The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-17
MRS. TANKE ON STAND
THE WOMAN IS A GOOD WITNESS
Defense Trying to Prove an AIibi
for Frank Tanke, Alleged
Murderer.

Special to The Journal.
Henderson, Mimi, June 1.-THE testi-
mony Of Mrs. Amelia Tanke, continued
from yesterday, discloses that she had Of
fered a reward of 5000 for the apprehen-
sion Of the party or parties who killed
John Wellner, also that she and her hus-
band had had no trouble in married life.
G. R. Davis, for the state, then put her
to a severe cross examination which care
fully went over the alleged circumstances
attending the murder of her husband, as
related by her on the stand. She thought
that the two men came and tied her
hands before midnight, and that she sat
on the lounge until after 2 a. M, when
Rose, her daughter, cut the twine. The
state endeavored to show that some of
her test imony yesterday was at variance
with statements made to Sheriff Block
during former examinations. When
pressed as to answers made then she
either made fiat denia1s or stated she
could not remember what she said on
these occasions.
carrying goose home she said that she
didn't say anything about it until asked
The goose, in the case is likely to play
prominent part, the defense purposing
to show that it was delivered at the home
of Tanke's parents by Tanke himself
Mrs TaEke made a good witness and
three hours of cross animation did not
succeed in breaking down her story or
in forcing from her any discriminating ad-
missions. She spoke without aid of an
interpreter this morning expressing her
self in fairly good English.
Yesterday Afternoon.
After Attorney Leeman had finished his
opening address yesterday afternoon he
Ynr tod 81 Na M Vrf kHyNnr tho
ence OF Mrs. Tanke in the court room
during the taking of the evidence of all
the witnesses. The request was granted
J. K. Morrison, a conductor on the Mime
apolis & st. Louis railway, was sworn,
and testified he had charge of the passen-
ger train which arrived at New UIm on
the night of Dec. 81, 1898. He produced
records showing that the train was on
schedule time that evening, leaving Win
throp at 8:08, Lafayette at 1924. Klossner
at $3.50, arriving at NeW>Ulm at 1855. He
did not remember any passengers getting
on at Klossner as state alleges Tanke
did on that night.
Francis Leavenworth, professor of as
tronomy at the state university, was put
on the stand to contradict one Of the
state witnesses who stated that the moon
was above the horizon. when he saw
Tanke go by on horseback. According
to Professor Leavenworth's calculations
the moon did not rise at New Ulm on the
evening OF Dec. 81, 1898, until S:43 The
testimony of Mrs. Reuter- and Peter
Ulrich was contradictory of that of w. W.
Wilmerts, who swore he had been at the
home of the latter between and p. M
that night. Both witnesses denied knowl-
edge of his being there.
Mrs. Tanke's Story.
Mrs. T'anke was then placed on the
stand, and testified that she had dressed
goose, which Tanke had purchased from
Wellner, and that Tanke left the house
at about 5:15 p. NJ that evening for New
Clm, not returning until Monday after
noon following. She testified that on the
night of the murder she and her husband
and two children were home alone and
slept in one room, each parent sleeping
with child.
They retired at the usual hour, 8
o'clock, and some time in the night were
awakened by noise in the yard. Well
ner went out and then Mrs. Tanke heard
a shot. AS she started for the door to
Investigate she was stopped by man
in the center Of the room and told to sit
on a lounge If she knew what was good
for her. Then another man entered and
they tied her, with ropes. They took
parted. Mrs. Wellner then aroused one
Of her children, who released her, and
she went to her fathers home and gave
the alarm.
The states testimony alleging unlawful
relations between Tanke and Mrs. Well
ner and the alleged confession overheard
by Detectives Coleman and Whitney, as
we'll as other alleged discriminating ac-
lions, were denied by Mrs. Tanke.