Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-12-06
KNEESKERN ASKS
CHANGE OF VENUE
Petition Filed With Judge Taylor
Yesterday, and it Contained
Many Signatures.
!, FOR TRIAL
W " SOME OTHER COUNTY
Petition That Many False
Stories se Been Circulated
and Mach Malicious RumOr
and Gossip.

B. F. Kneeskern has filed peti'
tion for a change of venue 60 some
other county, and the petition was
filed before Judge Taylor yesterday.
1t cites that the inhabitants of Win
neshiek are so excited and pre-
JUDGED against him that he feels
that he cannot receive q fair and
impartial trial here.
At this writing the Judge has not
given his opinion as to whether he
will grant the petition or not.
Below will be found copy of the
petition:
State OF Iowa VS.. B. F. Kneeskern.
Cause No. 10672. Petition for change
of venue:
Now comes B. F. Kneeskern, the
defendant herein, and states that he IS
charged with the crime of murder in
the first degree, and now held for
| trial in the district court OF Winne>
shiek county, Iowa. That the inha--
itants of said county Of Tinneshlek
are so excited and their minds so
prejudiced against me that / cannon
receive fair and impartial trial IN
said county of Winneshiek.
Your petitioner states his belief
TO be that from the time of the COM
mission of the crime with which ne
is charged, towit: the murder OF
Irene Van Brocklin, there has been
published in the newspapers OF VIM
neshiek county and elsewhere, and
which papers of general circulation
| in said county and read by the peo-
pie therein and have a large intiu-
ence in shaping and moulding pub
lie opinion, accounts of and articles
in relation to said crime, that thenc
has also been circulated many raise
stories, and much malicious rumor
and gossip has been current in sad
county, in relation TO said crime and
Of this defendants alleged connec-
tion therewith, all of which had a
tendency to apd .did -.,@'t- -~-'d 1fe-
ird;na 4lte public against me, eal,c
4 ttid greatly arouse the passions anC
ureiudiees, and poison the MINDS OF
the people of said county against me
and that for said reasons and man.
others that the excitement and pre-
iudice against him in said county
still exists in the minds and hearoS
of the people of Winnesniek coun'
, Itv. and he therefore appeals to thl,
honorable court for a change o1
venue in said cause, TO the end ina
. the defendant may feel conscious
Itbat is to, and will, receive a ian
and imparti,.,, s,-ial before his fellow
coiIntrvmen who free from eX
! citemsTt, prejudice, " in any man
Iner biased whatever. In support o
f this petition the defendant present
f and submits to the court the an
!. fnexed verifications hereot ana al
/ fidavits hereto attached.
: Wherefore this defendant asks ina
the venue of this cause be change
: to some other county of this distIlc
: where such excitement and preJudlc
!. does not exist. rn>,
; w. B. F. KNEESKERN,
q Defendant and Petitionel
|. The following names of resident
: of the county, were attached to tn
; petition, they all believing that tn
4 excitement and prejudice against tn
= defendant is such that he cannS
h obtain a fair and impartial trial !
/ said court: r. =
r A C. Heck, NJ. S. Vance, h:
: Buddenberg, Dennie Tatro, Wn
e Bockman, Fred O'Boy, A. ]. Fins
# pan, Chas. H. Albright, VIM. Al
bright, f. A. Baltz, A. b. Gar
e Preston Reeves, C. G. Tatro, +.
II Rurns. o. T. Sheggrud, o. A. Walo
'e VIM. C. Schultz, |. K. Hugnes'
e. f. O'Donmel, Charlie c. Barrett
g ] Fitzpatrick, r. S. Peck, z
u Webster. Edward Fitzpatrick, she
lr man Bollman, w. B. Pilgrim, Thor
ir as O'Donnel, Lawrence Pilgrim,
r p Rosa, John Ewing, J. II. WI
ID G. OxIey, VIM A. Gibbs, Gu
Ovloe. w. L. Cornell, A. w. OXle
IS vi. r, Birdsell, J. w. Neuzil, W;
$. Summers. Geo. E. Cooney, Ire
,u Scbrieber, A. J. Sehrieber, Geo.
e. Bieber, II. C. Luhman, Fred Vat
rs hauer, C. d. Horton, F. A. he
m messy, o. A. TenyoId, G. r. SoDoh
Louis Frana, Jacob Never, Il.
~ Becker, Joseph Koch, 5. L. kIouesp
y, J. +. Conover, ]. Becvar, John
he Gogsdon. b. F. Stortz, E. w. OXie
ne George MALI, E. A. Waterbury,
OF w Conoyer, G. G. Bucknell, b.
v JeveU. Frank IHeadington, ~.
Mevrick. Nils Riste, o. N. Norgal
en- 7 p Enright, A. M. Sherry, WI
..r s Ruckneii, G. f. Vine, Fra
ar level Lewis Finholt, A. R. Ande
ID son, Fl. w. Haas, John l.. nan ia
l Il. S. Schreiner, Roy Tillotson, N
ct Croft. John Darlington, VIM. Hant'