The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-10

Said Coleman was in the barn every
night while he and Fred were doing
the chores. Said that on Friday while
witness and Fred Buckholtz were at
Mapleton, he asked defendant to have
q glass of beer. Thought latter drank
half dozen glasses of beer altogether.
Was not in the habit of drinking much
beer or whisky. Did not take any
whisky home with him. Did not know
whether Wilson was there at any time
during the week. He might have
been there. But knew he was there on
Friday evening. Saw him there.
Supposed he heard the conversation
witness had with defendant. ..s
Following this the ross-examination
covered the period that..the witness
was with Geo. Buckholtz, at his place,
and details of trip to Mapleton with
George and Coleman.
The cross examination led on to wit
ness movements with some of the
other witnesses in the case, to which
Attorney Pau objected to as imma-
terial and irrelevant, and not proper
cross examination. After some hot ar
gument by both sides, the court ruled
that the range was somewhat wide,
though it wished to give as wide a
range as possible. The examination
was continued a few minutes after
this. but nothing new was brought out.
T. J. Coleman of Minneapolis was
the next witness Said he had been
connected with the secret service for
the past two years. Had met the de-
PENDANTS upon their farms. Had not
had any conversation with Fred Buck
holtz as to the case, but had overheard
a conversation Buckholtz had with r.
J. Whitney. This was on the evening
of the 18th and 18th. This converse
ton was commenced in general way
and was led up to the burning of the
buildings, by Whitney saying he
would like to get even with Seefel DIT
by shooting his dog, which had run
out at him, and defendant laid that
George had not been the same fellow
since the trouble he had and that See
feldt had not used him right, but that
they got even with him and admitted
burning Seefeldt's buildings. The
substance of this conversation was re-
peated on Saturday evening. Mr.. Will
son was present that evening.
Witness also knew Geo. Buckholtz
and told about being at his place.
Said they talked about Seefeldt at
different times Gave details of trip
to Mapleton with defendant and Whit
ney. Said he found out that defendant
was a ladies man and said he would
like to be taken around little, as he
was stranger here George proposed
they go to Mankato. The team was
put up and they went to the depot but
the train was late and they finally gave
it up as George said that he had had
SO much trouble, that as he could not
get back on the train he wished he did
not want to 60, as he did not care to
have his folks know about it. Wit
ness gave details of conversations she
had with George in which latter ad-
mitted that he had touched the match
which burned Seefeldt's buildings.
This was in Georges room at home,
after they went to bed. Had left the
door of the room open 80 that Whitney
and Wilson who slept in adjoining
room could stand at the door and over
hear the conversation. Witness had
brought on this conversation.
On cross examination the witness
became somewhat mixed as to his
dates. Saddle did not set any dates
down and made no memoranda of
what he heard. Gave in detail again
the conversation he overheard in Fred
Buckholtz' barn, heard the converse
ton first alone, the second time had
Wilson with him. Asked why he did
not have some disinterested person
WI tn him, some farmer in that section,
said he did not take such a person,
because they generally wanted to talk
about what they had heard. Couldn't
keep such matters to themselves. Did
not take strangers into his confidence.
Asked why he did get the sheriff to
go with him said he would had he
been able, but he did not have time to
get him. Said he would have taken
SeefeIdt with him, but the latter would
not go. Did not tell him what he
wanted, because he was not in the
habit of telling other people his bust
ness.
dick Wilson of Minneapolis was the
next witness. He was. in the emplo y
of Detective Coleman. Nothing new
was brought out in his testimony.
He testified to overhearing the CONVEX
sation of Whitney with Fred Buck
holtz, and that of Coleman with
George Buckholtz, and in the main it
was the same as they had previously
given. He was considerably mixed up
in his dates and seemed unable to give
a connected conversation that took
place between the other parties, simply
remembered the alleged damaging ad-
mission, but could not repeat the con-
versation as to other matters, or even
tell what it was about. This seemed
also to be a weakness of the previous
two witnesses. At the conclusion of
Wilson'S testimony court adjourned for