The Mankato free press., 1902-06-20
TRIAL OF TANkE
Coleman, the Minneapolis De.
tective, Testifies.
The Revolver Found in the River Said
to be the Same One Tanke Had
i'm st. Paul.

John Schultz, chief engineer of the
Eagle Roller Mills, New Ulm. His
story corresponded with Herzog' g relat-
ing to the search made in the river
last January for the revolver. He told
Coleman that if the gun had been
thrown in the river in 1898 it would
be necessary to dredge farther toward
the center. He did not see the revolver
found Herman Apitz of New Ulm
testified that he was eight miles from
New UIm on New Years eve, 1885,
and hence could not have seen Tanke
at New Ulm resorts that night. as the
latter had told Sheriff Block.
Fred FRANKIE, recalled by the state
testified that while he was working at
the Wellner farm shortly after the
murder, Tanke and he talked about
overshoes tracks and Tanke said it
was lucky his overshoes were not look
ed at, for he had new ones.
Anton Wiener, who runs bus
line in New Ulm, then took the stand.
His story was that it was his idea to
dredge the river for the revolver and
that he had conceived the idea as soon
as Herzog had told him of Tanke's
visit to the mill on New Years eve,
1898. He had insisted on making the
search two months before Coleman
and had paid men for the search. Wit
ness was also present when Sheriff
Mcmillan served papers on Tanke
last fall for his arrest. When the
sheriff went out in the field to arrest
Mrs Tanke, the defendant had said
to Wiesner:
81 don't see how they could have
found out 1 never said anything to
anybody about it. -
Wiesner replied, Frank, they must
have known something or they would
not arrest you
Chris Schwerr of New Ulm corrob-
grated the former witness as to Weis-
rer's hiring two men to dredge the
river for the revolver. Schwerr assist
ed and dug up revolver at about p.
m, Jan, 81. 1902. The revolver was
imbedded in two or three inches of
mud. He washed it off and turned ii
over to Coleman. The revolver was
then shown the witness, who identi-
fed it as one he had found. John
Schmitt confirmed previous testimony
as to digging and finding revolver. He
also saw Schwerr bring up the revol-
yer on fork out of the mud.
J. T. Coleman, the Minneapolis de-
tective employed in the case, took the
stand. He was present at the finding
of the revolver and had had it in his
possession until now. He also identi
fed the revolver. One shell was empty.
R. J. Whitney of Minneapolis, also 6
detective employed on the case, gave
testimony corroborative of former wit
nesses Anton Lockway of st. Paul,
who was present when the revolver
was found, said he..knew Tanke wher
the latter tended bar five or six years
ago in ST. Paul. He had seen Tanks
have revolver in his possession and
had examined it. He testified that the
revolver taken from the river was the
same one he had seen Tanke have il
st. Paul. There was q mark on il
guard by which he recognized it. The
state will probably finish its case
Monday.
Detective Coleman was again placed
on the stand and related how he work
ed for Tanke last fall and the state
exh ibited miniature barn. Coleman
described the premises and told how
he and Whitney were hiding in the
barn at night when Tanke came il
the barn with lantern. He was join
ed by Mrs. Tanke, who said:
Il think that man you hired is {
detective.
Tsnke replied that he was no detec
tive and that she was scared. Sht
then said:
''If you will let me do the hiring Of
the men no one will know that WI
killed Wellner. Coleman was cor
roborated by Whitney.
Coleman entered a complaint ant
had warrants issued for the Tankes
the arrest being made by Sheriff Nc
Millen of Nicollet county.
| or 70 Er;Iox,
noon had to do largely with the alleg
ed movements of the defendant, FRANK
Tanke, in the vicinity of the Eagle
Roller mill at New Ulm on the nigh
of Dec. 81, 1898. 1t was in the Min
nesota river near this mill that tn,
state proposes to show that Tankt
threw his revolver shortly before 1:
O. clock on the night of the alleged
murder. The first intimation of the
states intention to have the revolver
figure in the case was evident when {
rusty weapon was taken from Detec
tive Coleman's hip pocket and pre-
sented by Attorney Dains to the state
witness, Treasurer Block, sheriff o.
Nicollet county at the time of Well
ner's death, for comparison with two
bullets as to size. The witness
thought the gun was of same calibel
as bullets. which were 3S.
John F. Herzog, foreman Of the
Eagle mills, stated-that be saw Tanke
in the vicinity of the mill ~on thai
New years night shortly before IL,
midnight. Tanke was riding on the
rear Of dray loaded with -four, and
driven by Jerry Beardon. Tanke soor