Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-26
STANDS By HER
ACCUSED PARENT
Blydenburgh's Daughter Was
a Strong Witness For De-
tense In Murder Trial
t,ER EVIDENCE is uNsHAkEn
Bates Gross Examination Failed to
Make Any Material Change in Her
.story-Fact That She Prepared the
Alleged Fatal Dinner Most Important
TO Accused.
Special to Times-Repuhllcan.

unable to make any material change In
the evidence given by Miss Irene Bly,
denburgn in behalf of her accused par
ent, on trial here for the murder of his
third wife. Her evidence is regarded
'os the most important and the only
exceptionally strong poin. made by the
defense. Her direct evidence was
practically concluded last evening and
this morning she was turned over to
the state for INSTRUMENTATION. One
Of the strong points made by the state
in its testimony was that Blyden-,
burgh had prepared the dinner on the
Sunday Oh which Mrs. Blydenburgh
was seized with her fatal illness. Sew
eral witnesses testified to the fact that
Blydenburgh stated that he had urged
his wife to attend church and that he
himself prepared dinner in her abb
sence. The daughter directly contra
diets this evidence, and tells in detail
how she. herself prepared the dinner
and what III consisted of. Her brother,
Arthur Blydenburgh, was placed on
the stand today and corroborated all
that his sister testified to except in a
few unimportant particulars.
Besides Miss Blydenburgh and her
brother witnesses who testified for the
defense today were Steve Sayer, who
testified to having lived in the house
occupied by Blydenburgh six months
prior to the time Blydenburgh came
there. He testified to the fact that
there were rats abou the place when
he lived there. Mrs. j. w. Zeigler and
1dra. Anna Trevarthen. neighbors of
the defendant, testified as to the state
Of Mrs. Blydenburgh's health and her
physical appearance. They said she
hooked sickly.
The cold weather today had little eff
xect on the attendance and the court
room was filled to overlooking before
court convened.
Review Of Evidence.
The move of the defense was to de-
mapd the portions OF the organs which
DIR. yaughn had still In his possession
! but tnasinuch as they had not been
pRerA in evidence DR.. yaughA had
TAKEN them and gone back to Ann Ar
bur. The attorneys for the defense
seemed considerable embarrassed that
they were unable to procure the speci-
mems at this time. but as they are out
OF the state they will have to wait until
DR.. Vaughn returns before they can
submit them to their expert. This
win probably not delay the trial as they
nave introduced considerable other ex-
pert testimony. The examination of
ten witness was completed yesterday
~ was also the direct examination OF
defendants daughter. When court
closed the daughter was being cross
examined by the states attorneys.
Mrs. Jane Walker testified that she
WAS present at the time that Mrs. Bly,
dsnburxh died and detailed at some
Length her condition on that after
noon. She stated THAT some time be-
fore her death Mrs. Blyd. nburgh had
told the witness that she had had
some trouble with her kidneys.
Mrs. Jane Watson was called by the
defendant, hut gave substantially the
same testimony already reported. In
substance her testimony was q review
OF her former testimony, except that
she thought Mrs. Blydenburgh looked
paier when she was at church on Sun
day, which was the day she was taken
sick.
Ida Abtshouse was called as the
next witness. She testified THAT she
thought From Mrs. Biydenburgh's looks
that she was decidedly unhealthy. Also
that on the Sunday Mrs. B.ydenburgh
was taken sick the defendants daugh-
ter was getting dinner when the Wit
ness was at Blydenburgh's place after
cyl oIr NO. mo
lations between Blydenburgh and his
wife. 30 far as she had ever seen, were
pleasant.
Cross Examination.
Her ss-exani nation developed
considerable amusement for the spec
tators as the states attorney drew from
her that Blydenburgh had taken her
back and forth from her school many
times. hut she claimed She had paid
him compensation for that. That he
had visited her school and that he had
been to SEE her good many times ION
business" since she learned Of HIS trou-
bic, and that each of the times he had
been there they mad talked about the
case. She was unable also to recall
any one thing that she testified to that
had not at least been mentioned be-
tween herself and the defendant, Bly,
denburgh. And while she claimed that
some things mad only been mentioned
between them. yet she admitted talk
ing over with him thoroughly all OF
her testimony.
Arsenic in EmbaImina Fluid.
III. N. Cook. of Chicago, testified OF
the delivery to him by the defendant S
attorneys Of two samples of embalm-
ing fluid. and that he delivered them
TO DR.. Gibson. Of Chicago, for chemi-
cal ANALYSIS. DR.. Gibson then testified
that he had found one Of the samples
20 contain arsenic. DR.. Bennett. Of
Ames. who examined the same fluid
testified that one OF the fluids con-
tanned from to s per cent arsenic. d.
WINS the undertaken who prepared
Mrs. Blydenburgh's body after death,
testified to the injection of the en-
balming fluid for einba!mfng purposes
and to the delivery OF the samples OF
the same fluid to defendants attorney.
Fred Merrill. clerk at tn. Winches-
ter Hotel at the time Mrs. B!ydenburgh
first came to Mdora. testified that Mrs.
. B,ydenburxh did not look like a healthy