The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-12
Judge Davis at Princeton, Makes Ir-
portant Ruling in Pfanschmidt
Case and VIII Bar Verdict
Being Read.
FIRST RULING OF KIND
Pfanschmidt WI, be Put on the stand
A Today and Then State VIII A.
temot 70 impeach His
Testimony.

H PRlNCETON, Ill, rep. 10 w 50
Davis late yesterday afternoon ruled
that the defense cannot introduce the
verdict of not guilty, which was re-
turned at Macomb, as evidence IN the
present Raw Pfanschmidt murder trial.
III This ruling by the court is the first
of it's kind in the country and Is OF
far reaching Importance The decision
was not reached by the judge until
after Attorneys Covert and Spauldins,
for the defense, and O'Hara, for the
state, had made long arguments which
consumed part of the morning session
and most of the afternoon.
Each side had law books stacked
several feet high to use in supporting
its argument. Cases where a similar
verdict had been allowed to be used
as evidence were introduced, but the
state showed that none of these were
in criminal suit.
In making his ruling. Judge Davis
declared that the defense could no
more introduce the verdict OF inno-
cence than the state could introduce
the verdict at Quincy which found
Pfanschmidt guilty and sentenced
him to be hanged.
Attorneys Spaulding and Covert
both made eloquent argum .nts in loud
voices which fairly shook the little
court house. Attorney O'Harra made
just as eloquent plea but in more
moderate tone of voice.
At times while the attorneys were
arguing, the jury. which was excluded
from the court room during the con-,
troversy, could be heard singing
Pfanschmidt on Today.
There was big crowd at the court
house today and many lost overshoes
while others had their clothing torn In
the rush to get into the room. The re-
port had been spread that the defend
ant would be on the stand today and
all were anxious to hear the youthful
prisoner tell his story.
Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Herr, uncle
and aunt of the defendant. We're
placed on the stand and testified that
Pfanschmids came to the home of his
grandfather the Saturday evening be-
fore the fire, wearing a khaki suit
one.
They testified that the raincoat was
at the grandfather home all Satur-
day afternoon and that the blue serge
suit was also there. They said there
were no scratches visible on his face
Saturday and that he was very jolly
that day.
The witnesses said that he wept on
Sunday and the following days and
appeared to be somewhat G:lZed.
The defense still has fifteen more
witnesses to examine and cannot pos
.sibly rest by tomorrow evening.
James McNutt, official reporter OF
the Adams county circuit court. was
on the stand in the afternoon and
identified the transcript of the test:
mony at the first trial. The defense
intends to use this transcript of the
testimony to show that Ben Holeman
former Sheriff Lips and others gave
different testimony at the present
trial from what they did at the case
in Quincy
s That the fourteen new witnesses for
the state in rebuttal are to impeach
the testimony of Ray Pfanschmidt is
the belief and rumor about the Blu
reau county court house. The purpose
Of the witnesses has not been di.
vulged by attorneys for the state and