The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1932-04-28
insufficient Evidence For In
cendiary Offense Con-
victiOn

victiOn
The decision in the Steffl fire case
which has been pending for three
days, was taken out of the hands Of
the jury Thursday afternoon and a
verdict against the insurance com.
panies handed down by Judge A. b
Gislason.
The verdicts totaled $6,714.26. One
was against the Implement Dealers
Insurance company of Grand Forks,
North Dakota for $1,729.12, the Sec
ond against the Home Insurance CON-
pany of New York for $1,729.12 and
the third against the Home Insurance
company and the Minnesota Imple-
ment Ddalers Mutual for $3,256.02.
The Judge stopped the trial at ap-
proximately A p. m. and gave his rea-
sons to the insurance attorneys as not
sufficient evidence to convict a man
of an incendiary offense.
The insurance companies were Civ
en- 40 day stay and the opinion was
expressed that the trial would be APP
pealed and the case taken to the state
supreme court.
That John F. Steffl, former Glenn
ents merchant, was in financial
straits at the time of two fires which
destroyed his store May 80 and June
/ was brought out in the third day of
the trial.
Witnesses Thursday told of UNI
paid 1880 taxes, due or overdue ac-
counts at wholesale houses of ST.
093.33, a note at the Clements bank
for $2,72O.65 and loan from the
Building and Loan company at
Springfield for $500.
Steffl was recalled to the stand
Thursday and remained there a
half hour while defense attorneys
questioned him regarding his over
due bills. When he failed to find IN
voices, about which he was question
ed, in his portfolio, he explained that
he destroyed old invoices January l.
Richard Schmid, cashier of the
Clements bank, told of $2,700 note
which the bank had renewed for
Steffl. He was the second witness
called after noon. The first, John
Pichotta of the Northern States
Power company, Morgan, told of cut
ting the power line entering the store
after the first of the two fires.
Mr.. Schmid was sent back to Glenn
ents to bring the note and other
banking papers to be entered as ex-
hibits in the trial. Mrs. Steffl was
called to the stand for brief examin-
alton and E. L. Gallea, of the Red
wood Falls fire department, retold
the story of the departments trip to
Clements the morning of the first
fire, May 80. Joseph Corbett and
John Bruske are other fremen who
were called.
All the firemen told of a pile
of banana crates, fruit baskets and
rubbish in the basement and declared
that the rubbish was thoroughly wet
when the firemen took the pile from
the basement. Steffl testified that
he burned the pile behind the store
Sunday morning before attending
church at New Ulm.
Frank Seifert and Andrew Bruck-
bauer, partners who operated pool
hall in the north half of the Steffl
building, and Chris Larson, Clements
marshall at the time of the fire, were
called with other witnesses.
I,,,
lap bag which the defense contend
ed was hanging over one of the
windows and may have had some
thing to do with the fire. Mr.. Lar
son was one of the men who helped
nail boards over the windows after
the first fire.
Mr.. Bruckbauer told of being in
the building Saturday and Sunday af-
ter returning from fishing trip with
Mr.. Steffl. Sunday night he acted as
police at the Casino dance hall and
returned to the pool hall at 80 a. m.
and remained there approximately an
hour. He said he saw no signs of
smoke or anyone who might have set
the fire. His partner was in charge
of the pool hall during Bruckbauer's
trip to Alexandria with Steffl but
saw no one who might have set the
fire, he stated.
Mrs. Inar Rasmussen who lives one
block north of the Steffl building told
of being awakened shortly before 8