The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-03-23
MURDER CASE IS ON
John Schumacher Enters a Plea
Of Guilty to MansIaughter
and Then WithdraWs 1t
QUEER SITUATION DEVELOPS
Prominent Lawyers "Butt I'M on the
Case and Tang1e Things up Gener-
ally. Case May Now Be Dropped
By the District Attorney.

John Schumacher of Trevor, ap-
peared at the bar of the circuit court
Tuesday and entered a plea of
guilty to the charge of murder in the
fourth degree for the killing Of John
Wrenn at his place on Christmas day.
After Schumacher had entered his
plea the interference of some Of the
members Of the bar in the case, gave
rise to one of the most remarka bic
situations ever seen in the court.
Schumacher was put under oath
and related all the circumstances sur
rounding the killing Of Wrenn, for
the information Of the judge, and the
district attorney followed him with
the statement Of the story as told by
Schumacher correspondent very close
~ with the facts in the case as
brought out at the various examina-
tons held in this city.
Scarcely had Schumacher finished
speaking when Peter Fisher arose
and addressed the court in behalf OF
Schumacher. Mr.. Fisher had not been
retained to defend Schumacher, and
he said he spoke only as a member Of
the bar and IN the interests Of justice.
He said that the evidence as brought
out by Schumacher and corroborated
by the district attorney, showed the
killing of Wrenn to be justifa BILE
homocide, and that he should rot be
punished for it. He said that to fine
or imprison Schumacher for the kill
ing of Wrenn on the evidence as pre-
sented in the court would be a traves-
ty on justice. Attorneys James Cav
. anagh and Thomas Kearney followed
in similar strain. All three Of the
lawyers denied that they had been re
tanned to speak for Schumacher and
all of them declared themselves mere
y moved by a sense of justice in
making the pleas.
| Calvin Stewart who has been re-
tanned to defend Schumacher, then
declared that the plea of guilty had
been entered against his advice, but
that Schumacher had repeatedly de-
clared that he would plead guilty at
the first opportunity and ''have it
over WITH" as he expressed it and
that nothing he could do or say could
shake his resolution.
| The judge seemed to believe with
the lawyers that the plea of guilty
was i'll advised, and he called all the
attorneys into his private room for a
consultation which lasted until the
adjournment of the court at noon.
This afternoon when the the court
reassembled Schumacher withdrew
his plea of guilty and entered one OF
not guilty. It is almost hopeless
task now for the district attorney to
attempt to secure conviction on the
murder charge after what TRANSFERRED
this morning and it is probable that
the murder charge will be dropped
and all men who gave false testimony
at the coroners inquest in the Ell.
deavor to shield themselves will be
put on trial on the charge of perjury.
After the Schumacher case had been
disposed Of the court resumed the
trial of the Anderson damage suit
against the Chicago Brass company
and it is expected that it will take ali
day Wednesday to irish this case.
The jurors not engaged on it were ex.
cused until Thursda. Forming at nine
O'Clock.