Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-04-19
Opening of kneeskern Case

blood extending from her head off
toward this stove in the northeast COR
ner. In fact | think the testimony
will show that there were two very
large pools of blood her head being
low, and | think the testimony will
disclose that the blood had run
through her nose and mouth and
there was more or less blood on her
clothes. She was clothed in ordinary
wearing apparel, | think the testi-
mony will show that the skirts were
at or above the knees and the hands
were, | think both of them up, there
is some little conflict on the distance,
but l think the preponderance is
that both hands were up like that.
On the right wrist there was scar,
that is, wound about two inches in
diameter and thrown over the body
of Charlie Van Brocklin was an old
quilt, a patch work quilt that had
been thrown over the body and tuck
ed around at the sides and that his
hat was on or over his face and that
right on the top of the body of
Irene Van Brocklin was grey
sweater that apparently, believe the
testimony will show, that this grey
sweater was just thrown over the
body as it lay there. Now i think
the testimony will show that the
body of Irene Van Brocklin showed
ia gun shot wound about two and
one half inches from the right bor-
der of the sternum between the 4th
and 5th ribs, characterized by LAGER
ated entrance two and half inches
in diameter, and the 4th and 9Th rib
had been completely fractured taking
a course inward, backward and down.
ward. That the right lung was
lacerated and macerated, the right
thorax was filled with blood, blood
serum and lung tissue; that the per-
icardum, which is the heart covering
and the thoracic aorta, which | think
the testimony will show is a large
blood vessel of the heart, were un-
injured, and that these bodies were,
well this was disclosed upon an
autopsy that was later held and that
this shot struck the 7th or Sth dorSal
vertebra, and the spinal cord was cut
and was part exposed. That the top
of the right rist was lacerated eX-
posing the tendum and muscles and
in the body. That the body of Char
, lie Van Brocklin showed gun shot
: wound on the right side about two
inches in diameter. The course was
inward, slightly upward and back
ward and terminated in the heart
!. and left lung. The 9th and 7th ribs
were fractured. The heart and pos
terror and lateral wall of the left
lung were macerated. | think the
testimony will show that these bodies
were taken away from the shanty
that evening at the time the coroner
, came there and that one of the
bodies were carried out on quilt
and the body Of Irene was carried
out on a blanket Of some kind; that
they were carried down as far as the
ambulance could come, placed in the
. ambulance and driven away and
| brought to DEBORAH later on. Now at
| the termination of the wound as
4, shown by the autopsy which was
held in the undertaking rooms after
5 the bodies were brought to DEBORAH
it was disclosed that in Irene Van
= Brocklin at the termination of the
wound was one paper wad and one
: lodged in the fractured vertebra ano
r leaden were depo sited in the spine
There were a few shots in the frac
A tured vertebra, the balance found II
3 the body, that the gun shots were
r deposited against the spinal cord ant
i there was a nest of shot deposited
n on the left side of the body ant
e shot scattered around these shots
n which shot showed no powder burn
f think the doctors who testified thai
e the death of Irene Van Brocklin wa
z caused from this gun shot woun'
a and that it was within a very yer.
p short time after receiving the woun'
| and that the death was probably du
It to shot or hemorrhage. The autops
e discloses that in the wound of Char
n les Van Brocklin was fiber wad AM
II paper wad in the thoracic cavity an
n Shot were deposited in the back 0
e the thoracic cavity from the 9th n
h downward in the dome of the lief
e diaphragm and the shot deposlte
e in Charley's back was greater tina
$ in Irene's body and the shot and gu
n wad taken from these bodies are tn
II same, that is, in the size of tn
E. shot and the appearance. EXpert
| who testified in the case of Charlie
ly VanBrocklin say that the wound wa
re macerated and death resulted C
er shot in all probability. think tn
ry testimony will show that there wa
IN one quart removed from the body {
n, Charles Van Brocklin and that tn
ne ordinary human body contains fro
lis lip to 1-20 of the body weight
ne blood. / think the testimony WI
he show, gentlemen, that this defendal
I'd, when he left Charles that day
We going home went to Castalia; tn
| the defendant lives in Castalia al
ait that when he got into town he we
cd over to a storekeeper,. who runs
re hardware store by the name :,
of Neunswander, that he asked for N
ny Neunswander and Mr.. Neunswand
he wasn't there and the he express
dy a desire to get into the store and 7
he little girl and a neighbor. girl we
lrd TO the store with the defendant.
nd think the testimony will show Tn
he he wanted to get some shells, sol
nat o1,n shells and think that he we
yht and helped himself and got 7
md boxes of shells, and ] think ia
of light. This was on Sunday aft'