Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-05
MADE GOOD PROGRESS
State Examines a Large Number
of Witnesses in Busse
Murder Trial.
Defendant Taking More Interes
in the Proceedings as They
Progress.
Neishbors Of Busse Tell OF His
Family Relations and AL.
legged Quarrels.
Special to Republican.

Special to Times Republlcan.
Waverly, April Good progress was
made Yesterday in the Busse trial, a
large number Of Busses neighbors ana
other witnesses being examined on the
part of the state. County Attorney
Burling and Mr.. Scales of Ackley. VINO
have examined the witnesses on the
mart of the state heretofore, examined
only two witnesses Friday. ME- Long
examined all the other states witness
go. Messrs. Gibson & Dawson and
Mr.. Montgomery. for the defense, con-
tinued their policy of interposing
great many objections and motions to
strike out, apparently for the purpose
of making a record on appeal In case
the outcome of the case should require
1t. This took a good deal of time, es-
pecially in the morning session, put
Judge Kelley disposed of these ob1ec-
lions and motions without hesltatlon,
and thus far there has been hardly any
argument on legal propositions. me
public interest continued to be mani
fest, the court room being crowded al
most during the entire day. Louis
Busse, the defendant, appeared to take
slightly more interest in the proceed
ings than heretofore, and it was no
ticed that he followed especially closely
the testimony of his neighbors.
The principal feature OF the day
seemed to be the introduction OF a good
deal of testimony as to the admissions
and statements of Busse shortly after
the death of his wife. One other doctor
was examined concerning the autopsy
on the body of Lena Busse, and the
skull and lower limbs were introduced
in evidence The defense objected,
claiming that they We're not properly
identified. Judge Kelley oyerruled the
objections and admitted them as eX-
hibits.
The first and perhaps the star wit
ness of the day was Fred Salge,
neighhboring farmer. Mr.. Salge was
an especially strong witness on the
question of the identity of the body on
which the autopsy was held. He testi-
fed that the was acquainted with Lena
Busse; that he saw the body lying on
the floor helped take it from the floor
and put it in the coffin; helped carry it
out of the house to the hearse, saw 1t
put in the grave, helped take 1t out and
saw the body lying in the coffin at the
time of the autopsy, and identified 1t
fully The details of the preparation of
the body for the grave were gone into
at some length. There was no under
taker and the four farmers, neighbors
of Busse, who at Busse's request put
the body in the coffin, did not deem 1t
safe to touch the body with their hands,
fearing blood poison. Busse gave them
a sheet, and with forks and hoes the
body was rolled on and in the sheet,
and in that condition, without cleaning,
washing or dressing was placed in the
coffin. Busse then handed them dress,
lower portion Of the right leg was miss
ing entirely, having burned off and
dropped into the cellar. The other leg
was 80 distorted that 1t was necessary
to crush it down in order to permit the
closing of the coffin.
William Miller, the nearest neighbor
of Busse, testified that he and Conrad
Jakel were called shortly after o'clock,
when the body of Lena Busse was
found by Frank Busse, brother of the
defendant; that when Intercepted
Louis Busse said that he could not tell
how it happened; that they had no
trouble; that the family ate dinner to-
gether, when all was right. That Busse
stated that the last he had seen of his
wife was about 2 o'clock in the after
noon, when he saw her go on the porch
and to the back side of the house, re-
turning shortly after, looking around
and then entering the house. Also that
Busse asked Henry Schneider in their
presence several times If he had not
seen her at that time, to which Henry
replied that he had. 1t will be recol-
lected that Henry stated the same cir
cumstance, but that he made that an
swer in fear of Busse. That Busse told
him later to stay by that story Busse
told them he did not know how 1t hap
pened, but that his wife always used
q great deal of kerosene; that he had