New Ulm review., 1902-07-09
STORY OF sELF-DEFENsE SET UP By MRS.
TANkE's CONFESSION.
A RIDICULoUsly IMPROBABLE STORY.
=ATTORNEYEcKsTEIN REciTEs ANALLEdEI
CONFESSION FOR MArKATO PAPER.

Vlnces one tn8t no confession was maue
except under protest. Fl ~.
That woman who was shrewd enough
to hide and keep secret murder in
volving as much as that of John Well.
ner, would of her own volition make a
statement so Numerically opposed to
the testimony of so many positive and
unlmpeachable witnesses as the state
produced, is absured and is not accepted
by any one who has followed the case.
It can have but one result.
According to Mr.. Eckstein, Mrs. Tanke
says that for three years she and Well
ner had not gotten along well. Some
body broke his reaper and poisoned his
cattle and this embittered him and made
him more tryannical. Finally he brought
a revolver to defend his property. One
day he and bis wife quarreled, and he
said that he, would yet use his revolver
for another purpose than that for which
he had bought it. This frightened his
wife and she hid the weapon in the barn.
That night the quarrel was renewed
and Mrs. WeIlner threatened, as she had
done previously, to leave her husband
land go to her home. When she thought
Ihet husband was asleep she got up to
Iearry this threat into execution. As she
was getting up, he awoke and putting on
his slippers, coat and hat, followed his
wife. When the latter saw linn coming
she slippediato the barn, knowing that
he would sovertake her if she started for
her home, which was three-quarters of a
mile away. ~ = -. @s.>:s% = = -
Wellner caught his wife's skirt just as
she went through the barn door, and
proceeded to tie her hands so that she
could not escape. He had one wrist tied
Tightly, when she broke away from him
and hid among the cattle Wellner being
unable to find her, started tor the house,
saying in German that somebody would
die like dog that night, or words to
that effect.
When Mrs. Wellner looked out of a
window Of: the barn, she saw Wellner
looming back with a lantern and club,
Iey1dently to look for her. She was SO
frightened that she took the revolver
from where she had hidden it and shot
her husband in the back as he passed
the door. She had, never f,ed a revolve,
before, and when her husband fell she
| thought he had slipped. When he arose
Ionaone knee, she fred at his head, and be
fell over dead. Then she realized what
| she had done and went into the house
land crled. ..
| On Saturday court was again convened
at Henderson and a motion for deferrine
the sentence of Frank Tanke was made
and the time fixed for the trial of Mrs
Tanke. III .sazfssssszs.s*..z G3yssz.3:
I A motion by the defense for deferrins
the sentence of Frank Tanke, recently
tconvicted of murder in the first degree
Twas made and time set for the trial ol
4 Mrs. Amelia Tanke, also indicted on a
charge of murder Of her husband, John
4 WellEer.4 II HssE Il FS6S1 & 81
I Frank Tanke was brought into court
and States Attorney Davis Immediately
asked the eourtt to call the case for SEN
tence. Attorney Eckstein, for the defense,
requested that sentence be deferred. He
said the defense desired to file ahidavits
for a new trial on statutory grounds, IN
cluding newly discovered evidence. The
defense also wanted tune to; prepare a
bill Of exceptions. gs.
The attorney said that Immediately az
ter the jury had given its verdict in the
case Of Frank Tanke, he had been called
to the Jail and that Mrs. Tanke had in
formed him Of state of affairs never
heard of before. On the following Mon
day she made statement which was at
variance with the evidence adduced at the
trial. She had told where to find the
revolver, watch and pocketbook Of Well
ner at the Wellner farm and the defense
was certain from description Of the loca.
don they would yet able to locate the lost
articles. She had been taken out to the
farm and the defense had worked dill.
gently but to no purpose. The digging