Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
STATE RESTS IN
kNEESKERN CASE
Continued from first page)

, ton.
| With reference TO the holes made
in the coffee pot by Kneeskern's shot
Castle declared that shell loaded as
the gun wad found there indicated
would have torn out portions of the
bottom of the pot, if fired az a range
closer than 40 feet, that more shot
would have hit the pot at a range OF
40 feet and that more shot would
have hit the pot at a so foot range
with some of the shot lacking the
power to penetrate the metal.
Larger shot than size ia must
have been used to penetrate the pot
in the fashion in which it was pune
tured, according to Castle.
Defense Claims Possibility
In his crosS-examination Hart at
tempted to show that different condi-
tons that might have existed, In
connection with the shell and the re-
sistance of the coffee pot. Castle
maintained, however, that he could
tell through his experience, whether
the pot had been pierced by size
~ shot or not.
Part of the wad found by the oof-
fee pot is missing, according TO Cas-
tie.
Acres, the other gun expert and
SON of Attorney Acres, one of the
prosecuting attorneys, served as an
instructor on the Camp Lee rife
range during the war and has repre-
Sented gun and ammunition firms at
several times.
Acres described the composition of
the usual shot gun shell and told the
various guages of shot guns and
sizes of shot used in them. The
kneeSkern gun was identified by
him as a u gauge repeater, its
magazine ordinarily holding five
shells with sixth in the firing cham
Der.
Four loaded shells and one ex-
ploded shell were in the gun When
it was turned over to John Schultz
by Kneeskern the night of the muir
der, Schultz testified Tuesday.
No. 6 Shot Killed
Acres declared he had ascertain
ed at previous examination that
the shot taken from the bodies of
Irene and Charlie Van Brocklin were
of size 6. The wadS came from a
IL gauge gun he thought
That wad never came rnruug.l a
shot gun" he said on examination
Of the wad found with the coffee pot.
Acres also testified unqualifedly
that size re shot could not have pc
netrated the coffee pot in the way
1t was penetrated, from any distance.
The pattern would have been denser
had the gun been fired at a close
range, while the same penetration
would not have resulted at a greater
distance, Acres declared.
Larger shot would necessarily have
been used 70 make the penetration
found on the coffee pot, Acres said,
but would not venture a statement
as TO the exact size of larger shot.
Attorney Hart sent a rapid fire
baIage of questions at him in cross
examination, asking concerning his
knowledge of the resistance Of the
coffee pot and various other condi-
tons. The condition of the coffee
pot as TO resistance strength would
make no difference as TO the pattern
of the shot, Acres told O'Connor in a
redirect question.
Testimony Is Valuable
The testimony of the two experts
removed big obstacle to the states
proving Its case against Kneeskern.
According to them, Kneeskern's gun
probably held shot of the size that
killed Charles and Irene Van Brock
lin. The contention of the defense
is that a possibility of the coffee pot
being penetrated as it is by III size
shot and that the gun wad found
might have been shot through a gun,
exists, and Castle and Acres may be
called upon TO testify again during
the defense's presentation of its case.
The coffee pot and gun wad refer
red to were found near the cabin, the
pot being 46 feet away, by Sam
Waters, Ed. Grimstad and others, at
the late evening visit to the cabin on
the Monday evening following the
Kneeskern was alleged to
have told Waters he was afraid they
might be found and offered as evil
dence against him. They were turn
ed over by GrimStad to Ole Filing
son, Winneshiek county sheriff at
that time.
John Longstreet, Decorah photo
grapher, was remaining to be cross
examined by the defense when court
adjourned at five o'clock. Long
street, who has taken a number Of
pictures in and about the cabin for
both defense and prosecution was
called upon 10 identify several photo
graphs.
Two exterior views of the cabin, IN
addition to two already admitted as
evidence in the trial, were identified
by Longstreet and offered as evil
dence by Attorney O'Connor Tor the
state. Two interior views ~sre Of
fered as evidence but withdrawn
when the defense objected on the
grounds that the pictures, taken a
week after the murders couio not
portray conditions as they existed at
the time of the homicide.