The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-03-02
YOUNG WOMAN
MAylAAVE POISONED
THIS rs ONE OF THEORIES IN
KILLING OF FARMER KREIT-
Err BY YOUNG BRIDE WHO
MARRIED HIM UNWIIL.
INGLY.

INGLY.
ter, the young woman who is now in
the Brown county jail. awaiting the
outcome of the coroner's inquest to-
day over the body Of her head hus-
band. a criminal by instinct and
training; q mentally unbalanced per-
son who slew her husband while not
responsible for her actions. or an in
nocent but most unfortunate victim
Of circumstances?
This Is the question the states at
torney and his assistants would like
to have answered.
Mrs. Kreiter. whose husband was
found dead in their farm house
twelve miles northeast Of Hecla on
Monday morning. with a butcher
knife stuck through his back until
Ii penetrated q lung, has not for an
instant. since the occurrence, betray-
dsthe slightest particle Of uneasiness
or shown any degree Of anxiety over
her possible fate. She is calm. self
possessed, unrutfled. Questioned,
she smiles at her interrogation and In
s.sts that she did not Intentionally
Kill her husband. but that she is
glad ne a dead. for she did not care
for him. She has told several stor-
Ter. each one differing materially
from the other, regarding the man
sner In which Kreiter received the
wound which caused his death. The
latest 10 that Kreiter was choking
her. having grasped her throat with
both hands. In the struggle they
we're jammed up against a kitchen
cabinet. on which lay a butcher
knife. To defend herself, she reach
e around Kreiter's body, grasped the
knife. and drew 1t toward her. In
the struggle. as their bodies swayed.
and 81 she struggled to free herself
from the struggling hands Of her en-
RACED husband. the knife was plung-
ed into his back. reaching a vital
spot.
States Attorney Harkin does not
believe this story. He did not be-
lieye the first story. that Kreiter had
the knife and rushed toward his wife,
and in her struggles to escape death
at Kreiter's hands, the knife was. ac-
cidentlly plunged into his body.
The young woman. according to
her statement, which is borne out by
her personal appearance. is only II
years Of age, instead Of Is, as was
at irst stated. She y she was in
love with another man, and did not
want TO marry Kreiter. MOI to come
to South Dakota. but her parents
forced her to do both. Owing to her
youth. and the fact that she is prac-
stically friendless in a strang land,
considerable sympathy 10 felt for
her at Hecla. Her parents in Kan
sas have been notified Of the treaty,
and II is supposed they viii come
here to look after their daughters
welfare.
There is . suspicion on the part Of
the authorities that Kreiter may have
ben poisoned. and then stabbed in
order to give his taking OF the up.
pearance Of having been due to an
accident. In order to set that doubt
at rest. the contests Of Kreiter's
stomach has ben sent to a chemist
for analysis.
Former States Attorney I. T. Van
8lyke . assisting states Attorney y.
IB.Harkin5 in Investigating the case,
and w. II. Morgan, the young at
Itorney who was secured by Mrs. Krei-
ter % look after her interests. is as
sisted BY Judge 4. w. Crofoot. Of Alb
erdeen. Her attorneys express the
utmost confidence Of being able to
convince jury that Mrs. Kreiter. In
'steadsof being q murderess. IL a very
mach vronged person. whose trou-
lbies were almost beyond human en-
duranes before the tragedy in the
lonely house occurred on Sum
~ nisht.