Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-25
Main Witness In the Layelleur
Trial Makes Startling Ad-
missions on Stand
HELPED CUT UP THE CORPSE
Mrs. Susie Lansren Fails to corrobor-
ate Her Former Evidence Regarding
the Killing of Lavelleur-Her Tes-
timony Has Little Weieht-Prisoner
to Testify in Her Own Behalf.
ecial to Times-Republican.


Newton. Feb. 25.-The Lavelleur
murder cass' has proceeded much faster
than anticipated. At the close of court
last evening" the state had finished the
examination of its fourth witness and
had commenced on the nth. The court
room has been crowded to its doors all
day, many women beine. present in the
audience. The defendant, Mrs. Lavei-
ieur. who seems quite unconcerned, sits
at the right of the trial table with her
four daughters and a son-in-law, Mr..
Henry Vert. She. stoutly maintains her
Innocence and Willingly reviews the
events of April &c last, when 1t is
claimed she murdered her husband.
Mrs. Lavelleur is a German woman and
speaks very broken English. but several
times during the trial she has assisted
her attorney, c. O. McClain, with some
point that should be brought out in the
evidence. 1t is reported that Mrs. La
velleur will take the stand in her own
defense and IL she does 1t is thought
that this will have much weight with
the jury, as the defendant positively
denies her guilt and tells straightfor-
ward story. However, there Is much
uncertainty as to the outcome of the
trial. as the nsfghbors of the Lavelleurs,
the witnesses who have so far testified,
say that Mr.. and Mrs. Lavelleur fire.
quently Quarreled and that she made
statements in which she said that She
would get the old man off the place II
she had to kill him to do it. 1t seems
hard to account for Lavelleur's death if
he were not foully dealt with, and how
the defense will be able to meet the
circumstances and account for the
burned and mangled remains. with
fractures in the skull and the body
burned beyond recognition, will be
awaited with great interest. The MUIR
der trial is the one subject Of CONVERSE
ton in tile town. but the crowd in the
court room has kept splendid order and
but once or twice was 1t necessary to
call for better order. G. NJ. Trip is as
|s!sting the prosecution, having been
hired by the sons of the murdered man
Layalleur.
The state placed it's principal wit
ness, Mrs. Susie Langren, on the stand
the prosecution. Great reliance had
been placed on this witness to prove
the states case, on account of the fact
that Mrs. Langren had stated before
the grant jury that she saw Mrs. Law
elleur kill Lavelleur and 1T was ex-
pected that she would testify to that
fact on the stand. Great interest was,
therefore, ceatered In her testimony,
and when she was placed on the stand
today there was a great deal OF sup
pressed excitement. The defense OBJ
jected to her evidence on the ground
that she was a person of unsound
mind. The question was argued by
counsel on both sides and the court
after interrogating the witness in re-
gard to her knowledge of the nature
of the oath decided she was competent
to testify. Her testimony, how
ever proved very unsatisfactory
to the state and it is be-
lieved will have no weight whatever
with the jury. On the stand Mrs. Ian
gren became confused and failed to COR
roborate her previous testimony rela-
tive to having seen the murder COM
rnitted. On cross exa mination she de-
clared her evidence before the grand
jury was untrue and that she herself
took hand in dismembering Lavel-
leur's body having helped cut off the
legs and other portions of the anatomy.
So contradictory was her evidence that
lit is the general opinion the states
case has been much weakened in con-
sequence. The defense is very hope
full for an acquittal.
Following the testimony of Jesse
Miller, who was on the stand all of
the morning, Willis George was next
called. George is @ neighbor living
about eighty rods from the Lavelleur
home and kenw both of the parties
Very we'll. Lavelleur having lived with
him before his marriage with Mrs
Myers. the defendant. On April 2Sth,
the day of the murder he testified that
he was at the home of the Beat'tys', an
other neighbor. confined TO the bed with
rheumatism, and when he heard the
call OF fire he looked out of the west
window and saw Lavelleur's barn to be
on fire. He testified THAT he saw Her
man, Mrs. Lavelleur's son, go into the
barn ard take out the horse, and that
Mrs. Lavelleur followed him out of the
barn. 1t was impossible to save the
contents it seemed. and he was posi-
tive that Mrs. Lavelleur came out of
the barn when the same was afire and
that no effort was made to save it.
His evidence Went to show that Lavell-
eur was about 81 years of age. very
robust man, and very active for one
so old. He testified that I1avelleur and
his wife frequently quarelled and that
Mrs. Lavelluer had said in the presence
'of his wife that if she could get the old
man off THE place she would kill him
if she could not get him off any other
way. Mrs. Lavelleur had objected to
her husband running harness shop
that she thought he should attend to