The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-06-04

three months before she died at
Sioux Falls hospital with numerous
wounds, cuts, bruises and gashea
about her body, head and limbs. and
which are alleged to have been In
tlicted by Mrs. Kaufman,
The girl secured the position with
Mrs Kaufman only by the merest
chance. Mr., Kaufman was transact
ing business for the institution OF
which he was n principal stakeholder
and officer when he mentioned to one
of his Parkston customers, William
Moeller that his wife needed n hired
girl. The Parkston man mentioned
| Agnes Polreis, and as n result she
was engaged to enter the employ of
Mrs. Kaufman. Moeller since that
time has been one of the most active
In pushing the prosecution of Mrs.
Kaufman, doubtless feeling that I'm
measure he was responsible for
sending the girl to her death,
| The girl, while not of large stature,
was as robust and healthy as the av.
erage girl when she arrived in Sioux
Falls, and shortly before she left
Parkston weighed 1873 pounds. At the
time of her death the girl, according
to evidence presented in the case, did
not weigh more than 10 pounds.
After her death in a Sioux Falls
hospital the remains were prepared
for burial and shipped to the parents
of the girl at Parkston Much has
been said and written as to how the
wounds upon the girls body, head.
limbs and arms were first discovered.
One story had 1t that the Catholic
priest who ofiiciated at the funeral ac-
cdentally displaced a wreath which
had been placed upon the dead girls
brow and disclosed a wound under
meath, afterwards reporting his dis
covery to the authorities.
The facts are that the body of the
girl would have been placed perma-
nently In the grave without an in
spection being made had it not been
for young daughter of William Noel.
Ter of Parkston, who was an intimate
friend of the dead girl, and who, when
word reached Parkston of her death,
was nearly Frustrated.
Friend of Victim Aroused
Miss Moeller observed bruises and
other marks upon the body, and 1t
was from her that the first disclosures
came. The girl friend of the dead girl
was so persistent in her claim that
there were wounds on the head and
body that the remains of Agnes Pol
reis were exhumed after they had
been placed in the grave. The discov-
cry made by Miss Moeller soon be.
came a matter of general rumor, and
the citizens of Parkston became
aroused over the matter to such an
extent that they determined to make
a thorough investigation.
The body was twice exhumed, first
by a few officers and physicians, and
again by the officers and larger num-
Der of physicians, and the wounds,
gashes, cuts and bruises which are
playing so important part in the
prosecution of Mrs. Kaufman were
discovered.
The girl Agnes was the youngest of
fourteen children, Of which number
eight are dead and six are living. It
is a curious coincidence that an older
sister was murdered by a rejected
suffer while the family yet lived in
the old country so the daughter Ag-
mes was the second member of the
family to meet tragic death. There
fore it perhaps Is not strange that the
mind of the mother should have be-
come unbalanced. On a number of
occasions since the death and burial
of her daughter Agnes she has disap-
peared from her home at night and
was traced to the little Parkston GEN.
etery, where she was found weeping
on the grave of her dead daughter
A study of Mrs. Kaufmann's person.
atty discloses that she without ques-
tion is one of the strangest of women.
She Is absolutely without intimate
women friends, not because she does
not possess the faculty of making
friends with members of her own
sex, but because she does not care to
have intimate friends. She has no
warm personal friends, even among
the other Jewish women of Sioux
Falls, some of whom are numbered
among the society leaders of the city.
She seldom reads newspaper, does
not keep posted in reference to local,
state or national events, and appar.
emily takes but little interest in hap
penings around her. She sits for
hours at time in a rocking chair,
absolutely motionless and in a sort
of daze, with her hands idle and her
mind apparently unoccupied. AL
though she is an accomplished musi-
clan, and fine piano occupies place
in the Kaufman home, she seldom If
ever opens it and plays.
She even does not appear to COM
prehend the seriousness of the charge
against her. wondering In dazed sort
of way what the people are making all
the fuss about.
Owing, to her peculiar characterize.
les she appeared to be the least inter.
ested of those present at her first