The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-17
Pittsburg Reporter Shut Out of
the Schenk Trial
On a Charge Of Sending Out Err
rOneous Reports.
WOMAN DETECTIVE
Is Subjected to a Long and Sc.
we're Cross Examination.
Says SheLied Repeatedly to Gain
Defendants Confidence.

wheeling, Jan. 17.-With the resunp-
ton of the Schenk case this morning
in which Mrs. Laura Farnsworth
Schenk is charged with administering
poison to her husband, the chauffeur of
the Schenk family who is alleged to
nave driven Mrs. Schenk on number
OF occasions with a man other than her
husband, was called as the first wit
ness for the state.
Other witnesses to be called today are
DR.. ]. E. Burns, one of the physicians
who made blood tests to ascertain if
Schenk was really suffering from
arsenical poisoning. DR.. Gregory Ack-
erman vas also expected to be called
today. His appearance at this time is
for cross-examination by the defense.
Prosecuting Attorney ]. B. Handlan
late last night took an unexpected ac-
ton in summoning a deputy sheriff TO
hale before him representative of Il
Pittsburg newspaper whom he charged
the trial The newspaper man was
notified that he would be barred from
the court room.
Five hours Of searching cross exami-
nation by the defense failed to shake
the story told on direct examination
known as Mrs. Klein, the detective
nurse. She had testified that Mrs
Schenk offered her $1,000 to put a
poisoned pill in the medicine Mr..
Schenk was taking.
Miss Zoeckler, who is connected with
Pittsburg detective agency, was IN
the stand all day Monday. She was
questioned by o. S. Boyce for the de-
fense. The woman's veracity, her char
acter and her past life were prObed. SO
fierce was the attack that Prosecutor
Handlan objected and the jury was ex-
cluded while the objection was fought
out by opposing counsel.
Time after time Mr.. Boyce asked,
when you told Mrs. chenk that, yo1l
lied again, didn't your
Swears She Lied.
without faltering, the witness an
swered on every question, yes, or,
sure I did" She declared, in explana-
ton of her course, she was put on the
case to secure information from Mrs.
Schenk by any means possible.
Mr. Boyce's first question revealed
the line which the defense would fol-
low.
.eYou were told to break into Mrs.
Schenk's confidence by any means,
weren't your
s'Those were my instructions, she
answered.
Mr.. Boyce. after two hours OF
searching inquiry, dSk0u.
isn't it fact that every statement
Won have made relative to Mrs
Schenk offering you $1,000 to poison
her husband is a tissue of lies, manu-
featured out of whole cloth by you!
"Everything I have told is true"
isn't it a fact that the only men.
ton of $1,000 was made when you TOLD
Mrs. Schenk that Albert Schenk
John's brother, had offered Miss Evans
that amount to take johns Keys tC
his safe deposit box and turn them
over to Albert, and you said it ought
to be worth that amount to you if yot
got them for Mrs. Schenk ?''
''That is not true. NO such CONVEX
sation took place.
Related to Schenlxs.
Tn answer to the question of Prose
cutor Handlan as to what Mrs. Schenl
had said to the witness after her ar
rest and they were alone. the detective
replied: "I said, Just look what yol
have got me into,' and she said. 'Shu
| Miss Zoeckler stated that prior to tn
time she came here to work on th'
case she knew nothing of the Schenk
| although she is distantly related t.
t, EN-. She reiterated that she hat
been instructd by Prosecutor Handlal
to catch Mrs. Schenk by any mean
possible.
s.What did you say to Mrs. Schenl
when she said that if anything hap
pened to John you were to get tn
KEYS of his safe deposit vault befor
Albert got them?'' asked Attorne,
Boyce of the defense
"I said I was afraid | would ge
into trouble. The next day she toll
me of Schenk's having been worse am
that the news made her the happies
woman in the world; also of her pray
ing eyerv night that he might die"