New Ulm review., 1903-05-20
MADE SPECTACLE OF TANKE.
Convicted Murderer Given Liquor
on Way to Saltwater.
Said That He and Guards Made
Rounds of ST. Paul Saloons.
Penalty Provided For Officers Fur.
nishing Intoxicants to Felon.

A sensational article appeared in the
Minneapolis Evening Tribune on Mon
day charging the sheriffs entrusted
with conveying Frank Tanke to Still
water with having furnished their
prisoner liquor and having made a
disgusting spectacle of him in ST.
Paul. According to the Tribune he
was taken from saloon to saloon and
in all the resorts was pointed out to
the curious as the murderer of John
Wellner. The Tribune article is as
follows:
''Frank Tanke, the murder of John
Wellner, of New Ulm, who was sem
fenced to life imprisonment at Still
water, was given the time of his life
in St. Paul Saturday night and Sun
day morning by the two deputy sher-
ifs who were taking the murderer to
the penitentiary.
''The sheriffs arrived in ST. Paul
with Tanke Saturday afternoon and
registered at the Astoria. In the even
ing it is charged that they took the
murderer out to mingle with the gay
Saturday evening throng, and they
proceeded to give him everything that
he wanted in the way of whisky and
other liquors and took him everywhere
he wished to go.
The spectacle made of the felon was
disgusting and in every saloon he
was pointed out as the murderer OF
John Wellner. 4
''The whisky was given to him as
fast as he could drink it. The two
sheriffs kept their man on the go until
early Sunday morning.
''Even the whisky he drank, how
ever, failed to enliven Tanke, and he
was the soberest man of the various
crowds in the saloons where he was
taken. fs4
''Once he called business man aside
and told him that he was in bad pre-
dicament. The business man told him
to keep his head and not let the whisky
make him talk. This Tanke did. When
he woke up Sunday morning he showed
the full effects of the carousal and the
ob1iging deputy sheriffs again gave
him all he wanted to drink.
while waiting for a car for Still
water Sunday afternoon, it is claimed
that the trio visited the nearby saloons
several times, shaking dice for the
cigars and drinks. @ =
1.-THE action of the sheriffs is re-
garded as one of the most open viola
tions of law regulating such officers
| actions that has ever occurred in the
state. Governor Van SAINT said this
morning that he did not believe that a
sheriff Of Minnesota could be SO low
as to thus violate the law. He de-
clined to say anything further about
the matter. E
s"sJudge G.. M. Orr of ST. Paul, said
the alleged action of the two sheriffs in
this matter is directly covered by
section 7, 433 of the state statutes, which
states that any jailor or sheriff who
allows any Intoxicating liquor Of any
kind or nature to get to his prisoner,
is guilty of a misdemeanor unless the
liquor was ordered by physician.
The sheriff can be punished by fine
of S100 or ninety days in the work
house, Or both. -
Such an occurrence is probably
without parallel in the state, and the
two officers who are guilty of such a
breach of official conduct should be
severely censured. According to the
Mankato papers Tanke was taken to
Saltwater by Sheriff Forsythe OF St.
James, and Sheriff Williams of Man
kato. That they should so far forget
the dignity of their positions as to
make such vile and degrading exhi-
bition of themselves and their prison
er seems Incredible, but If the account
is true and the facts are as stated,
they merit punishment.
Section ! 7,433 of the general statutes,
which forbids the furnishing of liquors
to convicts, is as follows: ssNo sheriff,
jailer or keeper of any jail shall, un-
der any pretense, give, sell or deliver
to any person committed to any prison
for any cause whatever, any spiritu-
Gus liquour, or any mixed liquor, part
of which is spirituous, or any Wine,f
ciderzor strong beer, unless a physi-
clan certifes in writing that the health
of such prisoner requires it; in which
case he may be allowed the quantity
prescribed, and no more"
!.