The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-12
TAKES ALL THE B LAME,
Mrs. Tanlke's Statement to the Court
--Prtsoners Were Cool.

g -Prtsoners Were Cool.
Henderson, Mimi. July 12.-In her oral
statement. to the court, confessing her guilt,
Mrs Tanke said she WAS "a years old; and
had been married to John Wellner about
nine years previous to the tragedy. d On the
evening OF the murder she was on "a load of
hay with her husband. She pitched hay, and
as she was Ill and could not work fast
enough, hot words followed. Then she be-
gan to cry and returned to the house, and
he went after another load OF hay. When
he returned he told her II she did not quit
crying he would chastise her. Then she be-
came alarmed, and, finding his revolver, hid
1t In the barn, bringing back some wood,
after which she put ,the children to bed. He
then said that she must go to bed at once
or he would break her neck. She complied,
but continued to cry, and he stormed and
raved and she ran towards the barn. but he
caught her half way and threw her on the
ground and asked her where she was going
and said he would kill her
Shot Him Twice. 3
GIe took hold OF her hadr and pulled her
into the barn. threw her to the floor and
stepped on one of her hands and put his
knee on her body She fought him aft and
then ran between the COWS and hid. He
could not locate her, and then she heard the
barn door slam and was afraid that he would
return with a lantern and discover ter. She
ran out and went to the window and saw
him coming with a. club and a shotgun, a
lantern on his arm She then took the re-
volver and when he approached fired, taking
no AIM Y;
He fell to his knees and attempted to rise,
and she, seeing that he still clung to the
club, fired again, thinking only to save her
life. After she realized what was done she
sank to the ground from exhaustion. but
finally reached the house. where she swooned
and remained on the lounge for more than
two hours. S...i III S, IN sstts'.s5l''! ~
Then she became alarmed, and in order not
to disgrace. her children, schemed to avoid
suspicion. She brought back the gun and
the revolver, (which she had dropped. and
then found a shot bag and put therein the
purse, watch and revolver and placed it in
the cellar. The rope with which her hus-
band tried to tie her in the barn was still
on her wrist. and she conceived the plan: to
tie her hands and then wake up her eldest
daughter. She asked her to unite the knot.
They then dressed and went to the home
of Gottlieb Biereugel Mrs. Tanke's father
and told that two men had killed John Well
-ner and had taken the watch and money
Her mother loosened the cord from her hand
and her father witnessed 1t. Then she re-
turned TO her home with her father and dis
covered the remains. She them took the ar
ticles from the cellar and hid them in the
smokehouse until spring, when she dug 8
hole in the barnyard and hid them at a
depth of three and a half feet, Afterwards
the. ground was soraped over the spot, .bu
the missing articles could not be discovered
She could not positively locate the exact
spot. r. ~, ~. =.
No 80 Tanke Not There. ss--' = 4 =
She fired the fatal shots between the hours
Of II and IL O'Clock, during. the time thai
Frank Tanke was seen constantly at New
Ulm. She stated that Tanke had nothing
whatever to do with the murder and that he
was innocent ,- =. .s.-..s'. : + !
Mrs. sTanke left the courthouse in the Gus
tody of the sheriff and deputies with a>coo
air, but when the Jail was approached, gave
way to- weeping. fs.s II r -. -. ~ =. ~
In sentencing the prisoners, the judge made
"a few feeling remarks, saying that ahe hope:
The convicted man would receive divine
forgiveness and that the board OF pardons
would commute the sentence to life impris
onment Tanke appeared cool, and when ht
returned to Jail chatted and smoked. s u