The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-18
FOR DEFENSE
rANKE MAKES A STRONG FIGHT
Much Testimony as to the Where
abouts and Character of
4 the Defendant.

!.
Henderson, Mimi, June 1S.-The hrst
witness in the Tanke case this morning
was Gottlieb Bieraugel, father of Mrs.
Tanke, who was also on the stand for
the state. He told again Of his daugh-
ter's coming over to his house early
New Years morning to get him to come
over to find her husband. She was much
frightened, he said and had a rope tied
to one wrist. His wife cut the.rope off.
and the father afterwards saw marks on
the wrist.
Alfred Brook and Joseph Guendner of
New Ulm, long acquaintance of the de-
PENDANT, testified as to the reputation of
the defendant as a peaceable and law
abiding citizen, prior to the death of
Wellner On cross examination, wit
nesses admitted that they had not kept
track of the defendant closely during the
last four or five years.
The testimony of Leonard Haeberle,
Ernest Pfefer and John Mueller, all OF
New Ulm was to some effect The tes-
timony Of Harry Atlas of st. Paul, a
peddler who sold his wares in the town
of Lafayette, where Wellner lived from
1892 to 1901, was interesting. He stated
he had been acquainted with John Well
ner for several years prior to his death,
had had business dealings with him and
frequently stayed at his place over night.
The last time he saw him alive was on the
night Of Dec. 81, 1898, between S:45 and 8
O'Clock. He (Atlas) was driving along
the main road toward Winthrop on his
way to Minneapolis. He met a man
about one-eighth of mile from the Well
ner grove and thinking the person was
Joseph Wild, said Good evening, Mr..
Wild" The man responded, 'It is Well
ner."
Atlas had borrowed some bolts from
Wellner a short time previous to repair
q % c1o iYh OF hat ho had
some bolts with him that night which he
| returned to Wellner on the latters in
forming him who he was He was posi-
tive 1T was Wellner, for he had spoken to
| him. Atlas made strong witness for the
defense and crossexamination failed to
weaken his testimony. If his story stands
it will disprove the states theory that
Wellner was killed shortly after o'clock.
Nicholas Menzen who operated the
Union Hall at New Ulm, testified to hear
ing the quarrel between Tanke and Raft
man at that place between 1 and on the
morning of New Years but did not hear
Tanke say, Il have killed one man and
might kill another" as a state witness
claimed. Anton Steffer testified to seeing
the defendant at short intervals from II
until about o'clock of the night in ques-
| ton.
The defense will probably rest by to-
| morrow evening. =
] 1t is stated to-day by one who made an
investigation of the case just subsequent
to the murder that the state may be
working on the wrong theory as to the
| Time or Wellner's murder, and that the
! shooting may have occurred on or about
| midnight and unless the state rebuts the
! testimony OF Atlas by strong evidence
the states case will suffer 3 serious set
back. Atlas story is the biggest stumb-
ling block the state has run against thus
| far. -r -"
NJ. B. Haines, civil engineer of Man
! kato, was the first witness yesterday af-
ternoon. A plat of the ground between
the Wellner place and THAT of William
! Danheim, where Danheim says he
! stood and heard the two shots, and a
! profile showing the elevations between
/ the place where the body lay and where
Danheim stood showed the distance be-
j tween the two points to be little more
than three-fourths miles, and the highest
elevation Of land between the two places
about eight feet. e So @-sF>.-l
! The defense then endeavored to put
a. shade Of incredibility on Lockway' s
story as to his having seen Tanke have
i a revolver In his possession while in
st. Paul, by the testimony of Fred
Miller of St. Paul. Tanke had tended
bar for Miller, who had revolver which
he; partially identified in court, but which
he never saw in Tanke's possession
Henry Retzman. from whom Miller Dor
rowed the revolver, positively identified
1t. He never saw the revolver in the
q possession of the defendant
Tanke's Fathers story.
7 August Tanke, the father Of the defend.
ant. told, through an Interpreter, the
story of Tanke's alleged arrival at his
home In New Ulm on New Years eve
1898. bringing with him goose in a -four
sack, his changing, clothes, and going tc
the ball that night. He did not see Tanke
until the following morning. Martha
Tanke; sister of the defendant, corrobor.
ated her fathers testimony, saying, how.
ever, that Frank did not change his outer
clothes at the house as the father testi
fed. Rose Wellner, daughter of the de.
4 PENDANTS wife, repeated her mother
story of the burglar incident.