Weibern Wartena, 1886 February 26

cution went to his hotel and rested, returning at 11 ofclock that

night to make his closing argument, This-was allowed by the judge ——

without the knowledge or consent of Wartena or his counsel and this
formed the basis of an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court on the
grounds that Wartena had been: denied his full right"to be heard by
himself and counsel," The Court affirmed the conviction and he was
hanged at Rensselaer, Ind,, on February 26, 1886, There were over
1,000 witnesses to the execution and while on the trap he made a
wild harangue, partly in English and. partly in Dutch, in which he
maintained his innocence and called on God to have mercy on his
accuSeLrse ‘

GALVESTON. DAILY NEWS, Galveston, Texas, Feb. 27, 1886
105. INDIANA REPORTS 5 —

cution went to his hotel and rested, returning at 11 ofclock that
night to make his closing argument, This was allowed by the judge
without the knowledge or consent of Wartena or his counsel and: this
formed the basis of an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court on the
grounds that Wartena had been: denied his full right"to be heard by
himself and counsel," The Court affirmed the conviction and he was
hanged at Rensselaer, Ind,, on February 26, 1886, There were over
1,000 witnesses to the execution and while on the trap he made a
vita harangue, partly in English and. partly in Dutch, in which he
maintained his innocence and called on God to have mercy on his
accuserse

GALVESTON. DAILY NEWS, Galveston, Texas, Feb. 27, 1886
105. INDIANA REPORTS 45

cution went to his hotel and rested, returning at 11 ofclock that
night to make his closing argument, This was allowed by the judge
without the knowledge or consent of Wartena or his counsel and this
formed the basis of an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court on the
grounds that Wartena had been: denied his full right"to be heard by
himself and counsel," The Court affirmed the conviction and he was
hanged at Rensselaer, Ind,, on February 26, 1886, There were over
1,000 witnesses to the execution and while on the trap he made a
wild harangue, partly in English and partly in Dutch, in which he
maintained his innocence and called on God to have mercy on his
accuserss

GALVESTON. DAILY NEWS, Galveston, Texas, Feb, 27, 1886
105, INDIANA REPORTS 45

pepe oe

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WARTENA, Weibern

Wartena, a white man of lew intelligence, was a native of Poland who
emigrated to the United States from Holland and settled near French
Landing on the Kankakee River, Jasper Co,, Inde, where he supported
himself, his wife and four children, by working as a fisherman on the
river and doing odd jobs for neighbors, One of his neighbers was John
Dreger, a small farmer, whose wife died. Dreger began boarding with
the Wartena family and on Octe 29, 188), Warbena persuaded him to go
fishing with him, He caught Dreger off-gauard and struck him over the
head with the butt end of his rifle with such force that the wood was
broken and he used a jagged strip of the butt as a weapen which he
thrust into Dreger's throat repeatedly until Dreger was dead. He then
threw the body in the river where it was discovered later that day.
Wartena then took possession of Dreger's farm and all of his possess-
ions, claiming that he had purchased them for $375 which he had re-
ceived from relatives in Poland, Dreger was arrested and charged with
the murder and on November )} he made a full confession, At his trial

his defense was based largely on his low mentality. Rather than begin
his closing argument to the jury at 7 o'cleck in the evening when he
was fatigued, his counselgasked for and was denied a continuance gk
until the next morning. While he was making his argument, the prose~

WARTENA, Weibern

Wartena, a white man of lew intelligence, was a native of Poland who
/ emigrated to the United States from Holland and settled near French
Landing on the Kankakee River, Jasper Co,, Ind., where he supported
himself, his wife and four children, by working as a fisherman on the
river and doing odd jobs for neighbors, One of his neighbers was John
Dreger, a smal] farmer, whose wife died. Dreger began boarding with
the Wartena family and on Octe 29, 188, Warbena persuaded him to go
fishing with him. He caught Dreger off-gaurd and struck him over the
head with the butt end of his rifle with such force that the Qood was
broken and he used a jagged strip of the butt as a weapen which he
thrust into Dreger's throat repeatedly until Dreger was dead, He then
threw the body in the river where it was discovered later that day.
Wartena then took possession of Dreger's farm and all of his possess-
ions, claiming that he had purchased them for $375 which he had re~
ceived from relatives in Poland, Dreger was arrested and charged with
the murder and on November ) he made a full confession, At his trial
his defense was based largely on his low mentality. Rather than begin
his closing argument to the jury at 7 o'clock in the evening when he
was fatigued, his counselfasked for and was denied a continuance ak
until the next morning. While he was making his arkument, the prose~

WARTENA, Weibern

vartena, a white man of low intelligence, was a native of Poland who
emigrated to the United States from Holland and settled near French
Landing on the Kankakee River, Jasper Co,, Ind., where he supported
himself, his wife and four children, by working as,a fisherman on the
river and doing odd jobs for neighbors, One of his neighbers was John
Dreger, a small farmer, whose wife died, Dreger began boarding with
the Wartena family and on Oct. 29, 188), Warbena persuaded him to go
fishing with him, He caught Dreger off-guard and struck him over the
head with the butt end of his rifle with such force that the pood was
broken and he used a jagged strip of the butt as a weapon which he
thrust into Dreger's throat repeatedly until Dreger was dead, He then
threw the body in the river where it was discovered later that day.
Wartena then took possession of Dreger's farm and all of his possess-
ions, claiming that he had purchased them for $375 which he had re~
ceived from relatives in Poland, Dreger was arrested and charged with
the mrder and on November l, he made a full confession, At his trial
his defense was based, largely on his low mentality. Rather than begin
his closing argument to the jury at 7 o'clock in the evening when he
was fatigued, his earetsirnatte fod vaniacuisd ites estce wh
until the next morning, While he was making his arfument, the prose~

Mjuryst'7 svclock in the evening shen he

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