Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-11
FATHER OF DEFENDANT IN Pols.
DINING CASE SAYS coNsPtR.
AcY LONG EXISTED.
BELIEVES DAUGHTER WAS
INSPIRED By OTHERS
Regrets That History Of Case Can Not
Be Carried Back Twelve Years
Rhedenbaush and Other Members Of
Family Deny Father Mistreatsd
Children.
Special to Tines-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Northwood. Nov. lit was with
tears flowing down MS cheeks and his
voice trembling with emotion, that
Douglas RhoGeNbaush told OF some OF
the peculiar circumstances surround
] in the mysterious poison scandal case
now Oh. in which his eldest daughter,
Mrs. Eta Larson. is the defendant. HIS
evidence materially strengthened the
stories related hy Ma-ean Rhoden-
( baugh. the young girl who has COR
fessed 10 putting the poisoRs in the
tea ard coffee, ard also the circunl-
( stances related by Mrs. Rhodenhaugh-
There is q conflict Of evidence SO far
as me domestic troubles in the home
are concerned. This is plainly evident
from the papers IN the hands Of At
iorrey Stiger and the severe did not
you" questions which he propounGs. II
! is evident that the defense has several
| witnesses who will testify Of serious
! trouble il the home and that Douglas
Rhodenbaush used the horsewhip and
I! tug IN administering punishment 70 his
! children. Thus far. however, Nj
j Rhodenpaugh, his wife, his TWO daugh
! tiers and his son have positively said
! that the father and mother are kind
and TO such punishment was ever in
/ fic,ed.
| Agree on Poison Evidence.
! Owing TO an agreement OF counsel
for state and defense the number OF
witnesses which will De Introduced by
state Will be materially reduced. The
pojsoas which were in the chest OF
Douglas RhoGsnh augh are accepted as
! poisors Of the character OF paris green
and arsenic. that they were taken from
this case and pli; in coffee and tea that
were IN evidence. The chem cal analysis
Of these drugs vas also admitted and
these admissions will cut out whole
lot OF expert evidence the state had
planned to Introduce. With the hand
writings OF Eta Larson, the defendant.
and Marean Rhodenbaugh. the sister
who administered the poison. also IN
disputed, this also materially reduces
the number OF witnesses that would
necessarily have TO testify If il were
! not for the agreement.
Says Letters Are Etta's.
The main features OF Douglas Rhod-
enhaugh's story were that he was con-
id=-t thsr the ter letters written and
! in evidence are those Of Eta Larson.
He related the story OF Marean's run
ming away:
This was Two days after the little
girl had to,5 me that she put the poison
in the tea and COFFEE. It was long after
dark. After Looked around the ya-G for
! her Guy went down 10 Etta's ard came
/ back with the report that Marean was
/ there / went right .o7Sn. l knocked
! at the door Eta first came, then
Christian, her husband. l asked them
/ 10 step out Of doors as there was
gentleman inside and ! cid not care 20
! have him hear the conversation. In
| stead of stepping out they asked me TO
| come into a side room. did that.
| asked them If Marean was there. They
said that she was. ! the- told them
what Marean had done, that she had
put poison. il the coffee. Eta replied:
IF Marean cid II she had a reason for
doing it. We can prove by Minnie
Howers and Emma Humule. that some
! one else do IL Eta then went into
the room and Christian followed her III
she soon came hack She told me that
II had been mean 10 Marean and that
she was going TO keep her Until she
was u as at least. told her that sne
should no. ard if il was necessary that
I would get a man 70 come ard get her.
Then went into the bed room The
bed where Narean had lain, had the
covers thrown back, Eta looked
around and said she thought Marean
mad gone Sic pu,,!!eS -ne furniture out
ard locked behind come Of IL / told
her not to 6:st-ub the furniture l then
got down on my hands and knees and
looked under the bed. Marean was
there with i.er face 10 the wall and she
was crying. then said to her: .Mareal.
Eta ard Christian are he.a. I want
you 10 tell them If you have been mis-
used, Marean said that she had not
been rnisused by either her father or
her mother She went home with me"
Ne Hate For Family.
! On the cross examination by At
to-ney Stiger quite a little more light
was thrown on the poisoning and fam
ily relation. Said Mr.. Rhodenbaugh:
y do not have dreadful hatred for
nv first wife's relatives. ! visited Eta
and so has Marean- never forbid
Marean going there. got he medi-
cine chest some Eve years ago. I had
about eight poisons il this chest and
I used them all principally in doctor
] ing stock. I did not send my son Frank
Rhodenbaugh, to Christian Larson's in
May last to threaten them and to tell
them to get out Of the country, and
that they gave their father poison.
| Marean told me OF what she had done
about o'clock in the afternoon. 1t
was the third night after she made the
confession that she ran away to Etta's.
II took her to the barn. Opening the
chest / asked her If she had ever seen
that paris green before"
There was no answer. then asked
her II she had seen that bottle Of
arsenic. There was continued silence
'afarean. did you put that poison in
the coffee?" asked Yes, papa, did
was the Anal reply.
Did Not Threaten Child.
II never threatened her nor told lei
that she would have TO 30 to the peni-
Tertiary. asked her why she did 1t
She never answered, even when
pressed her for an answer It was some
time later when Mareau Ioid me vi
Etta's connection with the case.