The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-12-09
CIR ,|G RELEASED
By The JUDGE
Murder of DIR. Helene Knabe
Remains as Deep Mystery
as it Ever
Was.
CASE COMES TO AN END
State Failed to Produce Any Evidence
Whatever Against
,e..4 the Accused
a&ssss
n Man.

lBy staff correspondent of the
United Press.l
SHELBYVILLI1, Ind, Dec. 9.-The
murder of DR.. Helene Knabe remains
"a mystery.
When DR.. William B. Craig, in a
dramatic court room scene here to-
day was acquitted of the charge Of
staying the beautiful indianapolis
woman physician, Judge Alonzo Blair,
who directed the verdict, and Fred
McAllister deputy prosecutor Of Mar
ion county, who brought the tndict-
ment against Craig, admitted that it
was murder but stated that it re-
mained as deep mystery today as on
the morning of October "a, 1911, when
the victims nearly nude body was
found In her apartments with a gap
ing wound in her throat. Throughout
the reading of Judge Blair's opinion
directing verdict of acquittal, the de-
4 fendant and his motherless Is year
old daughter. Marion, smiled but did
not oAange their position. When the
jury brought in their formal verdict
however, the crowd in the court room
applauded vigorously.
Marion Craig threw her arms around
her father and kissed him She was
crying from sheer happiness. She
,
kissed Counsel Henry Spann several
times. Women crowded about the
little brown haired girl and more thar
fifty of them kissed her. Practically
!. every person in the court room shook
hands with Craig and congratulated
him.
"Of course I'm happy at acquittal,
said DR.. Craig, and appreciate this
, demonstration. l have felt all along
that the people We're with me in this
: trial. | appreciate also the kline
treatment | have received from the
!. newspapers"
Attorney Spaan, also shared in the
I congratulations. He said:
This verdict was the most right
!. eous thing ever done. The charge was
: most damnable'
Fiph hman, leading attorney FOL
3 the state, took the verdict good ma
/, turedly. He would not discuss it
4 Prosecutor McAllister said DR.. Knabe'
death was such mystery that If an.
2 one should now come forward ant
;. confess the crime it might be impos
! sible to convict him for lack of ev1
g dence Judge Blair's written opinion
granting the defense motion to dis
miss the case virtually admitted tha
Helene Knabe was murdered and wa
: rot suicide as many have claimed.
) But" he said, "it is not sufficien
9 for the state to clothe this crime il
mystery and then fail to prove tha
9 DR. Craig committed it"
Judge Blair held that the state ha
i introduced no evidence that Craig ha
. murdered Dr. Knabe.
II recognize the unusual procedur
of taking case of such magnitud
Il from the jury" said the court, "bu
4 have gone through the evidence an
find that the state failed to suppo1
the charge
The state also failed to show ths
. a marriage contract existed betwee
: the defendant and DR.. Knabe. So fa
). as the evidence shows, their rel
: tions were pure. His auto rides wit
e. her and other attentions were merel
q acts of kindness"
4 Judge Blair laid stress upon tn
i fact that both Arnold Moore, who sa
mysterious peeper at DR.. Knabe
bedroom window, and Harry Haskell
who encountered a man running fro
the slain woman's apartments on tt
night of the crime, could not positiv
, ly identify DR.. Craig as the man the
\ saw
= Evidence Of DIR. Craig's nervousness
c. following the murder whenever
r. met Miss Augusta Knabe, cousin
IN the dead woman, should have ]
weight. Judge Blair told the jury.
I'd The courts action surprised no ol
re who had followed the case closely.
TX Miss Katherine Flemir5, Avc
If Ind, heiress, named by the state
the "other woman in the case, fat
I'd denied she was engaged to marry L
" Craig. Nothing testified to by state
id witnesses showed that Helene Kna
". and the veterinarian were lovers.
r.
fContiruad m nape oN