Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
.KNEESKERN ON
WITNESS STAND
Defendant Appeared for First Tint
in Own Defense by Going on
Witness Stand Tuesday
Afternoon.
DESCRIBED ACTIONS
ON DAY OF MURDER
Was Examined by Atty. Hart, and
on the Stand All Tuesday
Afternoon.
Charles iCty Press)

lCnarieS lCty PreSS)
kneeskern took the stand as court
opened Tuesday afternoon. He was ex-
amined by Attorney Hart. His age
was given as 40 years. His business
at the time of the murders was given
as cattle and hog buying.
kneeskern described, in response 10
questioning, the location of his home
and his office. Living rooms i'm the
rear of the office We're occupied by
John Schultz in December, 1921. A
mortgage of $4,000 exists on the
300 acre farm he owns, he stated.
He and his father owned or had
rented 700 acres of land in the Mon
eek district in December, 1921. Stock
was kept on the land the year round,
he said.
Tells of Farm
When has farm was purchased
there were 60 acres of timber on it,
along the south side of the Yellow
river. The timber was being work
ed up in the fall of 1920, he test1-
fed. Cord wood and posts was be-
ing taken out in 1921.
"In what way did you usually
make trips to the farm ;"
81 drove an automobile :"
Hart asked him where he ordinar-
lily left his car on these trips.
"If | came in from the west way |
usually leave it in Mr.. Cooks yard
or down along the road. If | come
in through what l call Moneek |
would often leave it down in the
jog of the road west of Swenson'S." I"
Kneeskern told of becoming ac-
quainted with the Van Brocklin FAM
lily in the fall Of 1920. For some time
they lived on Ward Allen farm and
then constructed three shanties in
the timber on his land.
-Kae~-lxerr~ ~st-~-ribes ~+b> eaiDins oc-
cupied by the various members of the
family. Elmer left in February of
1921, Kneeskern thought. Charlie and
Irene left shortly but returned to live
there, he said.
"When We're you last down on the
farm before December II, 1922"
81 believe it was on Friday"
AT Farm Saturday
He went down into the timber in
connection with a sale of cord wood.
"Did you see Charlie and Irene ?"
81 believe they were at the cabin"
On Saturday Kneeskern said he fol-
lowed two wood-choppers out at the
farm. Kneeskem said he couldn't
leave his business in time to accom-
pany them.
"Did you see Charlie and Irene on
that day ?"
"They were southwest of the cabin,
cutting wood"
"Did you have any talk VITA
them?"
"Yes SIR"
Kneeskern said he paid Charlie at
that time for work he had done. OBJ
jections to introducing talk WITH
Charlie were sustained.
Talk Of Hunting
"I gave him a job of cutting some
timber on the east side of the ravine
southeast of the cabin"
There was talk of going huntins
with Charlie the next day, KneeSkern
said. He was requested to bring
groceries TO the cabin Sunday.
"On Sunday morning do you re-
member about what time you had
breakfast?"
"It wasn't very early"
"What if anything did you take
with you when you left home that
morning?"
81 took my shot gun and my belt"
"What ammunition for that gun
did you have in the house that morn
ing?"
"Well, had three boxes"
Perhaps a box of these had been
used, he thought.
"What size of shot We're they
"They were 7ia size shot"
"For what purpose did you take
your shot gun and belt and shells
when you left your home that morn
ing?"
Kneeskern told of going to the Of
flee that morning. He told of the ev-
ents at the office and of leaving for
the cabin with his brother-in-law,
Charles Van Horn.
The following is taken from last
nights Dubuque Times Journal:
Day Of the Murders
On Sunday, the day Of the muir
ders, Kneeskem said that he, his
wife and their little son had a late
breakfast. Some time after break
fast, he said, he took his shotgun
and his belt, we'll filled with shells,
ad prepared to go out hunting. he
had ammunition for 16-gauge and
12-guage shotguns and for % cali
Der rifle. He had two boxes of shells
for a l2-guage shotgun, Remington,
71a shot. Both boxes were the same,
he said
When he started out he took the
ammunition with him. The roads
were heavy and muddy, he said, ana
ne didn't want 70 use his car. he
said that he asked Charlie Van
Horn to take him out in his car
but that Van Horn didn't care 70
90. Kneeskern said that he then
became a little bit undecided as to
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