The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-07-07

Was miles from the Flege home when
the crime was committed and was re-
leased.
Though, as has beer said, a motive
Is lacking, 1t is thought within the
bounds of possibilities that a woman
may have committed the crime.
The suicide theory is secuted and dis
carded by the authorities and is only
considered because Of the belief held by
members Of the family. But the abb
sence Of a weapon makes this theory
untenable. There was no reason why
he hard working country woman
should end her life. She went about
but little, and was Of a happy tenn
permanent.
Family We'll to Do.
Again the immediate family theory
holds out little hope. The elder Fleges
died close together some years ago, and
by the will, which has been p%robated,
each of the three sons were left 200 acres
or land. Mrs. Augusta Frevert, the
married daughter, was also left land
and each Of the children were ordered
to pay Louise $1,000 Zach. This money
was paid. Some time g Fred Flege
borrowed $1,000 from his unmarried
sister, giving his note for five years.
Until April 6 Of this year, Henry
and William Flege lived and farmed
together with their sister on the farm
where the crime was committed. On
the evening Of that day Henry became
incensed over an accusation made by
his sister and left at once, moving to
Wisner, Ia, never returning until yes
terday, after he was told Of the crime.
william Eichtencamp, the hired man,
was the last to see the woman alive,
except, Of course, the murderer. He
Is a son of a prominent German fam
lily In the neighborhood. He las worked
on the Flege farm since the middle Of
n r4I A. BAL 49, A.
finger of suspicion has been pointed at
him he answers all questions without
hesitation. Since he has been on the
farm he q not drawn any of his
wages, except SIS, which was paid by
William for a harness. The only other
money he Is known to have had Is
SIS, which he says he made husking
corn last fall. Since that time he a
bought several suits of clothes. He in
sists that $11.35. which he had in his
trunki Is missing since the murder. This
In view Of the fact that nothing else
In the house was disturbed. 1t was at
first thought that money belonging to
the dead woman had been stolen, but
when William arrived, knowing where
the money was kept, found it at once.
In talking with detectives, young
E~ichtencamp said that after dinner
Thursday, Miss Flege said that she was
not feeling well and that she some
how feared something was going to
happen. William Flege, who says he
was present all of the time that the
hired man was, declares that he did
not hear his sister say anything like
that, for If he had known she was not
feeling well, he would not have left h
place. Though young Eichtencamp has
not been placed under arrest and prob
ably will not, he was searched by off,
GERS working on the case He had moth
Ing on his person except 81.
Eichtencamp talks freely and went
over In detail the events of the day
with the writer. He said when he came
to the farm there were no weapons
about the place that he knew Of except
a shot u About three weeks after
he had been there, in the early part OF
May, William too a notion to buy a
revolver. He sent to a mail order
house and received a .32 calibre weap-
on. Some time after It's arrival with
William, he e out n shot at a
mark. That must have been more
than a month ago. This weapon was
kept unloaded on the top of the safe in
the dining room. The moment that
william Flege arrived On the scene and
learned that q .32 calibre bullet had
been cut from his sisters body, he
went into the house and found this
revolver in its accustomed place COW
cred by a newspaper. :.
Revolver Used Recently.
Detectives on the case n especially
w. G.. Davenport, Of Sioux City, Is Of
the opinion that this revolver has been
fired recently. AS the u was not
cleaned after being fired a few weeks
ago, 1t cannot be stated positively that
this weapon was the one with which
the deed was committed. No cartridges
could be found around the house. The
lawn has been fine combed for clews,
but nothing has offered itself to assist
he s~earchers.
Last night at the isolated farm home,
more than half a mile from the high
way, the pail Of death made itself felt
in the subdued whispers Of many men
and the Borrowing of William, and
Henry Flege the only living persons
about the house, except the hired man,
who walked briskly past with w pals
of milk. 1t was a dismal spot on h
lonely hill side, and the old windmill
near the house creaked and groaned In
sympathy. The brothers showed the
effects Of one nights vigil over the
dead. The absence Of women or SYM
pathetic neighbors was the cause OF
much comment among those from
Wayne. Henry consented to permit
newspaper men to view the body about
9:45 o'clock last night, at a time when
all Of the night sounds Of the farm had
died down. There were no lamps In the
house and the brother, holding a sput-
tering lantern high above his head, led
the way into the little front room hung
with pictures Of those long gone be-
fore. '
The yellow glare Of the light fell upon
the shrouded figure in the darkened
room, and Detective w. c.. Davenport
showed William ~Eichtencamp, the hired
man into the foreground where the
light rays would fall directly upon the
ghostly, hollow face Of the dead wom-
an. Eichtencamp folded his arms,
hung his head, and his face blanched
as Davenport caught his eye and
quickly drew aside the shroud. He
looked calmly and waited until last to
leave the room.
Saw Men Go BY.
After his ordeal the hired mar said
that Thursday afternoon, while he was
more than half a mile from the road
over a hill, he saw a buggy go past
with four men, all drinking beer. He
was certain 1t was beer. He said the
horses were big bays, and both of them
had white hind feet. He said this
buggy might have turned into the
farm, but that he could not see over
the hill. The rural carrier on the
route, nor any one so far as known
saw the buggy.
The murder Is the subject of con<