Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-06-21
WOMAN FACES SERIOUS CHARGE.
Mrs. Kaufman Accused Of Causing
the Death of Agnes Polreis, a Do
meStic in Her 2 naniov ss s

Mrs. Kaufman Accused OF Causing
the Death of Agnes Polreis, Do
mestic in Her Employ.
Having offered such testimony as 1t
was believed would be sufficient to
bind the accused over to the state cir.
cult court, the prosecution rested In
the case of Mrs. Emma Kaufman,
wife of Moses Kaufman, wealthy
brewer of Sioux Falls, who was ar
rested on the charge of murder grow
ing out OF the recent death of Agnes
Polreis, a sixteen-year-old girl who
was employed as a domestic in the
Kaufman home. The hearing was
continued by Judge Wheelock until
Wednesday. Until that time Mrs
Kaufman will be in charge OF Sheriff
Nye E. Phillips, as the offense charged
against her does not permit of her be-
ing released on bail.
The continuance was taken for the
purpose of giving Judge Frank R. Ak
ems, attorney for Mrs. Kaufman, time
to procure transcript of the record
in the case and prepare a motion for
the dismissal of the case. This mo-
ton will come before Judge Wheelock
when the hearing reconvert,s.
Hired Man on Stand.
The crocc-examination by Judge AK
ems of Peter Erickson. Mr.. Kauf-
| mann's hired man and the star wit
ness in the case, was the feature of
| the afternoon session. The witness
| stated that he did not lodge at or take
his meals at the Kaufman home, GO
ing there to do the work about the
place, such as cutting the grass.
1t was about eight or nine days
from the time he saw the girl on the
| floor that she was taken to the hospi-
| tai. He reiterated that on one occa-
sion he saw the girl lying in a pool of
water and that Mrs. Kaufman said
she had poured hot water on her to
get her up, because the girl was stub
| born. The girl was conscious. After
| getting her out to the back hallway,
| the witness testified, Mrs. Kaufman
shook the girl, and when she fell down
| Mrs. Kaufman struck her with
| broom stick.
| The witness stuck to his original
story of having on a number of occa-
| sions seen the girl on her knees before
Mrs. Kaufmann, with her hands up.
raised as though pleading with her.
4 mistress. Upon close questioning
| Erickson said that he did not know
whether the girl was pleading to be
| kept in her place or whether there
was trouble.
i Carried to Ambulance
| Erickson further stated that he car
ried the girl to the ambulance when
she was taken to the hospital and
that he did not believe she was con.
scious, as she did not speak after she
was dressed Before that, the witness
| said, on cross-examinatfon, the girl
spoke to Mrs. Kaufman in German
while the latter was giving her medf-
cine, which was about twenty minutes
before a physician came. Mrs. Kauf-
mann was weeping, but witness could.
| not tell what the girl said, though her
tone was frienly.
Mrs. Kaufman told the witness
she had had the girl battle her feet in
ashes soaked In water. Witness was
at the Kaufman home after the girl
was dead. Mrs. Levinger, friend of
Mrs Kaufman, was there. The wit
ness denied that Mrs. Kaufman wept
and stated that she had no reason to
4 feel badly because she always had
treated the girl well. On redirect ex-
animation Erickson stated that he had
noticed dark rings below the girls
eyes about two months before the
girls death, but did not know what
caused them.
During the hearing a large number
of women were present, the attend
ance Of women during the afternoon
being larger than at any other SEES
sion.