The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-03
MEDIUM FIGURES
in KNABE CASE
Murder Trial Enlivened by
Alleged Detective Clair
voyant Letter.
DOCTORS SPRING MINE
Specialists Say Wounds of Dead
Woman Might Have Been
Sef-inAicted.

ShelbyvilIe, Ind, Dec. To-day was
defense day in the trial of Dr. william
Craig. head OF the Indiana Veterinary
College, of Indianapolis, on trial here for
the murder of DR.. Helene Knabe, who
was found dead in her indianapolis
apartments two years ago. Three dis
tinot features marked the evidence.
First-Henry NJ. Span, chief of coun-
sci for DR.. Craig, in backing up his argu-
ment that spiritualism and the assist
ance of spiritual mediums entered largely
into the gathering OF the evidence in the
case of Private Detective Harry Web
ster, produced a Photographic copy of a
letter, amounting practically to a con-
tract, signedNby Webster and addressed
TO Rose Cooper, an indianapolis clair
voyant
Second-Attorney Span, during his
opening statement to the jury, declared
that the defense would present convinc-
ing evidence to show that Augusta
hnaUe, and Katherine Mcpherson, DR..
Knabe's office assistant removed the
bloody knife and other evidences of sui
eide, during the hour in which they were
alone in the Knabe fiat with the corpse,
before the police were called.
Third-Four Indianapolis doctors. called
as witnesses for the prosecution, admit
ted on . cross-examination that Dr.
Knabe's wounds might have been self
inflicted, and that the murder theory did
not enter into their heads until after the
search Of the fat had failed to show the
knife with which the killing was done.
Story of Murder.
The copy of the clairvoyant contract
letter supposedly signed by Webster,
was dated February 3, 1912, and read:
Il will agree with you that IL you
shall render Information or assistance
which shall lead to the capture of the
guilty persons or the person in the
Knabe murder case. to pay you $500, TO
come from the reward money when 1
have collected it,
I'VE shall show that Augusta Knabe
and Katherine Mcpherson, the two
women who first arrived at the scene of
the murder, did not call the police or
notify any one of their grewsome find
for nearly an hour" said Attorney
Spaan in his opening argument. I'VE
will show that the janftor called up the
dumb waiter shaft, and received the
daily pail of garbage from the Knabe
fiat from the Mcpherson woman after
the body had been discovered, and the
postman came with the mail, and that
70 neither of these men was any men
don made of the tragedy within the fat
The garbage was sent down half an
hour before notice was sent to the police
of the killing. Yet there is wonder *
pressed that no evidence remained to
Indicate suicide when the proper au-
thorities finally were called. We will
show that Augusta Enabe had predicted
the suicide OF her cousin. and that she
had once remarked to a friend that
Esuicide in her family should be covered
up like crime
Might Have Killed Self.
I'VE will show that from the trru-
Augusta Knabe and the Mcpherson girl
came into contact with the detective.
Webster, their stories were gradually
changed. Furthermore, we will show
that this Webster is an eX-convict."
The taking of actual testimony was be-
gun at the afternoon session when DR..
Ernest c. Reyer, of Indianapolis, was
called.
On Cross-examination he admitted that
the wound might have been seIf-inficted
George J. Cook. Charles E. Ferguson,