The Mankato free press., 1902-06-20
A GOOD WITNESS
Mrs. Tanke On the Witness
Stand.
Her Testimony is Not Shaken Under a
Severe Cross Examination by
the State.

opening address Monday afternoon he
requested the court to permit the
presence of Mrs. Tanke in the court
room during the taking of the evil
dence of all the witnesses. The re-
quest was granted. J. K. Morrison, a
conductor on the the Minneapolis &
st. Louis railway, was sworn, and
testified he had charge of the pas
senger train which arrived at New
Ulm on the night of Dec. 81, 1898. He
produced records showing that the
train was on schedule time that eve-
ming, leaving Winthrop at :OS, La
fayette at S:24, Klossner at 8 :39, ar
irving at New Ulm at 8 :55. He did
not remember any passengers getting
on at Klossner as state alleges Tanke
did on that night.
Frances Leavenworth, professor of
astronomy at the state university, was
put on the stand to contradict one of
the state witnesses who stated that the
moon was above the horizon, when he
saw sTanke go by on horseback.
According to Professor Leavenworth' 8
calculations the moon did not rise at
New Ulm on the evening of Dec. 81,
1898, until :43. The testimony of
Mrs. Reuter- and Peter Ulrich was
contradictory of that of W. W. Will
merits, who swore he had been at the
home of the latter between and p.
m. that night Both witnesses denied
knowledge of his being there.
Mrs. Tanke was then placed on the
stand, and testified that she had
dressed a goose, which Tanke had
purchased from Wellner, and that
Tanke left the house at about :15 p.
m. that evening for New Ulm, not re-
turning until Monday afternoon fol-
owing. She testified that on the night
of the murder she and her husband
and two children were home alone and
slept in one room, each parent sleep
ing with child.
They retired at the usual hour, 9
o'clock, and some time in the night
were awakened by a noise in the yard.
Wellner went out and then Mrs.
Tanke heard shot. AS she started
for the door to investigate she was
stopped by man in the center of the
room and told to sit on lounge if she
knew what was good for her. Then
another man entered and they tied her
with ropes They took Wellner' S
watch, found the purse and departed.
Mrs. Wellner then aroused one of her
children, who released her, and she
went to her fathers home and gave
the alarm.
The states testimony alleging un-
lawful relations between Tanke and
Mrs. Wellner, and the alleged con-
fession overheard by Detectives Cole
man and Whitney, as well as other
alleged discriminating actions, were
denied by Mrs. Tanke.
The testimony of Mrs. Amelia
Tanke, continued yesterday, discloses
that she had offered reward of $500
for the apprehension of the party or
parties who killed John Wellner, also
that she and her husband had had no
trouble in married life.
c. R. Davis, for the state, then put
her to a severe cross examination
which carefully went over the alleged
circumstances attending the murder of
her husband, as related by her on the
stand. She thought that the two
men came and tied her hands before
midnight, and that she sat on the
lounge until after 2 a. M, when Rose.
her daughter. cut the twine The
state endeavored to show that some of
her testimony was at variance with
statements made to Sheriff Block dur
ing former examinations When
pressed as to answers made then she
either made fiat denials or stated she
could not remember what she said on
these occasions
In cross examination as to Tanke' s
carrying a goose home she said that
she didn't say anything about it until
asked. The goose in the case is likely
to play prominent part, the defense
purposing to show that it was deliver
ed at the home of Tanke's parents by
--Tanke himself. Mrs Tanke made a
good witness and three hours of cross
examination did not succeed in break
ing down her story or in forcing from
ner any incriminating admissions.
She spoke without aid of an interpre-
jer, expressing herself in fairly good
English.
NJ B. Haynes of Mankato, civil
engineer, was sworn and said he knew
he WeIlner and Danheim places that
le had made survey of the road be-
ween these places on Nov. 5 and 6,
901