The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-04-10
BARES SECRETS
OF The AUSTERS
Continued from page ID


cago, but that her mistreatment had SO
preyed On her mind that she could not
forget it. Tt was stated that the reyol-
yer which fired he shot that killed
Harry Auster was purchased while
Mrs. Auster operated the store in
Chicago and was bought, not with
a purpose of premeditated murder,
but for her own defense.
Quarrel Leads to Shooting.
In presenting the defense view of the
shooting, Attorney Baker declared that
Harry Auster might still be alive If he
! had not been lead by the desire TO tsget
the last dollar to lavish on the other
woman to return to the Fremont
street home where the tragedy occurred.
He said that Auster came when he had
been told by one of the children that
the mother was out of her mind and
that after quarrel in the afternoon
when he had said that he "hated
her and the children, returned with
the pretense that he wanted to fix the
electric switch.
When Harry Auster re-started the
quarrel for the money and, as the evil
dence would show, used insulting
language towards her, the defense de-
clared that "Anna Auster did not
deliberate or refect--the hand but not
the will-fred the shot that left her
husband corpse, the husband who had
shattered her life, wrecked her happi-
ness and dethroned her reason Y In clos
ing his statement Attorney Baker out
lined the legal phases of the defense on
the grounds of emotional insanity and
declared that the defense would base
her plea on this basis and on the sup
Elementary one Of self defense.
During the entire recital of the
wrongs which the defense alleges caused
the tragedy, Mrs. Auster seemed un-
moved. She listened carefully to every
word Of the address and although fire.
quently the children, all Of whom were
in court, cried as the attorney outlin
ed the story Of their parents lives,
she appeared untouched.
Charges Premeditated Murder.
In opening the case for the state,
District attorney Peter Fisher, Jr.,
charged Mrs. Auster with deliberate
premeditated murder. He raised no
question as to the mental condition of
the woman, but on the other hand he
declared that Mrs. Auster had care
fully planned the killing of her hus-
band and that she had invited him
to her home in order that the murder
might be carried out.
"We propose to show to the jury
said Mr.. Fisher, that Mrs. Auster sent
for her husband and asked him to come
to the house to fix light in the kitchen
of the house and that she stood in the
dining room of the house and shot him
while he was busy seeking to repair
the light. We shall show that the act
was premeditated, that Mrs. AUster had
told several people that she was going
to kill Anster, that she had purchased
tibet revolver in Chicago and had kept
it carefully concealed in a trunk and
that she had with it a large supply Of
ammunition. We shall trace the move
ments Of this woman and show that
everything she did was done with view
of bringing Auster to the house.
The district attorney before stating
the evidence which the state would pre-
sent, reviewed at some light the story
of the life of Auster and his wife.
The first witness for the state was
DR.. G. H. Gephart, who had been called
to the Auster home following the
shooting. He told Of the wounds of
Auster and declared that the revolver
shots had caused his death.
Mary Matthews, who heard tele-
phone conversation in which Mrs. Aus
ter had invited her husband to the
house, was one Of the witnesses during
the day. She declared that this CONVEX
sation had not shown any reason for
Auster to fear to 60 to the house.
''Tzzy'' Austen Badly Scared Boy.
| Isadore Auster, the nine year old son
Of the defendant and the only eye wit
ness of the tragedy, was the next wit
ness called by the state. His appear
duCG Gil Cll6 6ldlu GOnN1uCEu OIIG Li1db
he was q badly scared boy with a
treacherous little memory for the facts
in connection with the incidents pre-
ceding the death Of his father. He told
the story to the jury under the direct
examination Of Attorney Fisher and
the cross examination Of the attorney
for his mother He declared that he
had gone to the house after school and
had found his mother sitting on the
Davenport on the dining room. Hs
said that she had been crying and that
then he went out to play along the side
walk. Later he went into the house
and he said that he was sitting in the
front rooom' reading. a book when
his father came to the house about six
/ O'Clock. He declared that his father
and mother quarreled and that they
talked in the Jewish language, but that
several times he heard them say
Fanny He said his father called
him to get a candle and go with him
to the kitchen of the house to fix the
light and that he lit the candle and