The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-19

FOR SHOOTING AFFAIR

From Wednesdays Daily
Joseph kabes was released yester-
day afternoon, the evidence not being
sufficient to justify his retention.
The first arrest caused by the
county bloodhounds, Mankato King
and Mankato Queen, occurred today
when Joseph Kabes, a farmer who
lives about eight miles from LIE
Sueur Center was taken into Gus
tody by Deputy Sheriff ]. C. Spaet-
gems of that city on warrant sworn
out before County Attorney Henzel
by Joseph fHonza, charging that
Kabes attempted to kill him by
shooting through the window. The
shooting occurred on the night OF
September Is, while Mr.. Honza was
in LIE Sueur Center, and was de
scribed in yesterdays Free Press.
Yesterday afternoon the blood
hounds were taken to the scene by
Sheriff Anton Osten and Deputies
Ed .Ario and George H. Lang. They
were given the scent for ma trail of
footprints in plowed field short
distance from Mr. Honza's home.
From this place, the trail led in a
roundabout fashion to tree about
one hundred feet from the south side
of the house, opposite the shot shat
tered window. Then the hounds
took the back track, and traversed
circrlitous route to the home of
Joseph Kabes, about half a mile
from the Honza home. Mr.. Kabes
was standing in front of his house
watching the maneuvers, and the
dogs went straight to him and be-
gan shifting about his feet.
kabes Denied Shooting.
The officers observed that the
case looked pretty dark for Mr..
>Kabes, and the man appeared to be
greatly surprised and asked what
all the excitement was about. He
was told the circumstances of the
affair, and Mr.. Kabes denied stout
ly that he had done the shooting or
that he knew anything about it. He
claimed not to have even heard the
shots. Near Mr.. Honza's home, was
found a black shotgun she'll wad,
which is placed between the powder
and the shot in the shell. Not
many kinds of shells use this par
ticular kind of wads. In Mr.. Kabes'
home were found double barrelled
shotgun and two different kinds of
shells. One brand used the black
wads Still the man refused to con-
fess, and then he was told that his
tracks had been found in a plowed
field near Mr.. Honza's residence.
He denied that he had been in the
field, and said that the tracks must
be those of party of surveyors. 1t
was later learned that the surveyors
had not been in the field. Mr..
Kabes was taken to the tracks, and
the measurements taken were exact
ly the same as his own shoes. Then
he was persuaded to step in the
tracks, and they fitted his shoes ex-
actly. He still denied the charge
placed against him, but admitted
that he had had some trouble with
his neighbor. He is reported to
have made the statement that either
he or the other fellow would have
to drop.
Trouble over Road.
The trouble, it is alleged, grew
over difference regarding a road
which connects with the LeSueur
Center road and the Montgomery
road, and crosses both the farm of
Mr. Honza and Mr.. Kabes. 1t is
said that each man forbade the
other to step upon his property in
going between the two main travel
ed roads.
When the officers arrived at the
place where the shooting occurred,
a thorough reconnaissance was made.
The shotgun wad was found, but
no empty shells. It looked as if the
marksman had stood somewhere
near the tree to aim at the window,
but the ground around the tree had
been so trampled that the dogs
could not pick up any trail One of
the shot drilled a neat little .hole
through the corner of the window
casing, and Sheriff Osten put tooth
pick through the hole, and sighted
through it. The toothpick pointed
directly to the tree
Window on Second Floor
The window is on the second story
of the house, and in this room are
three beds. Mr.. Honza usually oc-
cupies the bed which has its head
near the window. There were two
sets of pillows on the bed. and the
top pillow was above the level of
/ the window SILL Had the shot been
lower, the pillows would have been
filled with lead, and had the bed
been occupied at the time of the