Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-04-12
John SKIEFEL CONVICTED OF
MANSLAUGHTER;; SON FREE
Father May Get 4 to z Years Term in
Waupun-- Trial Dramatic

John Siefel, on trial with his son.
Willie, for the murder of Jos. Stake,
near Highland last December, was
found guilty by a jury here Sunday.
The jury was out from Saturday eve
ming until 11:20 Sunday morning
when a verdict was returned.
John Shiefel was found guilty of
manslaughter in the second degree.
This carries a sentence of from four
to seven years, within the discretion
of the court. Willie Shiefel' was
found not guilty of all charges and
freed from custody.
Motions for a new trial will be
argued May LIST and sentence will
be deferred until these motions are
heard.
Story of Stake Murder
The case has been hashed and re-
hashed in the past four months and
the details are familiar to nearly
everyone. On the night of December
9, 1921, John and Willie Shiefel of
Highland, and John Prochaska and
Joe Stake, Snew Bottom, Grant coun-
ty farmers, were driving from High
land to the Stake home. Near a
cheese factory two miles from the
oIdhG pldCS OCdhG was SCdUD0u anu
killed with a knife.
Prochaska fled to Matt Nechvatal's
nearby, when the fracas arose and
summoned help. When Prochaska,
Nechvatal and Jerry Brabec, return
ed, Stake was breathing his last
The two Shiefels and Prochaska
were arrested and held for trial.
Prochaska was later released it be-
ing obvious that he was not connect
ed with the killing.
At the inquest the Shiefels denied
all knowledge as to the manner in
which Stake, the elder Shiefel's
brother-in-law, met his death At
the preliminary hearing Shiefel said !:
Stake was killed in fight with me- -
At the trial last week Willie Shiefel
maintained the same ignorance of the
murder he showed at the inquest. He
claimed continually that Stake at
tackled Prochaska first and turned on
him when Prochaska fed. He said
he was knocked down and kicked
into uncOnsciousness.
Shiefel Changes Story
John Shiefel took the stand relat-
ing what he said was a true story of
the crime. He gave as a reason for
his untruthful story at the inquest
that he thought at that time he could
keep the thing secret. 81 didn't want
it spread abroad in the papers, -
Shiefel said.
Shiefel then told a story similar to
the one he related at the inquest until
he reached the point where he said
Joe Stake had whipped his team past
the buggy in which young Shiefel and
Prochaska were riding. He said
Stake went shouting down the road
and that he followed as best he could.
When he reached the point where the
buggy stood Prochaska was gone and
Stake had Willie in the road kicking
him. Shiefel says he said: What
the He'll are you dOing?"
81 will fix him and you too" Shiefel
declares Stake replied, turning on
him. Shiefel then drew a knife, feel
ing he was in danger and welded it.
He claims that he and Stake fell with
Stake on top and thought that Stake
received the wound across his left
breast, piercing the pulmonary cavity
and the heart lining, in collision with
the knife as he fell.
McGeeVerS Ask For Verdict
The McGeever Bros. in their
pleas before the jury said that John
Shiefel had acted to protect his son
from great bodily harm and perhaps