Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1916 — Man on Trial for Murder Owns Elevator at Tefft. [ARTICLE]

Man on Trial for Murder Owns Elevator at Tefft.

Giles Trask of Cireleville, Ind., who is being tried this week as Frankfort for the murder several weeks ago of “Madame Rand,” a fortune teller of the latter place, an account of which was published at the time in The Democrat, owns a grain elevator at Tefft, Jasper county, according to the opening statement made by his attorneys Wednesday when the defense begun its testimony, and had intended going to Tefft on the day of the tragedy.*. He was in Kokomo and remembering that some of the machinery had to be repaired at the elevator, he purchased the hammer with which the woman was beaten to death, intending to take it to Tefft. The demands of the Rand woman, whom he alleges was pulling him for money by blackmail, were preying upon him and he went to Frankfort to see her. His attorneys state that he went direct to her home. She met him at the kitchen door, and said “How do you do, did you bring the money?” They went in the dining room and began to talk about her demands. She said “you know what I am going to put on you and I want more money.” Trask refused and she said, “I want $20,000. I want you to sign a check tonight for $3,000 and give me a note for $17,000.” He refused, then she told him she would call the police. He told her he would go to the police with hei*. She went in the bed room and reappeared with her coat on. She had a gun in her hand and said, “you grabbed the gun and put it in his pocket. She then started for him with the ax. He remembered that he had the hammer and he struck her with it. She screamed. 'His mind was in a whirl. He struck her again and again and when she reeled and fell, he ran from the house. The gun found on him when he was arrested was Madame Rand's.