The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-04-25
KAUFMAN CASE.
Tria, of Case of Brewers Wife,
Charged with
Murder.

Sioux Falls Press, "a: Unless some
thing has happens to change the stu.
alton as to the disposition of the de-
fendant, the case of the State of South
Dakota VS.. Emma Kaufman, accused
of the murder Of Agnes Polreis, her
servant girl, will occur at the term of
the circuit court for this county, which
convened in this city on Monday
The story of this tragedy is still fresh
in the minds of the people, not only of
this city and county and state but of
the people of the northwest, and it
may be said that the eyes of many
thousands of people will be upon Sioux
Falls during that trial, if it occurs.
1t was about the last day of May,
1906, last year, that local ambulance
owner, or rather one of his employees,
was called to the home of Moses Kauf-
mann, in Sioux Falls, one of the veal
thy men of the state, to convey from
that home to a local hospital Agnes
Polreis. young girl, whose nome was
in Hutchinson county and who had
been employed as servant in the
Kaufman home.
Early in June the death of the girl
| was announced and her body was
shipped to the address of her parents at
Parkston, Hutchinson county.
A very few days before its arrival
there, the parents of the girl had re-
ceived letter from her, stating that
she was well, and it was with surprise
and horror that they received the later
information that she was dead.
When the casket containing the body
reached Parkston and was about ready
for hurried burial, because word had
gone that it was in bad condition, 1T
was opened and the state of the body
suggested that the girl mad died from
violence.
And then there broke such storm of
demands for explanation that Sioux
Falls was well nigh transformed into a
city of mob law and disregard of hu-
man rights.
The people of Parkston came to
Sioux Falls in delegations and demand
ed an investigation.
They brought with them the blood
stained raiment which had been
shipped from Sioux Falls to the girl S
parents.
And then came the arrest Of the ac-
cused, her preliminary examination at
which demonstration suggesting vlo-
lence occurred, and which was followed
hy the hurried removal of the accused
to her home, which act caused de-
mand that she be placed in Jail, which
was subsequently done.
Then came the effort to secure the re-
lease of the accused on a bond, which
proceeding the supreme court ordered
executed.
All these incidents are fresh in the
public mind.
| After her liberation the accused
went away from the city.
| At the term of the circuit court IL
November of last year, the case wa
called for trial, and a motion for con
tinuance was made on the ground tha
| the health Of the defendant had beer
seriously impaired by the denonstra
ton at the preliminary hearing and sht
could not stand the ordeal of trial a
that time The presiding judge wa
E. g. Smith, of the first judicial cir
cult. who came up from Yankton, ant
he granted the continuance.
The defendant went away from tn
city soon after that and will only hav
retHrned in time for the calling of tn
case, which is the seventh in the Grim
inal calendar, as arranged for this tern
of court.
Whether or not Judge Smith will b.
called to try the case is not announced
but public opinion rather tends to tha
view.
The attorneys for Mrs. Kaufman
are Aikens & Judge, of Sioux Falls
Upon the other side are States Attor
ney A. f. Orr, Joe Kirby, and If th
original plan holds, criminal attorne.,
of note from Iowa.
1t is presumed that the case will no
be reached for at least two weeks, o
until the civil calendar is finished.