The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-04-23

hiAnoCiI, udo Deeu nlTou w put INT
moulds in Sorg's house. Ritchie was
consequently between two fires anC
was threatened with a prosecution fol
perjury whichever way he testified
This may account for his refusal tc
testify either way.
The last witness for the prosecu.
tlon Tuesday afternoon was Joseph
Il. Reynolds, city editor of the ReUiew,
who testified that he interviewed Sorg
in the jail about June 1st, 1896, for
the Morning NewS, and that Sorg said
that the moulds were in his house and
that he thought that they had been
kicking around there for about a year.
On cross examination, witness said
that he was city editor of the MornsnQ
NeaCs at that time. What appeared
in the latter paper was correct as fa1
as it went, for it was prepared from
notes taken during the interview.
The following issue of the Morninq
News contained an article in which
Sorg denied putting the moulds there
himself. Sorg did not deny that he
knew how the moulds came there.
He said 81 can't deny but what the
moulds were in the house."
The prosecution rested at Ais o. m.
Attorney Byron Hughes opened the
case for the defense. He said that he
was not here to defend a crime but
his client, We think that the district
attorney has not made out a case, and
has failed to prove many of the state
ments which he made in opening.
There is no evidence to show that
Sorg knew that the moulds were in his |
house. The defendant will be put on
the stand and will not deny that the
moulds were found there. We are
willing to admit that the moulds
were there, and we think that we
will be able to show who put them
there, and this should satisfy the jury
that Sorg is not guilty. We will sat-
isfactorily explain the conversation
about the tools. AS to Mr.. Reynolds
evidence, l think we can produce a
copy of the paper and show that his
memory then was better than when
he testified in this court.
A briet was taken, after
which MI. Reynolds was recalled by
Mr.. Hughes and said that Sorg had
said during the interview that he be-
lieved that somebody put the moulds
in his house in order to get him into
trouble.
Joseph Sorg, the defendant, was
sworn. He said: 1 am thirty years
old, married and have a family. Have
lived in this state since I was three
years old, most of the time near Nor
ristown. Rice county. Lived neal Madi-
son Lake for a year and a half. Saw
these moulds about a year ago for the
time, in the court house. Never
saw the moulds in my house, did not
put them there, had nothing to do
with their making, and had no knowl-
of their existence until inform
of their being found in my house.
had any conversation with Sic
men in regard to having counterfeit
Never told him that 1 had any
noulds. Mr.. Reynolds interviewed
ne in the Jail and 1 told him as
nearly as l could what 1 knew about 4
t. L told him that the moulds :
night have been found there, and
hey might have been there a year or
,wo for all l knew. Was not at home
when they we're found.
On cross examination witness said
hat he had been gone three or four
weeks, and the moulds were found
hen. Did not know that my wife
vas going to move to her fathers.
cynthia Ritchie was with me part of
time on my trip. She was my
younger sister, and about six
cen or seventeen years old. 1 was
rought back from that trip under
rrest. After that l lived at Madi-
on Lake two or three weeks, in an
ther'house, with my father. My
rife was with me She remained at
er fathers during the time that I
'as in Jail. Geo. Ritchie, my brother
n-law, was at our house about once a
cal. l left home Dec. 9Th. 1894, and
eturned about Jan. 1st, 1895. Cynthia
ItnhlQ WOO with mo not n1I1nh 0uar N
eek. l was d%ehorning cattle. Did
OF tell Mr.. Reynolds that the Y
loulds were in the house a year or '
lore, but that they might have been.
lid not have a conversation with
[r. .Siemen at the house. Don't
1ink any such conversation took ,
lace as when he said that 1 spoke of 4
avlng one more tool. Could not get
ong with Geo. Richie very we'll,
had no particular trouble with
i'm. VI