis Busse threw Lena
down on the floor, choked her, tore the
sleeves out of her dress and Threatened
to hit her with a heavy bowl. Immedi-
ately after dinner on June 18th Louis
Busse directed Henry to take the two
children and go down the road along
some willows and shoot some robins.
This Henry did, going about quarter
of mile away from the Busse home.
Shortly after turning around for the
return, he heard a scream, and stop
ping saw Louis and Lena near the
barn and facing each other. He
returned slowly with the children.
shooting robin on the way. When he
had. reached the barn, he found Louis
Busse there and observed a big spot
of blood on his sleeve. Shortly after
wards they went out back of the barn
to dig five postholes for pigpen. Bus
Sc sent Henry to neighbours after a
post hole augur, altho Henry suggested
that 1t woiili he ,1uch easier to dig the
holes than to go half a mile after the
augur. But Busse insisted and the trip
was made by Henry Upon his return
Ing half hour later, he found that
Busse had merely taken the sod off for
two or three holes, work that would not |
have taken more than five minutes. The
work was continued for little while,
and finally Henry and the two children
We're again sent down into the fields to |
shoot doves. Upon starting Henry saw
a robin and proposed that he, shoot it. |
but Busse told him to go on down into |
the fields and shoot the doves. These
fields We're in sight of another house, |
and Busse himself went down there, |
but not until after the lapse of some
line during which he was gone from
he locality of the barn. On the way
back to the house Busse and Henry and
children We're met by Frank Busse
brother of Louis Busse living about
half mile from Louis Frank Busse
vas crying that the house was afire
All hands proceeded to get water and
larry it to the house. Upon reaching
he house Lena Lena Busse was found
ying dead on the kitchen floor, and a
great hole was burned out underneath
Ter body. Her body was covered with
Gathers and the place was still aflre.
Water was thrown on the BODY and the