Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1894-04-27
DISTRICT COURT
Testimony for the state in the
Welter Case Still Being
Taken. ..r r

Taken. r
After addressing the jury and stat
ing the points which the state in
tended to prove in the Welter case
County Attorney Lyon called as the
first witness :E#as " "a,
MAT SCHACKMAN, =
who testified to finding the body of
Albert kosanke in the back part OF
his harness shop on Broadway on
the morning OF December q 1898:
knew Albert K osanke and the last
time he saw him alive was ON the
evening OF December in 2. III. Gross
store; Welter was with him and both
lett the store about the same time;
did not see any display in front OF
kosanke's shop ON the morning OF
Dec.'2; farmer wanted to see Ko-
sanke and that was why he looked
him up; the body was found in the
back part OF his shop with the head
toward the northwest. Shackman's
testimony was not shaken on Cross
examination and was substantially
the same as given at the inquest and
preliminary examination.
ALBERT REM
testified that he was a physician and
surgeon, that he had made q special
study OF the examination of human
blood, both chemically and micro
scopically; that he had received from
Dr. Fortier a package containing
certain pieces ofcloth from theclothes
OF the defendant and also two SAM
pies OF hair, one found clutched in the
hand OF the deceased, KOsanke, and
the other from the stick found in the
room near the body which was COW
| cred with blood and another sample
! OF hair taken from the head of defend
ant; had compared the hair found
clutched in the hand OF deceased with
that taken from head of defendant
and found them to be the same in
size aud color; had examined the dirt
removed from the finger nails OF de-
| fendant and found blood; could not
say that it was human blood, but
was manual blood. He then vent on
to explain how the blood changes its
color, etc, but could not tell how
old the blood was found on the
clothing or under Welter's nai's.
Or. FoRTIEI,.
the coroner, testified to holding an
autopsy on the body of Kosanke;
| there were two cuts on the front OF
the head, one back of the right ear,
one at the corner Of left eye, and the
| skull was fractured on both sides OF
the head; thought they were caused
by the deceased being struck with a
| blunt instrument, probably the club
found beside the deceased; when he
first viewed the body a handkerchief
| was stuffed in the mouth which
forced the tongue upward and back
down the throat. A rope was passed
around the neck and tied in a double
bow knot; cause Of death was from
strangulation with rope and hand
kerchief; should say he had been dea
ten or twelve hours from the condi
! ton Of the body. On the floo1
around the body the blood was
frozen while under the body it was
not; body was lying on back with
head toward the northwest. Ko
sanke's watch was gone and witness
found in his vest pocket ten silver
Fl We cent nieces-- The boot: contain
ing the record of coins was here of
fered in evidence; took dirt from Wei
ter's finger nails the Sunday after thu
murder, at that time he had a scrat tel
on his nose. On cross examination
he stated that the scratch was {
slight one and not over a day or two
old; Welter did not complain Of SORE
fingers Or finch when he cleaned his
nails on Sunday; thought two Of thu
blows were struck while kOsankt
was sitting at his desk as there were
drops OF blood on the desk and or
papers; blood was not spatteret
over the floor but in a pool: most O.
it from the head. All indica tions
showed that death had been from
strangulation, though he could moi
have been dead less than ten hours
DIR. TRACE,
who assisted at the autopsy, was
called a. testified the same as Dr.
Fortier as to the wound; death haC
been caused by-strangulation
P.J. GROSS,
the grocer. who keeps a store next
door to the kosanke shop, was called
and testified to knowing Kosanke
and Welter: they were in his store or
Intervening OF Dec. ], about 7:15; don't
know how long; think they went
out together. He was asked il
! kOsanke had q collection OF coins
! (obJected to and objection over
ruied). Knew he had a collection OF
silver five cent pieces; he had a gold
watch; think it was hunting case
| don't know if he had it that even,
ing; did not notice q scratch on Wei.
ter's face; his back was turned most
| OF the time: this was the last time
he had seen Kosanke alive; saw him
frequently before that; Welter sawed
wood for Kosanke, did not know
how long he had been in town.
On cross examination he said they
! were pretty chummy and seemed to