Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
STATE RESTS IN
kNEESKERN CASE
The Defense Opened Its Fight for
Kneeskern's Acquittal at 1850
O'clock Thursday
Morning.
WILL COOK WAS
FIRST DEFENSE WITNESS
Cook Was Kneeskern's Hired Farm
Hand Operating Farm on
Which Van Brocklin Ca
bin Was Located.

DIN was Located.
The state rested it case of evidence
against B. F. Kneeskern in the mur.
der of Irene Van Brocklin Thursday
morning when its last link in the
chain of circumstances implicatine
the Castalia stockman in the crime
was forged.
Defense Opens Fight
The defense opened its fight foi
kneeskern's acquittal at 1850 O'Clock
Thursday, when Will Cook, Knees
kern's hired farm hand who has beer
operating the Kneeskem farm on
which the Van Blockhn cabin was
located, for the past six years, took
the witness stand.
kneeskern, when visiting the farm
as Cook testified he did, from time to
time, left his car in the Cook barn
yard, along the road or drove 1t cowl,
in toward the cabin, the witness tes-
tilted.
The VanBrocklins were living on
the Ward Allen farm west of his
home Cook said when he first knew
them. In the winter of 1920 and
1921, they moved to the Kneeskern
farm, ne said where they and several
others of the Van Brocklins erected
cabins. All but Charles and Irene
Van Brocklin left in the spring, he
testified.
Elmer Van Brocklin was back iv-
ing at the cabins about harvest time,
Cook said. The murdered couple
We're away visiting with Mrs. Rice,
Lrene's mother, about month i'm the
fall.
Testimony bearing the import that
a quarrel existed between Elmer and
Charles was given by the witness,
who told of events at his nome on
the morning of the murder. Char
lie came over after the horse Knee.
kerr n1A given NM, he said. Vhls~
Cook was getting harness for the
horse Elmer arrived. A short time
later Irene came into the barn yard,
crying, Cook testified.
"She says to Charlie 81 want you
to come right straight home. Ell
mer's been over there raising the
dickens again"
Then Irene saw Elmer, Cook testi-
fled. "Now tell Charlie what you've
got 10 tell' Cook said she cried at
the brother.
"I'li tell him that when we're by
ourselves"
Threats to Kill
"He treatened to kill us both if we
got on the stand and swore against
him."
Irene then declared she would go
to Decorah the next morning an4
have Elmer arrested, Cook testified.
The three then left the yard, he said.
Cook went over to the cabin a
short time later. While he was there
ne said kneeskern arrived with his
gun and cartridge belt and carry
ing a box of groceries for which
Charlie paid him with check.
Kneeskern recommended the horse
be covered with a blanket, Cook said
When Charlie said he was going to
sell the horse to Swenson, Knees
kern told him to hurry so that they
would have time to go hunting, Cook
said.
"They all seemed to be jolly
Cook said regarding the appearance
of the people at the cabin.
The next saw Kneeskern when he
was notified of the murders at the
cabin. Kneeskern's car was in the
Cook yard when he was told of the
Cook said. The two men
went across the fields to the cabin,
Cook said, finding the two bodies ly-
ing in the cabin rooms.
"WelI, l raised up the quilt laying
there to see where he was hurt, first,
Cock said concerning the examination
of the bodies. They then went north
TO the Russett home, told Russell of
the murders and went up to Cooks to
telephone when Russell said his
phone was not working good.
Experts On Stand
Gun experts verbally shot away
Yesterday after, B. F. Kneeskernis
abb that he did not have the kind
of shot with him on the day of the
murder with which Irene and Char
les Van Brocklin were killed.
Both experts testified tnat the shot
penetrating the coffee pot at which
Kneeskern shot the day of the muir
ders, were larger shot than size Z u
which KneeSkem claimed were the
size shot he had with him.
The Van Brocklins were killed with
a size 6 shot, larger shot than Z u.
The gun wad from shell contain
ing 7la size shot, found near the COT
fee pot in question, had never been
fred through gun, both E. H. Cas-
tie of this city and f. l.. Acres of
DEBORAH testified.
The wad was intact and showed no
powder marks around the edges,
Castle explained. When cross-exam-
ined by Attorney Hart, Castle was
asked il the smudges might not have
worn off by the process of frequent
but stated that he did not
believe it would have been possible
for marks to have been obliterated
as perfectly as on the wad in ques-
CONTINUED on last page)