The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-01-12

for policy of the same amount on his
life in her favor. That he succeeded in
getting policy on his .wifc for $4,000.
That the defendant always kept strych-
nine about his house, had told parties
he always had it about, and had shown
it to others. That it would be shown
that the dly before her death
Mrs. Woodland was in usual good health
and spirits, but that on that day the de-
fendant went to DIR. Eiker at Deca tur
City and secured some medicine which
he said was for his wife. That the
morning OF the day on which she died
was still in good health and spirits, and
after citing breakfast Woodland and his
wife started in buggy to go to the
home of her parents near Grand
River. That they met parties along the
road and Mrs. Woodland conversed with
some of them, and was in good health
and jokcd with them. That after cros-
sing the river at the Crees ford, they,
tried to drive around some parties
ahead of them, but not succeeding they
stopped for time in the timber, and
parties in the buggy ahead heard Mrs.
Woodland scream, looked around and
could see them but drove on. A half
hour later Fred Vanlair met Woodland
and his wife and the woman was very
sick, Strengthened out in convulsions,
and he stopped and helped Woodland
put her feet in the buggy. He noticed
she was in a very bad condition and
suggested going to the next house and
telephoning for a doctor. When they
reached the house of Bud Brown, Wood
ard stopped and let the boy out of the
buggy and said that they would drive
on to her folks as she had expressed a
desire to be taken there. That when
they arrived at the home of her parents
Mrs. Woodland was unable to talk, and
could only humble few incoherent
words. Her folks telephoned to Grand
River for DR.. Robinson, but when he
arrived the woman was having spasms
and died before he administered any
medicine. That the doctor told Wood
dard to lay the woman down on the bed
as she was dying but that he continued
to hold her up and remarked that she
would be all right pretty soon. That
after her death he showed no symptoms
Of grief, but commenced making * sats9-.
aratj ions for the funeral, tallssa VA s; a
having life insurance on her life, s!nd,
during the afternoon talked and joked
with those present at the house and had
no outward sign of any emotion over
her death. Wanted the funeral teld
the next morning and arranged for the
digging Of the grave and went to Grand
River and purchased coffin. When
DIR. Robinson said the woman had died
from strychnine poison he denied that
he had any strychnine about the place
since his first wife died number of
years ago. When an inquest was de-
manded he objected and said that they
could not hold one, but finally when it
was evident that one would be held he
insisted that there should be no cutting
done, and that they would have to
crawl his frame before they did it. That
he complained about the cost of the
funeral but said he would get her a
good monument out of the insurance
money. That he made different state
ments in regard to DR.. Eiker prescrib-
ing medicine for her, and as to what be-
came of the bottle, first saying that he
told her to bring it with her, that he
broke it on the porch, that while going
along the road she was taken sick and
he gave her dose of the medicine and
in the scuifle the bottle was broken; but
was unable to tell what became of the
pieces, which were never found, al
though diligent search was made for
them. That at the funeral he shed no
tears or exhibited any symptoms Of
grief. That when the post mortem was
tlclu Cu0 uOCUOfS lOullu all uCE organs IN
a healthy condition, but no examination
of the stomache which was taken out,
tied at both ends and sealed up, after
which it was takento Des Moines by
Drs. Layton and Brown, and delivered
to. DR.. Kenney, of Drake University,
for analysis, and that the result of the
analysis showed that q large quantity of
strichnine was found in her stomache,
and that strychnine was the cause of
her death.
The county attorney was followed by
G. w. Hoffman who outlined the theory
of the defense in the case. He said the
only statement defendant could make
at this time was that ne was not guilty,
and he believed that the evidence in
the case would show that his client was
absolutely innocent of any crime in CON
nection with the death of Mrs. Woodland.
In regard to the alleged contradictory
statements made by the defendant it
would be shown that he stated the facts
L.. 4 al \ II Ne