Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-24
BAXTER MAN FAcgo COUNT on
CHANGE or KILLING oAx.
rER RGcLusg.
ALLEGED coNFEssloM 70
PLAY IMPORTANT PAR1
kramps's Admissions g osAes4ivo -
Bs Shown. in Which Ne Confessed
cempiieity-Dsfsnss 10 rsy 70 Rsa
pudiats krsmps's otatsnaene- opsna
ing statsmsnts Made.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Newton. Oct ,4-County Attorney
Mowry made the opening statement II
the Leo krampe murder trial detailins
the circumstances connecting Kramps
and the alleged confession and con.
flicting statements made by him.
He said Kramps admitted to the lats
Detective Harden and Deputy Shsrtfe
Cove that he and Al Guest planned
the murder and TINT he stole the catfla.
sold them for S215 and gave 31oe q
Guest
Attorney Salmon opened for the dee
Tense. He denied the truth Of the con.
fession and claimed It was the resuit
OF tho sweat box. He said Krampo
knew not what he signed.
Court adjourned after the openine
statement until o'clock on account c1
the funeral OF Attorney Arthur Corral
The court and members OF the bar at
tended the service in a body. Tho
service was in charge Of r. W. Mars
tin. Unitarian. OF Des Moincs.
The jury will be kept together and
the mon will sleep in the court house
during the trial. Sensational Develop
ments are expected.
Murder Of Wealthy Rseiuss.
The crime for which Krampe IL be-.
ing tried was the murder OF Matilda
Hermsmeier. maiden lady. who liTads
alone on her farm one-half mile. north
of Baxter. Miss Hermsmeier wns
wealthy. and was supposed to have
kept considerable sums OF money IN
her house. On the morning OF Feb. a..
of the present year. she was found,
dead by relatives from Laurel wha,
called to. visit her. The body seMna,
, found Just inside the Kitchen dout,
| with n bullet wound In her head, ah1t
! II is supposed that she was shot an:
she entered tho house OF, :.e- return
from milking. ms milk pan was hsAts
her ana . portion OF the contents had
been spilled on the floor. II n tho
theory of tho state that she was killed.
several hours. and perhaps days. be-
fore her body was discovered.
Reward Offered BY State.
ON Feb. 27 Governor Carroll offered
a reward Of $500 for the apprehension
of the murderer or rnurderers. Detect
case. but ha. since died. and some s,f
the evidence gathered by him n not
row available.
At tho time OF the murder tho homo
OF Miss Hcrmsmeier was searched by
officers and papers and other valuables
were cared for. On April Is some val
liable papers not found in the fouso
were mysteriously retu, ned to n cub
board standing in the front yard of the
Hcrmsmeier home.
Arrest Of kramps.
Suspicious against Leo Krampe. q
young man of Baxter, were aroused by
remarks he made. and on April 13 ns
was placed under arrest. The day fol-
lowing he made n partial confession.
duplicating Al Guest. an aged resident
OF Baxter. and charging him with be-
ing the murderer. Krampe's story was
to the effect that on request OF Guest
no drove away some NJ the stock oI.
the Hermsmeier farm md sold Il. Tho
grand jury refused to indict Guest, but
held Krarnpe on charge of first de-
gree murder. He has since been In
the county jail here, and when ar-
raigred last April plended not guilty to
the indictment. His case was contin.
ued to the present term OF court.
Keen Lawyers Employed.
The ease gives promise at present OF
being one OF the most sensational that
has transpired here for many Yeas.
Some OF the keenest legal talent to be-
found In this section Of the country
will fight the battle. both for state and
for the defendant. County Attorney
Ross Mowry will be assisted h. G. ".
McLain. f. ]. Salmon. who was re-
tanned as counsel for Krampe. will he
assisted by Jim Parsons. Of Dss
Moincs. and Henry siiwold, OF this city,