Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-04-26

| kneeSkern had been out hunang how
was il that Elmer saw him abou
two o'clock when he came out witt
the gun and had the conversation
with Elmer.
Maybe the defense counsel will ask
said Mr.. Sayre "why didn't Knees
kern kill Elmer when they had theil
talk, and he had a gun turned OIL
Elmer, if he had killed the othel
two" | believe stated, Mr.. Sayre
that there wouldn't have been any
one to put the blame on had he done
that.
Next came plea for true, hon,
est verdict from the jury. Atty. Say.
re asked them to consider the evi.
dence carefully and not to convict
the defendant unless the evidence
showed without a doubt he was
guilty.
He stated he could not understand
why anyone should cover up the
bodies of the murdered couple unless
he said the murderer was so con-
fused that he thought it would con-
ceal the murder. He gave the same
excuse for Kneeskern shoe ting a
shot into the corn stalks. He figured
in his confused mind that there were
two shots fired into the dead bodies
and so he would have to waste one
more shot along with the one he
shot at the coffee pot to even things
up.
The argument then shifted to John
Shuttle. Why asked Mr.. Sayre did
Mr.. Shuttle take a loaded revolver
out to the coroner's inquest with
him that night. Why did he get
KneeskeFn's gun that night about
two o'clock and clean it? He also
stated that Mr.. Shuttle had taken
the number six shot and substituted
number seven and a half.
Atty. Sayres stated that the large
shot Sam Waters found were said to
be No. six shot by the expert, Mr.
Acres, also the gun wadding had the
description No. six shot on it, so the
jury can see that the shot Kneeskern
shot at the coffee can with was No.
six shot, the same as the large pei
lets Mr.. Waters picked up, stated
Mr.. Sayre.
He also said the defendant was
the originator of the expedition that
went to the cabin on the night of
Dec. u, because he told Ed Grim
Stad not to show the door knob to
anyone until he had talked with
VIM. Cook. Atty. Sayre said he
didn't send them to get evidence, but
to get certain articles to keep from
being presented as evidence.
Atty. Sayre concluded his argu-
ment at noon, and in closing he told
the jury to be on the square and
be as honest in their verdict as if
some one was there deciding a SIM
liar case for them.
Atty. E. w. Cutting opened the
argument for the defense at two
o'clock Tuesday afternoon. He stat
ed that Mr.. Sayre would have them
decide that it might have been B.
F. Kneeskern and that it might have
been No. shot. But he stated, ac-
cording to the testimony they have
proven that he did not do it, that
it was physically impossible for him
to do it.
He said No. 6 shot and No. 6
wads were found in the bodies of the
murdered couple, and in all the evil
dence it had been shown that the
defendant did not have No. 6 shells
in his possession.
The shots that killed the Van
Brocklins Mr.. Cutting stated were
home loaded shells because they only
had one felt wad and one paper wad
and the expert had testified that fac
tory made shells never had less than
two felt wads.
Atty. Cutting stated he believed
that Chas. Van Brocklin had hurried
over and back from Swenson's so as
to go hunting with Mr.. Kneeskern,
as they had previously planned on.
He stated that after Geo. Moore
had told Elmer, Kneeskern was up
at the cabin and if he wanted to see
him TO go over there that Elmer
eft Moore's place for the cabin. The
testimony showed that Elmer and
Charley Van Brocklin were both go
ing toward the cabin at the same
time. Elmer going from Moore's to
The cabin and Charley from Sven
sons to the cabin.
Although Charley had to go about
30l2 rods farther than Elmer he was
nurrying or practically running. If
It is true that Kneeskern came out
at Elmer with a gun when he ar
rived at the cabin where was Char
ley during all the time of the con-
between Mr.. Kneeskern and
Elmer Van Brockln, Atty Cutting
asked. Also if Kneeskern had shot
where was Elmer's ears if
ne couldn't have heard a shot that
would have taken place in so short
a distance of him.
Atty. Cutting stated Elmer could
have been there causing all the
trouble at the cabin when Knees
kern came up from hunting.
He also explained the reason for
the defendant taking his coat off
at the inquest, which he said the
states counsel put so much stress on.
He said, that even that morning or
early afternoon when KneeSkem was
at the cabin he had taken his coat
off and had gone. outside in shirt
sleeves.
He also stated that at the inquest
there were about % people crowded
into the small room besides a hot
fire in the stove.
Because Of the small shot found
on the spot where the coffee pot had
been had never been shot from a
gun was all the more evidence that
Elmer had planted it. He knew that
there was ~ shot of Kneeskern's