The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-01-27


cruelty of the stepfather, Henry
Stehr, and the criminal neglect Of
both the stepfather and the mother.
The body of the child was greatly
emaciated, and badly bruised in va.
rious parts, the feet being frozen and
rotted, rendering amputation neces.
sary, resulting I'm tetanus, which was
the immediate cause of death. We
further find that the inhuman and
cruel treatment OF the stepfather,
Henry Stehr. was done with felonious
intent and was the indirect cause OF
the death OF the child, Kaurt Stehr.
After two days of investigation and
one hour and twenty minutes of de.
liberation over the evidence, the jury
in the Stehr case reported the above
verdict to the county coroner. DR.. NJ.
d. Baker
According to County Attorney Mich.
OILS, the verdict amounts to almost a
charge OF murder In the first degree.
Stehr Is held now under n charge OF
assault and battery, but County Attor.
ney Nichols says he cannot say just
when the preliminary hearing will be
held or what charges will be filed
against him. When asked If the wife
would be included in the case the at
torney declared he would not know
that until he had looked over his evil
dence.
Stehr was not present when the
jury returned their verdict. He had
been taken by Sheriff Smith to see
81 g., h- hAI 10 hn tnh
come to see her.
Crowd Gathers to Hear Il.
The jury went into deliberation i'm
mediately after arriving at the city
hall at 3:45 and when 1t was reported
throughout the city that the jury was
celebrating large crowds of curious
spectators, anxious to hear the result
OF the verdict, packed the city hall
and Judge Eiseley's Office. Every few
moments Constable John Flynn, on
duty at the city clerks Office, where
in the jury was seated, was besieged
with inquiries as to how the jury was
getting along, and when they would
be through Coroner Baker and Coun.
ty Attorney Nichols were also victims
of many questions.
The crowd grouped off in lunches
and discussed the case. In this crowd
were Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bankraht,
relatives of Mr.. and Mrs. Stehr, who
testified against them. Both of these
people seemed as interested in the
case as all other people in the room
and they took an active part in the
gossip. The long wait disappointed
many who had stopped their days
work just to hear the verdict and be-
fore the jury made its appearance
both the city hall and the police
judges Office were nearly empty.
Even Mr.. and Mrs. Bankraht had dis
appeared
The crowd was very orderly one.
There was no talk of violence and no
unpleasant remarks were made.
At $40, ID. Rees, the foreman, fol.
lowed by the other members OF the
jury, entered the hall and, handing
Coroner Baker the written verdict,
said:
"Mr. Coroner: This is the jury's
verdict"
Then the coroner signed the YER
dict and read it. There was no COM
ment whatever among the spectators,
who quickly left the room apparently
satisfied
Just before the jury was dismissed
Coroner Baker asked each juryman
individually, "Mr. --, is this your
verdict in the case?" Each man an
swered, Yes, sir" and was imme-
diately dismissed.
Question Mrs. Stehr.
When the jury convened after the
noon recess they went to the Stehr
home, where they found Mrs. Stehr
walking in the yard. She was very
pale but was able to testify. The
Jury sat in the front room of the little
cottage and it was easily seen every
member of that body was somewhat
uncomfortable from the chilly atmos'
phere in the room. Mrs. Stehr her
self looked cold, and Coroner Baker
won admiration from his jurymen
when he removed his overcoat and
placed II about the shoulders of the
woman he was questioning. The
room, although sparseiy furnished
would have worn more cheerful as
in evidence Only kitchen stove was
owned by the Stehrs. On a small ia
BILE near the front door was tiny
Christmas tree, cheaply but neatly
trimmed, while on a center table in
another corner were number of pho
tographs, one or a fair blonde girl
probably Mrs. Stehr in girlhood, anC
one of a fine looking man in soldier:
uniform resembling very much Henry
Stehr who, it is said, served in the
German army.
Mrs Stehr's testimony was very
much repetition of what was heard
from her husband, but it in some
ways differed. She said her sol
Kaurt had suffered with measles anC
intestinal trouble and that bandage!
tied by Mr., Stehr caused some of tn,
bruises. While Stehr testified tina
he tied the bandages with a string
Mrs. Stehr declared they were fas
tened with a safety pin.
The little bed in which Kaurt slep
was found in another room of tn,