The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-07-22
Continued From First Page)


lhe was well acquainted with the
Geislers. He told of going to th'
Big Muddy river about II o'clocl
the forenoon of May 2 in com
pany with County Attorney Erick
son and NJ. S. Nelson, coroner Of
Sheridan county, both of Plenty.
wood.
He told of seeing the bodies il
The river and corroborated the
testimony of Olaf Larson regard
ing their location near the east
bank of the river, south of the
steel bridge. He also testified to
observing the clear impression Of
car tires of small size in the sand
on a little used road that ran
along the east bank of the river.
He said he saw what appeared to
be blood stains in the sand at in
~tervals along this road, which
led to the trail to the irrigation
dam, where the body of Tony
Geisler was found. Phelps said
he watched them take the body
of Geisler out of the water and
recognized Geisler. Geisler, he
said, had on working clothes and
was fully dressed, and there was
a large hole in the left shoulder
of his outer jacket. When the
body of the woman was taken
from the water, he testified, he
viewed it for about 10 minutes
before being able to identify it
positively as that of Mrs. Geisler.
Smallpox car on her face proved
the identity, he said.
Wounds Lacerated
She had on dark blue or black
slip, semi-heavy underwear, a
stocking on the left foot, but no
shoes. He described, in detail, a
wound on the left side of her body
the groin, which he observed
later when the bodies were at the
undertaker's office at Plentywood.
The witness said that this wound
was badly lacerated, as was the
wound in her left elbow and one
n the right side of her neck. He
said that nearly a quarter of the
neck was torn away.
Phelps testified that he was ia
niliar with the two-door sedan
,wned by Tony Geisler and that
IS postmaster, he had delivered
license plates to Geisler prior to
18. Geisler, he said, had
lot put the plates ON before May
!, the homemade plscard read
ng, License applied for being the !
way he identified that car when /
e saw it at Home stead after 10 '
on the night of May l.. :
NE witness was not certain who {
yas in the car at that time. .
Phelps told of visiting the Nc I
Jeil place, farmed by Jack Wolf, r
brother-in-law of Schlaps, about q
o'clock the afternoon of May h
when Attorney Erickson, Cor /
ner Nelson, Rodney Salisbury, n
heridan sheriff, and others were |,
lere. He told of viewing the
.eisler a there and noticing that
lie right running board appeared
!, have been freshly washed. t.
ooking inside the car, he noticed "
dark red1brown stain on the a
ght brown carpet about a foot 5
diameter underneath the fold c
lg seat. He also noticed what q
opeared to be a bed blanket in t
lie back of the car but did not t.
oserve stains on this. He said Il
: saw Ferdinand Schlaps at the r.
me and observed several red b
sh-brown stains near the knee Il
his faded blue %overalls. On q
discrimination, he said that
iese stains could not have been e
fused by paint. Phelps stated ic
lat he was particularly interest S
| in the condition of the bodies e
ter they were embalmed, for he t.
ID charge of shipping them to t.
miner, Tex, to Mr.. and Mrs.
rank Olbrich, parents of Mrs. p
e%isler. Sc
This interest led him to exam Sc
e the bodies closely at the I'M g,
,rtaking parlors at Plentywood. S
e identified a photograph of the tt
,dies, taken when they were VI
lrtly embalmed, as thoseo of Mr..
id Mrs. G%eisler. Cross exami- Ell
ltion failed to make Mr.. Phelps a
.viate from original statements. D
Nelson is Called "A
Martin S. Nelson, of Plenty
ood, Sheridan county coroner,
no had engaged in the under h;
king business for the last eight M
.ars, c~orroborated statements ii
ade by Mr.. Phelps as to the con- h.
ton of the various wounds t
und on the bodies of Mr.. and b,
rs. G~eisler, and went into de-cc
il in regard to the method of
lbalming. bodies when death tn
5 been natural and when it has ia
me as the result of wounds. He at
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