Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-06-21
WOUNDS ON HEAD
ENOUGH TO KILL her
Dr.. SchoffieId Of Parkston Testl'
fes Regarding Polreis
Girls Death.
He is MORE CONFIDENT
At Preliminary Hearing He Was Not
Sure Of Fatality of lniuries-Father
Of Dead Girl on the Stand
Mrs. Kaufman Calm.

Flandreau, S. D., June 13.--John Pol
feis, .ather Of the girl for whose death
Mrs. Emma Kaufman, OF Sioux Falls,
is on trial here for murder, was on
the witness stand Monday a. N. He
is n German, stolid and e~motionless,
and through an interpreter he told OF
the general health of his daughter when
she went to the Kaufmann's to live.
According to the father, Agnes had
never been i'll, not even having the
simple diseases which children usual
,ly have. She never took any medi-
cine and never had a doctor. She was
strong and ruddy with the health OF
youth, according to the fathers testi-
mony, who explained how the arrange
ment for the girl to go to the Kauf-
mann's was made through William
Moeller, a merchant OF Parkston.
Wounds Were Mortal.
Surprise was occasioned this morning
when DR.. Schofield, of Parkston, tes-
titled that in his opinion the three
wounds on top OF the girls head woulc
have been mortal, without n compll'
cations from other injuries. Al lhe
preliminary hearing, June 20, Dr,
Schoffeld said he was not sure that
the aggregate injuries Woald haNe
caused the girls death.
Witness was present when the BODY
was exhumed on both occasions, June o
and 8. and said that there was nc
water in the grave on the first date
and not enough to cover the BODY the
second time. He described the Wounds
on the body in detail, as developed by
the post mortem. The worst We're
three injuries on top Of the head and
three AT tAe base of the brain. one of
the former he thought might have been
caused by a semi-blunt instrument ana
another by a blunt instrument. Inc
scratches, cuts and abrasions were de-
tailed at length.
The girls heart and other organs
We're normal, according TO the Wit
ness.
Injuries Caused Death.
DR.. II. j. Billion testified that the
blood clot was due to external violence;
that il might have been caused by ons
or all of the wounds on the head, and
he attributed the death of the girl &c
the clot, together with the injuries or
the head and over the body.
on cross examination DIR. Billion was
asked If he was not prejudiced against
the defendant. At first he denied 1T
but when asked if he had not stated
to other physicians that he was, he adj
mitted that he was prejudiced against
the defendant at the preliminary ex'
animation OF Mrs. Kaufman. DR.. Bill.
lion was a witness then, n stated
that he was not certain as to just what
could have caused the death Of Agnes
Polreis. He was asked about this to-.
day on cross examination, and stated
in reply that he was in doubt as to
the cause until himself n other
physicians made an examination of the
girls brain last week. DIR. Billion was
pre- sent at Parkston On Saturday night,
June 9, Of last year, when the body Of
the girl was for the second time re-
moved from the grave and examined
by a number of physicians.
Among the other witnesses exam
ined was L d. Miller, proprietor of the
undertaking parlors at Sioux Falls 10
which the remains Of Agnes Polreis
were sent to be embalmed after her
death, and from where the remains
were shipped to the girls parents af-
ter a physicians certificate as to the
| cause of her death had been furnished.
The testimony of William Miller, of
Parkston; John Polreis, father Of the
dead girl: DR.. s. Schofield, Of Parkston,
rIlb ~ i - inv Va SAoNA Ills
also was taken during the day. The
cross examination Of DR.. Schoield was
not concluded until well into the after
noon.
Defendant Not 80 Nervous.
The first witness this morning was
L. D.. Miller, proprietor OF the under
takers establishment which had charge
Of embalming the body of the Polreis
girl. He merely explained the formali-
ties Of the task, and his testimony
agreed with that of his assistant,
Snashall, Saturday.
Mrs. Kaufman appears in better
spirits today. Saturday when the tes-
timony opened she was clearly nervous
Today she is self contained and evinces
the keenest interest in all that is said.
Mrs. Polreis, mother OF the dead girl,
has been unable to stand the strain of
the trial, although she could not I'M
derstand a word Of the proceedings,
and has been taken back to Parkston.
She was not in the court room again
after her sensational action when she
rose, clasped her hands above her head
and started toward the prisoner. She
was quickly restrained. What she pur-
posed doing, can only be conjectured.
49, $50 r,,stl~, ,,-,lA - 1900