The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-07-22
Monday
Couldn't Have Drowned

Monday
Couldn't Have Drowned
Three witnesses were called by
the state Monday morning.
DR.. j. c. DeWane, Wolf Poin.
physician and surgeon, testified
in response to hypothetical ques
tions that bodies of persons founC
floating on top of cold water les.
than "a hours after they were
seen alive could not have met
death by drowning.
Tony and Ludmilla Geisler were
seen alive less than "a hours be-
fore the time their bodies were
discovered floating in the Big
Muddy river near Homestead. Dir.
DeWane also testified that wounds
such as have been described as
being found on the bodies of Tony
and Ludmilla Geisler were suffi-
Gent to and would have caused
death. In the case of the man,
s%evering of the carotoid artery
above the heart would have caused
death, and in the case of the wo-
man, ~severing of the carotid ar
terry and jugulSr vein in the neck
would have caused death. Also,
the abdominal wounds were suf-
fcient to cause death. he indicat-
ed.
DR.. G. j. Veldhuis, Wolf Point
corroborated the statements of
DR.. DeWane.
A. G. Erickson, county attor-
ney of Sheridan county, on the
stand Monday afternoon as states
witness in the trial of Ferdinand
Schlaps for the alleged killing of
Geisler at Beim, May l.,
corroborated the testimony of pre-
vious witnesses relative to the
condition of the bodies Of Anton
and Ludmilla Geisler when they
were taken from the Big Muddy
May 2. He told also of
finding of blood on the plank
of the steel bridge over the
Big Muddy and the finding of
car tracks and blood spots
IN the trail leading to the irri-
dam.
He told of the bodies being tax
n to Homestead where they were
placed in the city hall, and of Sc
and impanelling a coro-
Ier's jury from among those
adhered there.
Having heard that Ferdinand
'chlaps, the Geisler's hired man,
lad been seen near the home of
is brother-in-law, Jack Wolf, on
he Mcneil farm about two miles {
rest of Homestead, Martin Mel
on, coroner, the coroner's jury,
.arter Phelps, Rodney Salisbury {
nd a number of others went to I
he Mcneil farm at this time, ar I
wing there between 2 and 3 t
clock the afternoon of May 2, 7
e said. They found Schlaps, two /
rothers of Schlaps and another L
IAN sitting in the sedan which h
ter proved to be the Geisler car. d
Sheriff Questions Schlaps t
Erickson said he asked Schlaps Y
get out of the car and talked =
it'll him relative to the where I,
bouts of the Geislers. Rodney =
alisbury, sheriff of Sheridan
arrived soon after and !
lestioned Schlaps. Erickson !
Id of observing what appeared !
be a blood stain on the rug Of q
e car and said that the right
board appeared to have ),
zen freshly washed and that :
ere was a blood stained bed :
tilt on the rear seat Of the car. =
The state introduced two pock-
as exhibits. These were 4
entitled as the pocketbooks tina =
had taken from his peck d
at the Mcneil farm and handed =
Rodney Salisbury at the lat !
RS request May 2. Il
The testimony was that these v
,cketbooks were kept in the pos =
ssion of County Attorney Erick- 7 7
n for some time and that he ?
I'VE them to Court Reporter E.
Koser, who turned them over
the county attorney of Roose- Il
1t county, H. N. Marion. Fl
Examination Of the large pock- b
book showed that it contained t.
SO bank note issued by a North il
bank and So in silver, as h
5torney Erickson had testified. 81
Taken to Farm Z
Erickson testified that when he y
d asked Schlaps where Mr.. and !,
rs. Geisler were, he had said
ey were home. After Schlaps
d admitted killing the Geislers
was taken to the Geisler farm
Sheriff Salisbury and other o.
unity officials. q.
The coroner's jury went with t,
EN-. Erickson described in de- ~
il conditions as he found them l
the Geisler home. He identi- 81