The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-01-07
Martin SchIeyer, Twice Tried for
Attempted Murder, Released
by Jury Thursday Night
STARTS LIFE AGAIN FRIDAY
Jury Debates for Four Hours Before
Reaching a Verdict Declaring
schleyer Insane When He
Fired on Wife and KoehIer

happy New Year and that man was /
Martin Schleyer, the man who had been I
twice tried in the Circuit Court on |
charges Of attempting to murder his
wife, Martha Schleyer, and Herman
Koehler who had boarded at the Schley +
er home. The church bells were just |
beginning to ring for the watch night
services on Thursday evening when the
jury which had been debating the evi-
dence against Schleyer reached a YER
dict and that verdict was that there was
a reasonable doubt as to the sanity Of
Schleyer at the time he had fred on
Herman Koehler on May 10th Of last
year. Notwithstanding the fact that
many people had expected a disagree |
ment of the jury there was large num-
Der Of people waiting anxiously~ about
the court room when the knock from
the jury room declared that the jurors
had reached an agreement. Schleyer had
been waiting in his cell at the coun-
ty jail since six 0 clock and so confident
had he been that he would be released
by the jury that he had not prepared
for bed, but fully dressed, had sat on
his cot awaiting the call to the court
room. Schleyer had dressed himself in
his best clothing as he seemed convinc-
ed that when he was called to the court
room again it would be the last time in
court
He was shiyering from cold and ex-
element when he reached the court
room just before nine o'clock. The
Jurors had come in from the jury room
and there was nothing in their faces
to show the effect of their verdict.
Judge Belden had been in waiting for
several hours and when Schleyer came
in there was no delay in opening the
verdict AS the verdict was read
Schleyer did not understand it fully as
the jury had found that there was
reasonable doubt of his sanity" He
turned to the sheriff who stood near
him and the sheriff quickly told him
that it meant that he was free man
and Schleyer hurried over to grasp the
hands Of the jury and he was busy
thanking the jurors when Judge Belden
issued the final order dismissing him
from custody. Schleyer and his attor-
neys were most profuse in their thanks
to the jury, but the hour was late and
the little company soon hurried from
the court room. Schleyer slipped over
to the jail and secured the personal eff
foo4a ob ho bo 10
parture and went back to his old room
in the Fischer Hotel which he had left
on the afternoon Of the shooting more
than seven months ago
Schleyer had little to say after the
verdict had been. rendered Z was
hopeful all along that 1 would be free
tonight, = he said, and / am going to
show the people Of Kenosha that I
am worthy of this verdict. | am going
to rest for day and then it is probable
that I will go east and 60 into business
with my brother. =
| The close Of the trial brought little
of the sensational. The argument Of
the case was decidedly short. Attorney
Taylor, the senior counsel for the de
PENDANT, argued the case to the Jury
from purely the legal standpoint and
made a great plea for the release of
Schleyer. District Attorney r. ". Bak-
er made one of the best arguments of
his career in answer to the strong argu
ment Of Attorney Taylor and then Cal
ven Stewart closed the case with one
of his sensational arguments. It was an
argument filed with poetry and senti-
ment and at times some of the jurors
were moved to tears by the strong
presentation of the life Of Schleyer as
made by Stewart. He read again the
passages from Byron s "Don JUAN"
which had so affected the jury in the
former trial of Schleyer and closed with
fearful appeal for the protection of
the home and Preside. Judge Belden IS
instructions to the jury were remark
ably fair and impartial.
The jury took many ballots before
reaching q. verdict, but from the first
a large majority of the members Of the
jury favored a verdict Of reasonable
doubt as to the sanity Of Schleyer.
The Schleyer case has been ore of
the most famous in the history of the
county. Schleyer entered the home of
his wife on Rowland avenue on May 10
OF last year and finding her in company
with Herman Koehler opened fire on the
two and both the man and woman were
seriously wounded. He was tried for
the shooting of the wife in October
and found insane at the time of the
shooting by the jury. After the first
trial he instituted a suit for $4,000
against Koehler charging him with
alternating the affections Of his wife.
just before the case was submitted to
the jury Schleyer consented to allow
his wife divorce with the understand
ing that the property of the couple
should go to the wife and Schleyer
should receive $500.
It is said that the brothers of Schley-
er, who are well known men in Buffalo, |