The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-12-07
Vajgrts on
Stand Tell
of Shooting
Vivid Accounts of Fatal Night
Given by Farmer and Wife
Father Denies
Part.
Runty Again Scared
By r. II. PETERS.

fense late this afternoon and con
firmed the testimony given by his
wife earlier In the day, in which she
said that he had not arrived at the
straw shed until after Anton Lana
had met his death.
In his broken English. the simple
Bohemian farmer related to the jury
a dramatic history of his movements
In the gray dawn of October 8. when
the Vajgrt farmland, after a terri.
fic struggle with Mrs. vajgrt and
the 15.year- daughter whom he had
betrayed, was killed.
Early Monday morning I get up
and go out to feed the horses" he
said, IT know not how long that
took me- Then / hear some bump,
thought something might fall in
the river. l walked to 1t and as I
passed the straw shed / hear some
means and go in.
| Gives Vivid Account.
"I see the women lay on the
ground and I look better and l see
the man, too, and l look and see it
was my wife on the ground first and
I call her, Ma, Ma. and / call the
other woman, too. 1t was Abby"
| when you called your wife. what
did she dor" Attorney Frank Bartos
asked the witness.
"She raised her head up."
What did Abby do?'
"She opened her eyes and started
up. too"
What did you do next?"
II helped the two women get up
and wobbled TO the house."
did YOU carry anybody to the
lhouse?"
mo. helped them CO."
What did you do with them after
you got them to the house?"
II laid them in the bed. l put vim
legar and cloth on their heads. II
took some while and then I was
excited and nervous and / lay myself
on the ground. too"
what Is the next thing you re
member"
"The next thing I knew my wife
called me out and said We must &c
and cover the body with the straw.
I come to the barn and took the
fork and go In tho shed and throw
body and move him and cover hin,
with straw"
During the morning. Vajgrt said. I
lneighbor came and asked for Lana
land he told him that he had gone
laway.
what did you tell him that for7''
lBartos asked.
II only want to tell about Tony in
1.-THE right place. yajgrt replied. and
said he had hitched up his horses
that he might drive to Crete to seek
the advice Of the family physician.
DIR. Alexander Conrad.
What did you say to Walter Stolz
when he came to the farm the night
of the tragedy"
well, We talk about 4 lawyer. and
lI tell him / wish I were under the
lground7"
why did you say that7"
.I was so sorry and worried about
what had happened to my daughter
lreplied the witness.
Says Runty Grilled Him.
vajgrt testified that George Fat)
Runty. correspondence school detec-
tive, had told him on the Thursday
afternoon following the death of Lana
that he was his good friend and
wanted to help him.
What did he say he was7" Bartos
asked.
'He said he was a marshal"
TELL the jury what Runty did after
he got to your farm"
"well. he and Tony's cousins and
Nolland. the undertaken. went out ia
the shed and poked around with =
ltchfork. They found n hole I'm the
corner of the shed. They call me In
Eunty said I got to go In the hole.
said. No. sir, you go In yourself He
wouldn't go. and l went in. There
were some boards In the bottom OF
the hole. tossed them out and
IRunty looked at them and said, There
lis no blood on them"
"rhen he said to me. You dug this
hole to put Tony In and l said Tony
dug II for his muskrat hides Then
we went back by the house. Runts
asked me IL Tony and l had quar-
relied aud I said We had week ago
When I tell him that he jumped on
me and say, You kin him then and
then carry him 20 that holes' ! said
i No. sir, that couldn't be. that was
n week ago."
H Direct examination OF vajsrt had
not been concluded when the court
adjourned tonight and he win again
take tho stand tomorrow morning.
for the defense stated tonight that
the daughter. Abby would follow him
and that Il would rest its case by
tomorrow evening.
When the court convened after the
noon recess tho defense called char
acter witnesses. including Roscoe and
= y. Brong. neighhors ~ the Najgrts.
The BroueS testified that Nalgrt was
ar ideni neighbor, Brons declaring
Il don't know az have ever had .