The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-10-01
NJ. Schleyer, on Trial on Charge
of Shooting His Wife, Tells
Tale Of Domestic Life
WITNESSES CLAIM HIM "0DO"
Insanity Issue Still Being Presented to
the Jury and the Attorneys
For Defendants Putting
Up Hard Fight
(From Saturday s Daily

Inc Cf1al Oh MafU1n Ocnl6yor on
charge of glooting his wife is still oc-
cupying the attention of the Circuit
Court and it is expected that the in
sanity issue will be given to the jury
for decision late this afternoon or
early Monday morning. The defense
rested the case just before noon and Dis
trict Attorney Baker is now examining
witnesses to break down the case put up
by the defendant. Schleyer was cross
examined for a long time this morning
and after the cross examination num-
Der of foremen from different factories
in the city were called to testify to the
actions of Schleyer and the gist Of the
testimony given by these men was that
"Schleyer seemed to be little off. +"
Deputy Sheriff Horace Chaffee was the
first witness called by the state and he
told of Schleyer surrendering himself
at the jail and insisted that he saw
nothing to lead him to believe that
he was insane at that time. Mrs.
Mabel Mclean testified that she seen
Schleyer at her house on the afternoon
Of the shooting and that he had Dor
rowed hat from her. She claimed
that he seemed to be suffering from
asthma, but that she saw no change
in his condition from that shown at
other times when he had come to the
house.
Mrs. Schleyer was the next witness
Called but did not take the stand until
the opening Of the afternoon session.
Mrs. Schleyer's story was largely a
general denial of the story told by her
husband on the stand on Friday. She
made specific denial to every charge
that her husband had made against
her and declared that she had been re-
peadedly deserted by Schleyer and
that he had contributed nothing to her
support at times when he left the house.
She declared that her relations with
Koehler had never been questioned
save by her husband. She told the
story of the shooting, declaring that
Schleyer came to the house on the af-
ternoon and that at the time she was
dressing in her bed room. When she
came out she said Schleyer came up
to her and demanded, care you 60
ing to marry me at the end Of the
year" To this she replied: emo
would rather de- With this she
claimed schleyer pushed her down into
a chair and with an oath declared:
"Then you will die now," and shot her.
She said that he ran from the parlor
into the room occupied by Koehler and
she heard shooting there. She saw the
two men on the floor in the dining room
in struggle and she went to assistance
of Koehler and with her hands tore the
revolver from Schleyer s hands.
schleyer on the Stand
The defendant himself was on the
stand nearly all Friday afternoon and
he told a rather remarkable story to
the jury in an effort to show the cause
of his temporary insanity at the time
Of the shooting. Schleyer went back
to the beginning of things and told the
story of his life from the time he was
born in Rochester until he was arrested
on a charge Of shooting his wife. He
stated that he had met his wife on the
streets Of Rochester in 1895 and that a
Year later he married her in Chicago and
that they had lived together in that
city for a number of years in domestic
tranquility. He stated that he had
been sufferer from asthma for years
and that finally he left Chicago to go to
northern Wisconsin in an effort to find
climate that would benefit his health.
He declared that he stopped at Keno
sha on the return trip and being able
to find employment here he went back
to Chicago and at once moved his wife
and fanny here. He stated that for
year their married life here was
PLEASANT and that they worked hard and
earned considerable money which was
invested in property and that the wife
insisted on keeping boarders against
his wishes and that this caused the first
trouble between them. He declared
that he had trouble with his wife for
the past four years and that the trou-
BILE dated from the time Koehler came
to the house to board. He told how he
had left the house and gone to Kansas
and worked in a harvest field and had
later gone to ST. Louis where he was
served with summons in a divorce
action. He returned at once to Keno
sha and the wife, he alleged, agreed
to withdraw the suit if he would deed
his portion Of the property to her. He
did this he claimed under the agree
ment that the property be decided back
at the end Of the year. He insisted that
they lived together in peace for nearly
year when the attentions of Koehler
caused him to become jealous and that
at that time he wanted his wife to sell
out and go to Washington and that she
agreed to do this if he would go out to
the western state and make arrange
ments for their coming. Schleyer
claims that ne had heard of no difficulty
until the summons for the second di-
vorce action was received by him at