Kraut v. State

280 N.W. 327, 228 Wis. 386, 1938 Wisc. LEXIS 199
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 21, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 280 N.W. 327 (Kraut v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kraut v. State, 280 N.W. 327, 228 Wis. 386, 1938 Wisc. LEXIS 199 (Wis. 1938).

Opinion

Martin, J.

Dorothy Holzinger, eighteen years old, started keeping company with one Monroe Sietz, a young farm hand, about June 13, 1936. In the fall, in October or November, Monroe and Dorothy had sexual intercourse at various times. These acts of intercourse continued through the following two months, and resulted in Dorothy becoming pregnant in the month of December or January. Her pregnancy is undisputed and is admitted by the testimony of the defendant. Dorothy'told Monroe that she was pregnant the latter part of January, 1937. She and Monroe talked about having an abortion performed, about going to see the defendant for that purpose, and about raising the money for the operation. [389]*389Monroe went to- the defendant’s office in the city of Lancaster on the evening of February 22, 1937. At that time he was not acquainted with the defendant, and upon his arrival at defendant’s office, defendant was engaged at a meeting, there being eight or ten men in his office. Defendant took Monroe into his inner office and asked him what his trouble was. Monroe told him that he was in trouble with a girl and wanted to know what he could do to get her out of trouble. Defendant asked for the girl’s name and about her folks, where they lived and what the girl was doing. He then asked how far along she was in pregnancy. Monroe replied about six weeks. There is a conflict in the testimony as to what was said on this occasion. Monroe testified that defendant said: “There is only one thing we can do, he said, and that will cost you $35.” Monroe further testified that he asked defendant if that had to be in cash before the operation, and defendant said: “Yes.” Monroe testified that he asked defendant if it would be all right to- wait another week, that he would try and raise the money, to- which defendant replied he guessed it would be. Defendant admits that Monroe called at his office on the evening of February 22d; that he took him into the inner office; that Monroe said to- him that he had a girl that he had been going with by the name of Dorothy Holzing-er in trouble; feared he had her pregnant; that Monroe then wanted to know if he couldn’t do something about it for him. “I said I didn’t care to handle those kind of cases and did not and that I was busy in attending a meeting in the outer office. ... I did not care to- discuss the matter with him any further. He left, and I told him that perhaps he could come up on some future date if he wished and we would discuss the matter more thoroughly; and then he left.”

It is admitted that Monroe called, at defendant’s office o-n the evening of March 1st. Monroe testified that on this occasion his brother Kenneth and Dorothy accompanied him in [390]*390his car to the defendant’s office, but that they remained in the car while he was in the defendant’s office; that defendant on this occasion did not recognize Monroe, and again asked him his name and what he wanted. Monroe then said that he had been there the week before, referred to the conversation had, and told defendant he had not been able to* raise the money, and asked defendant whether it would be all right to wait another week. Defendant again inquired how far along the girl was in her pregnancy, and defendant said: “He guessed it would be all right.” It appears that Monroe next saw Dorothy on the evening of March 4th or 5th, and had a conversation with her about raising the money to pay defendant. They finally decided that Dorothy should see her sister the following Saturday and ask her sister for the money. It appears that Dorothy did not see her sister on Saturday, but on Sunday evening, March 7th, Dorothy told Monroe that she had got $30 from her sister, and that he would have to get the other $5.

Concerning Monroe’s call on the evening of March 1st, defendant testified:

“On the evening of March 1, 1937, he again came to my office and said that he came up on the same mission that he had before, with the exception that he had been giving Dorothy Holzinger — they had obtained some drugs and was giving them to her, had given them to her tO' take, and he feared he was getting her — she was getting in bad shape; and wanted to know if I wouldn’t treat her or examine her if he brought her up. I said I did not care to have anything to do' with those particular kind of cases and he said, ‘Well, we will have to- have somebody take care of her.’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘You are at liberty to- go wherever you wish:’ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘How much would it cost to‘ have it ?’ ‘Well,’ I said ‘Who is paying the bill on this?’ And he said he was. I said, ‘Have you any money?’ He said he didn’t. I said, ‘In view of the fact that this is in the nature of a confinement case and the usual fee is $35, I will expect that amount for taking care of this girl.’ ”

[391]*391On Monday evening, March 8th, Monroe took Dorothy to the defendant’s office. Dorothy gave Monroe the $30 she had borrowed from her sister. Monroe testified that he first went up alone to the defendant’s office and asked defendant if it would be all right to bring the girl up; that defendant then asked Monroe if he had raised the money, also inquired as to what the girl was doing, and as tO' where she was then living; that defendant then wanted tO' know how she would get by without her folks finding out. Monroe said she wasn’t staying at home'now; that she was living with her grandmother and was working at the courthouse. Defendant inquired as to the nature of the work, and as to whether she was standing up very much. Monroe told defendant that Dorothy had to sit down most of the time doing her work. Defendant then told Monroe to' bring Dorothy up to his office. Monroe was asked:

“Q. What happened then? .A. Well, he was in his inner office again. He came out in a short time and spoke to Dorothy, and she spoke to him. Then she went on to the inner office, and then I gave him the $35. He said, ‘Well, you won’t want to stay up here, will you?’ I said, ‘No, I guess not.’ Then I asked him how long it would take him. He said maybe half or three-quarters of an hour, because he had to sterilize some instruments first. I said, ‘All right, tell Dorothy that I will be down to the car waiting for her.’ So I went down to the car.”

Defendant testified that Dorothy called at his office late in the afternoon on March 8th, and told him that she was the girl that Monroe Sietz had told him about previously, and said she feared she was getting in such shape that she would have to have some assistance; that she was flowing intermittently and had some intermittent pains.

“I said, ‘The usual arrangements have not been made here, Dorothy, and you better get hold of your boy friend as soon as you can and both of you come up here and see me.’ ”

[392]*392As to the call on the evening of March 8th, defendant testified :

“Monroe Sietz came to my office and said that he had Dorothy down in the car and would bring her up to see me. He brought her up to the outer office. I spoke to them, called them by name, and took them into the inner office. Pie then paid me the usual fee that I requested. I said, ‘Now, it will take a little time for me to make this examination, as I must sterilize some instruments purposely to make the examination.’ I then put a bivalve speculum and a pair of dressing forceps in the sterilizer and boiled them. In the meantime I inquired from her as to how she was feeling, and she said she wasn’t feeling very good, was having some pain, quite a lot of pain, flowing some.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
280 N.W. 327, 228 Wis. 386, 1938 Wisc. LEXIS 199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kraut-v-state-wis-1938.