Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-12-23

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Photo by Nelson.
MRS. KATE WIENER.
domestic in Little Falls and claimed
that she would not speak English It
is said that she can understand and
talk English.
Joe Doroff, interpreter for Sheriff
Tanner on the morning of the crime,
said that Mrs. Wiener told OF two
men, tall and short, who, asked her
husband for something to eat. He re-
fused. but they remained until II
o'clock, saying when they went away
that they would get even with him.
She said that she and her husband
went to bed and to sleep, ard that the
first knowledge of trouble she had was
that she heard her husband cry out
Jesus. She woke up and saw a man
standing over the bed hitting Wiener
with a Club. She jumped out and a
man grabbed her by the arm and held
her. while the other one pounded her
husband till he fell After they left
she went to the home of her brother
inlaw John Peka, three miles away,
after which the neighbors were noti-
fed.
The first witness was Sheriff Tan
ner, who identified the articles shown
as coming from the Wiener house,
and told Of the arrest. Attorney Lyon
objected as to the Asst Attorney Cen
eral asking the sheriff about the --ques-
tion, asked Mrs. Wiener, claiming that
she did not understand the English
language, and could not have an
swered the sheriff without understand
ing. The court allowed the question,
ruling that it was for the jury to
decide whether or not the woman
understood the sheriff. Sheriff Tanner
testified as to the statement of Mrs
Wiener about tramps killing her hus-
band, and ssholdingz.her while tie other
beat her husband. She claimed Wiener
had refused food to the two strangers
at 10 o'clock. She was awakened by
her husbands yell. The men threw
the little girl of John Peka out. One
man wasssmall, dressed in black, the
other tall dressed in gray. Said the
clock was at / 10 when she was
grabbed. The clock was broken. The
sheriff's testimony followed the lines
of his testimony at the inquest.
The contents of the Wiener bedroom
offered in evidence were the bed cloth
ing, including the mattress, the pill
lows. the bedstead. the stove wood,
broom handles shovel, and the pic"
tures which hung over the bed. All
are stained with blood. Pieces of
boards showing bloody footprints are
also part of the exhibit.
Deputy Sheriff .Ferrell followed
Sheriff Tanner, testifying sas to the
condition Of the house and as to the
finding. of some of the sticks.
Lorenz Kardash, farmer who has
lived in,,the neighborhood for many
years, was the next witness. He said
that Tuesday night he walked, about
3 80 o'clock. Mrs. Wiener came to the
house with child. He heard holler-
ing and went out thinking it was
horses. She was yelling and said that
two strange men came into her house
and abused her husband, and threw
out the girl. He asked her what the
fellows we're doing, and she said they
had been there wanting something to
eat. She wanted to give them some
thing but her husband refused. She
asked Kardash to 90 to the house,
then, after, she said wait while, l
want to go to my brotherin-law' g
first. He waited about an hour for
her to come back with the brother-in-
law and he went to the house with
them. On the way she said that the
strangers had an axe or something
like it to pound her husband. He said
the house was locked and Mrs. W.
took the key out Of her pocket and un-
locked the door. John Peka, his son,
John Kardash, Mike Lott, were pres
ent. Peka asked Wiener, who was ly-
ing on his right side who did it. he
said nothing to Peka. Kardash asked
Wiener ''Neighbor Frank, who
pounded youf" and W. raised him.
self and said tOna" che.
Kardash asked Mrs. Wiener If she
heard that and she said that she
didn't do it, that two men dressed in
women's clothes did 1t. The witness
showed how Wiener layed on the floor.