Joseph T. Stillinger
Called and sworn testified as follows, upon examination in chief,BY THE CORONER:
Q What is your full name?
A Joseph Thomas Stillinger.
Q You are the father of Ina and Lena Stillinger, who were murdered in the Moore home, were you?
A Yes, sir.
Q Do you know when they left home to come to town?
A Well, I saw them come, saw them start from the house, but I did not remember this just, - - I would not have known if they hadn't told me, I must wasn't at the house, I did not happen to know the time of day.
Q You saw them leaving?
A Yes, sir.
Q That was on Sunday June 9th?
A Yes, sir.
Q Who is this hired man that you have?
A Our regular hand we have now, his name is John Hanna.
Q John what?
A John Hanna.
Q How long has he been with you?
A Just since February, about the 10th or 15th of February, 10th or 12th.
Q Had you known him previous to this?
A Yes. He commenced work at the time the former man left.
Q Who was the man previous?
A Charles Geisz.
Q Where is he now?
A He is working eight miles north of Red Oak.
Q You ever had any trouble with either of these men?
A No, sir, not a particle.
Q You know if either one of the girls had had any trouble with them?
A Never a thing that I know of. Neither of these men lived in the house with us. No sir, they are both married men.
Q Do you know whether or not he was home there nights?
A Mr Hanna?
Q Yes?
A No, I would not know anything at all about it after chores were done in the evening.
Q They were there the next morning?
A Yes, sir.
Q You heard of the happenings next morning, about what time?
A Must have been just about 10 o'clock.
Q Is there anything that you know of, or know that would in any way throw any light on it?
A No, sir, none.
Q Know it was done, and who did it or the cause of it?
A No, sir, I have not been able to have any suspicion of anything of the kind.
Q You know of any one who might have any ill feeling or unfriendly towards yourself or your family, Mr, --
A No, sir, nothing of that kind.
Q Where did these girls attend public school?
A In the country.
Q In the country?
A Yes, sir.
Q They have never been to public school here?
A No, sir, they never attended school in town.
Q How frequently did they come Villisca?
A Well, usually they come every Sunday that the weather was good, and perhaps not more then once in two or three weeks through the week, besides from Sunday.
Q You remember what was the last time just previous to this occasion that they were in town?
A No, I don't think that I do.
Q Had they been in the day before?
A I don't remember whether they had or not on Saturday.
BY A JU ROR:
Q There hasn't been any one that you have ever had any serious trouble with at all?
A No, sir.
Q Some year or two ago did you have any little difficulty with anyone over a matter of hay, that could have caused any serious enemies?
A Matter of hay, did you say?
Q Yes?
A No, I can't recall of having any trouble with anyone over hay.
Q Yes. Man came to your place one day, did he, for to fill out a car load to ship, or something of that sort?
A Yes, sir, but that has been six or seven years.
Q Been that long?
A Yes.
Q You never had any serious trouble over that?
A Well, there was some trouble over it. I don't suppose it was a very serious trouble, I finally collected for this hay, -- that was just lately, that was in May. I don't know though, I can't recall when I did collect for that hay, but any how, I had spoken to him a time or two about this, a year or two ago, and he finally refused to pay it, and I put it in the collector's hands. I can't now just think, - - I don't really know when it was, that I did put it in the hands of the collector, but it was within the last year.
Q Did he seem to be particularly provoked about the matter in any way that you know of?
A At this time, -- at this time, he did not say anything, well he never did talk out of the way to me in the first place when I asked him. In the first place he said he would attend to the matter, that was five years ago. This time when I finally collected for the hay, I did not have anything to say to him at all, but the man that did the collecting, said he talked a good deal about it. In the first place said he would not pay for the hay, was the hay was rotten, and of no value, but I had no talk with him this time at all.
BY MR RATCLIFF:
Q Where were you, -- at the house at the time of which Blanche spoke of, which Moore phoning?
A No, sir, I knew nothing of that until in the evening.
BY A JUROR:
Q Did you phone the next morning to the house and fail to get an answer?
A My wife did, yes.
BY MR RATCLIFF:
Q What time was that that she phoned?
A I did not ask her about that, as I remember it she phoned about three different times trying to get the house, I did not ask her about the particular time, but she expected the children back just before school time, and I supposed that was about the time she phoned, when they did not come and when she had expected them, but I did not ask her as to just what time she did. She probably would not know either just what time it was.
Q Did your family other than these children bisit [visit] back and forth with the Moore family?
A I don't know of any of them except these two, and they never, --some of the older girls, --our family aside from these children, as far as I know have never visited.
Q Have you ever made objections to their staying at the Moore's?
A No, sir.
Q Nothing?
A No, sir.
Q Can you remember how frequently they went to the Moore house and staid [stayed]?
A No, I merely remember it from the talk, they would be there, when the children come home would be telling, --I would hear them talking, --what they said, by that I would remember they had been there, but I don't remember how often they had been there or nothing at all.
WITNESS EXCUSED
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