The evening times., 1914-03-19
John Wiebe Testifies to Occur
ences When Bank Man
ager Was Murdered
STORY GIVEN BY
KRAFCHENKO OUT
On Witness Stand in Trial of WestIake
and Hagel, for Joining in Plot to
Free Him, He Relates Dramatic
Tale of Schemes.

Morden. March le.-John wiebe
was the first witness to be called today
in the trial of John Krafchenko, who
nad any actual knowledge of the
crime committed In. Plum &Coulee.
Wiebe Is = Mennonite and OH account
q his religious opinions, afirmed the
ruth Of ma evidence with uplifted
hand, instead Of kissing the bible.
Wiebe gave his evidence through an
interpreter.
1t was somewhat dramatic june
ture when Wiebe told Of his looking
through the glass Of the door in the
Plum Coulee bank and OF seeing the
manager of the bank, with his hands
up. and another man standing in front
of him.
Wiebe raised his two hands to show
now Arnold was standing.
Winnipeg, Man., March 19.-Judre
Curran gave the newspapers permis-
sion to publish Krafchenko's dramatic
ana amazing story of his escape from
the Winnipeg police station, as told
tuesday at the Hagel-Westlake trial
The jury was sworn in at Morden and
th1s was was the Judges reason.
vivid description, thrilling situations.
and all the circumstances with which
authors Of fiction delight to surround
their best stories. In substance the
story relieves Hagel and westlake of
all completely in his escape and point
to Buxton as tho chief actor in this
phase OF the prison drama. and Reid
as an active assistant. Throughout
his several hours Of examination and
cross-examination, Jack stuck to his
story IN most ingenious way, and
related exciting incidents in a most
plausible manner. when he swore
that he was never without q revolver
when In the city jail, that he carried
one to his cell and that by his cum
ming managed to get 1t by the police.
his smile was quite broad. When his
eyes flashed and his face assumed a
dangerous expression, he charged that
the rope given to help him escape had
been previously cut nearly in two, and
he picked up frayed ends and showed
them to the jury in proof Of his asser-
tlon. He said someone wanted him to
be killed in his effort to escape, and
fntimated that Buxton was the man.
Touch of Pathos.
Here and there was a touch of pa.
thos. once especially when reference
was made to his wife, and again when
he told Of entering the doorway of
the Burris block on the night Of his
escape and Of confronting John West
lake with revolver, frozen to his
lacerated fingers, which had been
torn to the bone as he slid down the
few feet Of rope before 1t parted and
let him fall 25 or 80 feet. A gasp Of
awe and pity. strangely intermingled
with condemnation and admiration,
went up in court a. he related how the
blood had flowed down his hand and
wrist, and down the butt or the au-
tomato pistol. and the 20 below zero
weather of the night had frozen the
firearm to his maimed hand.
Tense silence greeted his positive
statement that the rope with which
ed with a knife, some few feet from
the upper extremity. by some person
anxious for him to break his neck for
fear he would tell too ,mlch.."
Guards Lax.
Ever and anon he. would tell the
story about the laxity OF his guards,
and would assert that he frequently
took away their billfes and handouts
while they slept in his cell, and on
one occasion handcuffedi one of. his
guards "while the latter peacefully
snored." In this connection, he as
serted, that the guards were really his
prisoners most Of the time, and that
he could have escaped earlier had he
wished, but did not do, 30 because was
not ready, and desired ITO see how
many witnesses would perjure them.
selves in order to keep in with po-
lice" iff3ff5t e.
Sure Of Acquittal.
His confidence in an ultimate ac-
quittal after the trial at MOrden was
shown countless oft times throughout
his cross-examination, when in re-
sponse to repeated Questioning upon
. point which he declined to answer:
when he would emphatically interject,
II Will answer any. question: Give any
information you desire after my ac-
ouittal.' n 3lSIs s. FL a.