The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-14
REVOLVER IS IDENTIFIED.|
A NET CLOSING AROUND TANkE
The Defendant Has Evidently Made
| Many Damaging Admissions
as to the Crime.

Henderson, Mimi, June 14.-The first
witness for the state in the Tanke murder
trial this morning was John Schultz, chief
engineer of the Eagle Roller Mills, New
Ulm. His story corresponded with Her
zOg'S relating to the search made In the
river last January for the revolver. He
told Coleman that if the gun had been
thrown in the river in 1898 it would be
necessary to dredge farther toward the
center. He did not see the revolver
found. Herman Apitz Of New Ulm tes-
titled that he was eight miles from New
could not have seen Tanke at New Ulm
resorts that night, as the latter had told
Sheriff Block.
Fred FRANKIE, recalled by the state. tes-
titled that while he was working at the
Wellner farm Shortly after the murder,
Tanke and he talked about overshoe
tracks and Tanke said it was lucky his
| overshoes were not loked alto, for he had
new ones. .."-. .
Anton Wiener, who runs bus line in
New Ulm, then took the stand. His story
was that it was his idea to dredge the
river for the revolver and that he had
conceived the idea as soon as Herzog had
| told him of Tankes visit to the mill on
| New Years eve 1898. He had insisted
on making the search two months before
Coleman and had paid men for the search.
Witness was also present when Sheriff
Mcmillan served papers on sTanke last
| fall for his arrest. When the sheriff
went out in the field to arrest Mrs. Tan
ke, the defendant had said to Wiesner:
| II don't see how they could have found
out. I never said anything to anybody
about it, t- ~
| Wiesner replied, Frank, they must
| have known something or they would not
! arrest YOU +.
Christ Schwerr. of New Ulm corrobo-
| rated the former witness as to Wiesner's S
! hiring two men to dredge the river for
! the revolver. Schwerr assisted and dug
| up revolver at about p. m. Jan. q,
| 1902. The revolver was imbedded in two
or three inches of mud. He wasehd it off
| and turned it over to Coleman. The re-
| volver was then shown the Witness, who
| identified 1t as one he had found. John
Schmitt confirmed previous testimony as
to digging and finding revolver. He also
saw Schwerr bring up the revolver on a
fork out of the mud -.
| j. T. Coleman, the Minneapolis detec-
tive employed in the case, took the stand
He was present at the finding of the re-
volver and had had it in his possession
until now. He also identified the revol-
Yer. One shell was empty. R. J. Whit
ney of Minneapolis, also, a, detective en-
! ployed on the case, gave testimony cor
roborative Of former witnesses. Anton
|
when the revolver was found, said he
knew. Tanke when the latter tended bar
five. or six years ago in st. Paul. He had
seen Tanke have a revolver in his pos.
session and had examined it. He testi-
fed that the revolver taken from the
river was the same one he had seer
Tanke have in St. Paul. There was g
mark on its guard by which he recognized
it. The state will probably finish it's case
4 Monday. .--.s : .,-
The states testimony yesterday after
noon had to do largely with the alleged
movements of the defendant, Franl
Tanke, in the vicinity of the Eagle
roller mill at New Ulnn on the night o
Dec. 81, 1898. 1t was in the Minnesot;
river near this mill that the state pro
poses to show that Tanke threw his re
volver shortly before 12. O'Clock on th,
night. Of the alleged murder. The frs
lintimation of the states intention to have
/ the revolver figure in the case was evi
dent when a rusty weapon was take1
4 from Detective ColenDan's hip pocket ant
presented by Attorney Dains to the state
| witness, Treasurer Block, sheriff of Mic
ollet1 county at the time of Wellner'
death, for comparison with two bullets "a
to size. The witness thought the gun wa
of the same caliber as bullets, which wer
l3s. Il ,.... s?c.u
John F. Herzog, foreman Of the Eagl
mills, stated that he saw Tanke in tn
| vicinity of the mill on that New Year
night shortly before IL, midnight. Tank
was riding On the rear of dray loade
with -four, and driven by Jerry Reardon
Tanke soon jumped off the wagon, an
Herzog called him by name but receive,
no answer. Last January, witness said
he saw Coleman and others dredging tn
river near the mill for a revolver, al
legged to have been thrown in by Tanke
Herzog informed Coleman that he woul
have to search more towards the cente
of the river, which was then covered witt
ice, j. but, which on Dec. 81, 1898; owing t
change made in the dam, was ope
. water. They searched as directed an
found revolver. -
Jerry Reardon's testimony was corrob
orative Of Herzog's as regards the seein
of Tanke. He did not know him. Th
7 following morning he spoke to Hero
about the incident and the latter had tol
him the person was Tanke. The othe
state witnesses yesterday afternoon wer
William Bierangel, a brother of Mr.
Tanke; Ed Lennke, a bartender a
Schmueker's hall. New Ulm, who cor
roborated Sauer's and Rathn1an's story a
to Tanke being at the above place a
about II O'Clock that night; and Georg
!, Boock, county surveyor of Brown county
whose plats representing surroundings {
, Eagle roller mill and river were admitte
3 as evidence. 80 :.
IRRIGATION WINS
\ d ~ . ~ r.. =