The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-16
STATES CASE IS ALL In
TANKE's DAMAGING SPEECHES
Several Were Made by Himself and
Wife-Defense Will Try to -
~ Prove an A1fbf.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. -. -.
!: Henderson, Mimi, June 16.-J.. H. Block
Of Sta Paul was recalled by the state in
the Tanke trial this morning land stated
that Tanke had told him at an examina-
tion that he had met Raftman and Sauer
at: 3 o'clock one day in June, 1Ss9,, at
Union hall, and also on another occasion.
Tanke also told Block that Herman
Schneider, at Williams saloon in New
Uln, on New Years evening, 1899, first
told him of Wellner's DEATH Herman
Schneider was the next witness for the
state. h......
He. testified that Tanke had seen him
at Williams saloon at New Ulm at or
1910 clock and that Schneider had there
asked him If he had heard anything of
the Wellher murder, WHICH Tanke made
no reply. William Danheims' testimony
was in regard to an. old road alleged to
have been taken by Tanke on the night
Of the murder. Otto Koepke of New Ulm
had known. Tanke before he went to st.
Paul and stated that he saw defendant
have a revolver. =. IL . .... .-..-
Sheriff Mcmillan Of Nicollet county
identified the watch chain worn by Tanke
when arrested, and claimed by the state
to have been ,Wellner's. McMillen ad-
united he was interested in the prose-
cution Of the Wellner case, but only as
sheriff of Nicollet county. He knew re-
W diAS Hdu USSu OnSlSup- Uut: h4cW JuSy
could not be accepted by public officers.
He, had began Investigations of, the case
as soon as he was elected to Office. It
was at his suggestion that the Mime
sofa river had been searched, for the re-
volver. +: 49, 80 - = -; ~ -
: The: state rested at :45 this after
noon and w. H. Leemar immedi-
'ately opened for the defense. He prom
ised' to prove an alibi for Tanke, show
ing that he left the Wellner farm at SIS
Instead of about as the state contends
and took a. goose to his parents at New
Ulm, reaching that place at s o'clock in
stead of 5:3$. He then changed his
clothes and went to the dance at
Schumucker's hall, where he stayed until
IL o'clock, going from there to Union
hall where he remained until a. m.
lLeenan outlined the story, that Mrs.
Tanke will tell as follows: She and
Wellner (whose wife she then was) were
awakened by a noise .on the night of the
S1st of December 1885,. Wellner dressed
| and went: outsand a few minutes later she
heard shot. She started out but was
met at the door by man who forced her
| to sit down and tied her hands. He then
demanded her, pocketbook securing it an6
| a watch and chain and left. She sat q
short time and then called her daughter
who united her and together they went to
her fathers who returned with them and
| found tie body as the state claims.
| The defense also purposes to show that
| Weilner had a number of enemies and at
one time had four horses poisoned and
that he might have been killed by some
malicious person with whom he had had
| trouble.
Two. observation-disclosures and Whitney
| Saturday ssvore to hearing conversa-
| tion between Frank 3Tanlse and his wife
in which the latter referred to having
| killed Wellner Coleman and Whitney
eltered the stable, on the. Tanke farm,
In hope Of hearing something incrimin-
ating. They had concealed themselves in
the hay, when Mr. and Mrs. Tanke en-
tered, and they testify that the follow
ing. conversation took. place between the
Tankes:
n think that's a detective, the man
you hired" said Mrs. Tanke.
THAT amt no detective replied
Tanke. You're too scared
And then. Mrs. Tanke remarked:
stIf you let me- do the hiring of men,
nobody will ever knowaswe killed John
Wellner.'' $50
The, testimony of Michael Mueller. was
as to conversations heard at the county
jail Of a damaging nature, On one soc-
casion. Mueller testified, he had heard
Tanke ay to his wife that he couldn't help
her out. or she couldn't help him out.
Again Tanke said, according to witness.
that If he knew what he did now, he
could have bought them all out. Witness
testified that on another occasion he
heard Tanke say that If he got twenty
years he would just as soon be dead
Anton Leckway, of ST. Paul who
| claimed to identify. the revolver. taken
from the owner, as the one owned by
Tankc, admitted on. cross examination