The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-15
WREATH ON BROW
COVERED WOUND
Rich Sioux Falls Woman Is
Charged with Beating Her
Maid to Death.

Maid to Death. i
Special to The journal.
Sioux Falls, s. D., June l5.-The dis
coyery Of what many persons believe
to be one of the most damnable crimes
ever committed in South Dakota re-
suited from the accidental displacement,
of small wreath of flowers which had
been placed on the brow of Miss Agnes
Polreis, the 16-year-old girl for whose
murder Mrs Emma Raufmann,
Sioux Falls brewer, was arrested. &
Mrs. Kaufman may not be guilty
only the future will decide that-but
that the girl was victim Of foul play
is firmly believed by thousands
The undertaken who took charge of
the remains Of the girl, by accident dis.
placed the wreath Of flowers. Near the
edge Of the hair wound was exposed,
this being one Of the six wounds which
girls head. The funeral was held at
the girls home at Parkston and the
body buried as had been arranged.
Body Exhumed.
5 After the funeral the fact that
wound had been discovered on the
girl 8 head became matter of general
rumor, and the citizens of Parkston
soon became so aroused that it was de:
termined to disinter the remains and
make an examination. srs Z
This was done, and the other wounds.
gashes and bruises which have played
SO important part in the preliminary
hearing Of Mrs. Kaufman were dis
covered. ~. '...., Es
When announcement of these addi-4
tional discoveries was made, States
Attorney Quinn of Hutchinson county
and the leading business men of Parks
ton announced it as their intention to
make thoro investigation so that, in
mitted, punishment could be meted out
to the guilty persons regardless of who
they might be or Of the station they
might occupy. ..s..,
Second Examination. i
Last Saturday night State g Attorney
Quinn and Drs. S. Olney and Billion of
Sioux Falls, Dr.. Quinn Of Memo and
Prs dd IL aRnmt Of 6nndle
Parkston people, stood over the grave
of the girl as the coffin was for the
second time lifted from the grave to
the surface of the ground, and for the
second time an examination of the ter
rible wounds on the girls head and
body was made. &c., -.I.~..72s, =. !. ]:
The people stood hushed while the
physicians searched for evidence Of dis
ease which it had been intimated in
When the body was replaced in the
grave and The verdict was whispered
thru the crowd, high tension OF ex-
element was relieved and the specta-
tors dispersed. i. .: ~ 49,. -
Parkston Incensed. ),
Altho the Polreis family came to
America from Austria. Hungary only
.h9nt seven months a! nso: and very 11 few
acquainted with: the daughter, Miss
felt there as a result. Of the belief that
the young girl was the victim Of foul
play has never been equaled in its in
> The girl came to Sioux Falls last
February, only few weeks after the
family arrived at Parkston from the
old country. While not Of large stature.
she was robust and healthy and weighed
1913 pounds before she left Parkston.st
What the Defense Will Do. ) :. -,
It is believed the defense will seek to
anemia (lack Of blood accompanied BY
vertigo (dizzyt spells). The ,anemia is
alleged to have developed into diabetes
and gangrene. It is expected that the
defense will also alege that owing to
the blood c1ot found on the girls brain,
taken in connection with anenaia and
diabetes. had the effect Of preventing
the girl having control over herself, SO
e - u Il
limbs was concerned, and that because
Of this she had frequent falls, which
caused the gashes, bruises and wounds
found upon her head and body a<5 :
It is thought the uniointing of one Of
protruding of the bone, will be .ex.
planned by the defense when the case
comes to trial by alleging that in fall
ing she threw out her hand to save her
sell. and that her finger caught in q
the injury noted by the physicians and
which they set forth in their testimony.
Mrs. Larson's Testimony. -.
In view Of the grounds upon which it
is thought the defense will be based.
the testimony Of Miss Janet E. Larson,
superintendent of the nurses at the hos
pital where the girl died, may prove
Of Importance. Miss Larson says the
girl was in a desperate condition. She
described the wounds and noted that
one was gangrenous. The hair Of the
patient was matted and the nurse cut
off the hair, which revealed the head
wounds described by the physicians and
others who were present at the post
mortems.
The body was blue and discolored and
much emaeiated. The witness stated
she would guess her weight to be, Ito
pounds. When questioned as to wheth-
er the patient was conscious OF not,
Miss Larson replied that the patient
had said: II ache all over That was
all she said except on another occa-
sion, when she complained about her
| stomach.
The witness told of the efforts made
| to get the patient into comfortable
| condition, and to dress the wounds.
But all was unavailing and the girl died
about 6 clock in the evening of the
| day she had been taken to the hospital
| Naturally Mr.. and Mrs. Kaufman
are greatly agitated over the serious
charge made against the latter Mr.
Kaufman sat quietly beside his wife
during every moment the preliminary
examination was in progress, and in
variably accompanied her to and from
their home to the courtroom.
| L.. i III e =