Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-28
.GRBA' s ACTIONS
WERE SUSPICIOUS
LANDLADY TELLS OF PECULIAR
DEMEANoR IMMEDIATELY
AFTER CRIME.
NERVOUS AND PALE
WHEN HE WENT HOME
State and Defense Battling Over
Testimony Concerning Batteries
With Which Dynamite Might Have
Been Exploded-State Seeks 10
Connect Grba With Purchases.
Special to Times Republican.


Mason City, Sept. 2S.-Oscar Davis,
superintendent of the LeHigh Cement
plants, was cross examined by j. f.
Williams, defending Nick Grba.
charged with the murder OF Mike
Baldizar. following the states cali
ing Davis to the stand today.
1t was under the supervision Of Mr.,
Davis that the large half -acre pond
near the murder scene in which
Grba alleged he threw the dynamite
he had purchased to blow out fish,
was drained in forty Eight hours.
1T was brought out by the DEFENSE
today that the pond was never
thoroughly drained and that at the
time one dry cell battery was found
there considerable portion of water
was left standing in The pond. The
defense alleges that dynamite might
still repose there. that it might have
been assimulated by the water. and
that the finding of one battery had
no direct bearing on the case and
was not evenyesidence.
Earlier in the day. Mrs. Marx
Barnch was called to the stand. She
told of seeing Nick Grba with two
packages under his arm near the
Baldizar garage on the evening OF
Aug. 10. two days before the muir
der that has stirred all north Iowa
Prior to this two batteries were
introduced as evidence They were
hn On
feet from where the end of the wire
was found. by Charles Foldesf. The
contention of the state, is that they
we're thrown there by ,irba and that
for this reason the dogs did not fine
them.
Efforts of the state We're directed
today toward establishing the fa-;
that the bloodhounds Fought here by
Rossa Baldwin OF Waterloo, followed
the trail of tie Serbian suspect
The defense endeavored to show that
Baldwin.s dogs. were put upon Grba 8
trail and they were confused at
times and that they would have fol-
lowed another trail if they had been
allowed to do SO.
The state will probably conclude its
testimony today with the calling of
Anna Baldizar to the stand, after
which the defense will have its
inning.
Grba Nervous After Crime.
Nick Grba's peculiar. derneanor
on the morning following the trial
was described by Mrs. Anna Jande-
sitz, his landlady. Her husband is a
garage owner and she was questioned
concerning the possibility that Grba
had obtained the batteries alleged to
have bee,i used in the murder from
him. but she could throw but little
light on this.
Grba came home at o'clock in
the morning" said Mrs. Jandesitz.
He was looking white and I asked
him what was the matter. He said
he was sick and was going to get a
new job because night work didn't
agree with him.. He seemed very
nervous. ~
TT wasn't until several minutes
later that he asked me if I heard
about Mike Baldizar being blown up
w en he brought his car home. This
was the first had heard of it.
awakened my husband and told him
about it. Nick would eat nothing
and spoke hardly a word.
Later in the morning, he asked to
borrow 81. lent 1t to him. He said
ne wanted to call Charles City.
Attic there are two telephones In my
house, he went elsewhere to. call"
Theodore Thompson, Lehigh plant
electrician. testified that unless the
batteries found near the Baldizar
garage were submerged in water, it
would be impossible for them to re-
tain charge Of 80 3amperes after
a weeks exposure TO the elements.
That is what the batteries exhibited
by the state TEST