Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-10
YOUNG HARDY GOES
FREE RESULT INQUEST
Coroner's Jury at Melbourne Fixes No Blame or
Responsibility For Terrible Murder OF
Hardy Family.

aunt ana cousin OF INdyIuouu' - 49,
Eilert,. Jr., and Sheriff Nicholson.
Ernest Toedt, Pischel, Tinnermier
and Preston were the first to reach the
Hardy home after the murder. The
boy Raymond was on the witness stand
for one and one-half hours.
Forgets All Details.
In direct contradiction to his testi-
mony given when County Attorney
Egermayer examined him in his cell
Tuesday morning, Raymond, when
placed on the witness stand at the in
quest could not or would not recall the
details of what he did after he found
his dead mother.
The best explanation he could give of
just what he did and when he did it
when alone in the house before the
neighbors arrived was that 'he could
not get it straight; "he could not re-
member, or at was all mixed up and
1T all seemed like dream" He knew
that he found his mother, telephoned
for help, found his brother and 'phoned
for the doctor and sheriff. But he could
not recall the sequence Of these acts
or what else he did.
Is Calm Under Examination.
His demeanor on the witness stand
| was marked by the same calnlness that
has characterized him ever since the
tragedy, including, according to wit
nesses, the hours Immediately follow
ing the finding of the bloody bodies.
His answers were in a low voice UNI
ruffled by excitement or emotion.
His aunt, Mrs. T. w. Eemry, of West
Bend, sat by his side most of the time
! he faced the jury. Part of the time
her arm rested assuringly on his shoul-.
| der. Because the relatives insisted
there was secured for him an attorney,
J w. I. Douglass, of Maxwell. He was
admitted to the hearing shortly before
| Raymond was excused. Douglass, how
ever, took no part in the hearing.
! Weep When Hear Finding.
Raymond Hardy, with his aunt, Mrs.
Emery, of West Bend, were sitting
| together in the parlor of the hotel, just
i across the street from the town hall,
when the news OF the jury's finding
was carried to them.
The faces Of both were joyful with
emotion, but before either said word.
| the boy clasped his aunt around the
neck, while she encircled her arms
about him, and both burst into tears.
| They were still sobbing when the few
who had carried the news to them soft
| ly retreated from the room that the
| pair IIllSuC De alone.
Boys Story Rings True.
1 1T was the general impression Of the
Jurors and excepting for his lapses of
memory in important details that the
boys story Of the details Of the day
of the murder was true.
| Leading up to his main story he an
swered questions that told of his hav-
| ing done most Of the hard work Of the
|
trouble and there had been no trouble
With neighbors or others, also that
there was never any one employed on
the farm but Miss Starnes, and on a
few occasions her younger brothers. He
said no one was ever about the place
that he did not know, but he amended
| this later by telling that his mother
! had said that few weeks before the
murder, she had refused a meal to
two tramps.
| He was unable to say how much he
had received from his father but 1t did
not represent any great amount or reg
| ular wages. He said he made a little
money trapping and sold some calves
hides last winter.
| Could Not Account For Money.
| The farmer boy was unable to ac-
count in detail for the money, about
$35, he had Monday. He said he had
SIS Saturday, five or which his father
gave him that day, when he went to
Laurel He said his father and mother
both gave him money at times, and
that he had made an effort to keep
an account of what he received and
spent, but that he did not keep his
accounts continuously
The following memoranda are from
the little book, found in his bureau by
County Attorney Egermayer which
Raymond admitted Tuesday in the Jail
were his:
Page 81" 1910"
JAN, money received ............ 1928
Feb, money received ........... Ito
Mar, money received ........ $40
Apr. money received ........... 600
These sums make total of $S.3S he
received, according to this account. in
four months or up to May. According
to his own testimony tho, he was not
very methodical in keeping these ac-
counts, so this personal record may
be not nearly complete and may lack
items of sums he received.
Father Had $40 or $25.
Raymond testified that he had $25
when he went to the Starnes home
in his bureau. This latter sum has
never been found. He declared he saw
his fathers money in his check book,
but it was gone when the sheriff ar
rived, altho the book was still there
with creamery check for SGT in it.
How much money did your father
have?" he was asked, with reference
to the Sunday of the murder.
Il think he had $50 or $685." the boy
answered.
did you see it?"
II saw the bills in his check book"
How many bills were there?'
II think there were three
what denominations were they?"
Il think they were fves and tens"
He said he thought there were two or
three fives and one ten. but he was not
certain He said he did not spend any
money at Laurel Saturday.
Boys Story Of Sunday.
Telling him to begin with early Sum
day morning and tell everything he did
during the day, the lad gave the fol-
lowing account Of the incidents of the
day:
I'VE got up about 6 and went out to
do the chores as usual. My brother
| and went to the basement to milk and
| father went to feed the horses. He
came and asked us II any of us had
sadf7Ied old Kit the gray horse Ha