Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-01
MURDER CASE TO
JURY TOMORROW
Ernest Schrader, Defendant
Takes Witness Stand in His
Own Behalf.
MAKES GENERAL DENIAL
Insists He Was on Friendly Terms
With Observation-Disclosures of
State on Today.
Especial to The Argus.)


Tense in the Schrader murder trial
rested its case this morning after
putting the defendant on the stand
to testify in his own behalf. He en-
tered general denial to the evidence
thus far produced by the state and
particularly denied having approach
ed John Liljah with proposition for
him to become guardian for the de-
ceased Ignatz Schmidt in return for
promised monetary reward. He ad-
mitted having talked on the subject
with Liljah but said it was some
three or four weeks prior to the
time stated by Liljah and claimed
that project was made out of a kind
| " feeling towards the deceased and
| for no other reason.
He recalled in every minute detail
the occurrences of the night of the
alleged murder, admitted that he was
slightly intoxicated, but denied hav-
ing engaged in a fight with Schmidt.
He explained or attempted to explain
the noises which emanated from the
house while he was supposed to be
assaulting the old man, by telling
that he made frequent trips out of
rear door to get water at a we'll
and that strong spring on the door
made the door shut with consider
able noise each time.
On cross examination, the witness
l -hnT1 \
fronted with variances in his testi-
mony as compared with that he gave
at the coroner's inquest, made no eff
fort to explain, merely admitting that
he might have said what the coro-
ners records quoted him as saying.
No BLOOD IN ROOM.
Miss May Humbert, with whom
Mrs. Schrader spent the night on
which Schmidt died, testified in ia
vor of the defense and stated that
there were no signs of blood in the
bedroom in which the alleged assault
was committed.
Irene Schrader, 6-year-old daugh-
ter of the defendant and his divorc-
ed wife, Mrs. Louise Schrader, was
placed on the stand but when she was
turned over TO the state to be inter
rogated as to her knowledge of the
meaning of an oath, she broke down,
began crying, and finally left the
stand. Later when the defense again
asked her to testify, she began cry
ing and ran from the court room.
WIFE ON THE STAND.
Yesterday, following the introduce
ton of her divorce papers showing
that she was no longer the wife of
! the defendant, Mrs. Louis Schrader
was allowed to take the stand in her
former husbands behalf. The gist
of her testimony was in effect that the
deceased Schmidt had been in the
habit of using the window of his
bedroom as q means of exit from
the house. She testified of numerous
: instances when he had crawled out
through the window and the defense
sought to infer that in making one
of these exits the deceased had fallen
; and received injuries which resulted
in his death. One of the photographs
= taken by Photographer Harrington
= which the defense attempted to in
troduce as evidence yesterday, was
admitted in view of Mrs. Schrader's
testimony and with the consent OF
the state. 1t showed the window
through which the deceased was sup
posed to have made his exits. The
witness entered general i denial tc
much of the testimony of the state
regarding alleged bad feeling be.
tween the defendant and the deceas.
- ed, and various other points which
the state believed showed motive 70,
the defendants having committed
the alleged crime.
Her cross examination was skill
fully conducted by States ATTORNEY
c. E. Strutz, who confronted her witt
her own statements made at the cor
oner's inquest and as they varied t
- a considerable degree with her state
, ments made yesterday. she was com
PEELED to answer repeated that sh,
- had forgotten what she said at tn,
coroner's inquiry.
@ REBUTTAL COMMENCES.
Following the resting of the de
tense, the state began its rebutta
which it had promised would be yer,
short. The state believes that it ha
succeeded in fastening the crim
D upon Schrader without doubt thank
: to the mass of testimony against him
N The defendants attorneys. on tn
other hand, have done their best L
1 lead the jury to believe that Schmid
got up in the night, either awake o
asleep, went out through the windoy
and fell TO the ground and cause
the injuries from which he died lat
eT after having returned to his bed
1t is expected that the case vii