The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-27
KLuCHERTz ACQUITTED
The bury WrestIed With the Evidence
for Nine Hours.
ThSrnas Fiushes' Alleged Discovery Too
Late for Service.
Klasaersz's Case Most Peculiar From
Every Point of View.
Jury IN Cunning Case Quickly Agrees
on Verdict of Guilty.


retired At l2:l5 p. IN. Saturday, arrived
al an agreement at $3.50 p. m. Saturday,
and ar0ught in verdict of acquittal.
hlUsiasg'~ was remanded back to the
county ,td. under the second Indictment,
whica - based on the same alleged if
fease
As stated by The Free Press Saturday,
Thouts Hughes called at the jail during
the afternoon TO satisfy his curiosity
ia yess'ri TO Klughertz and his resem-
b}s1cr - The man who had consulted his
law irm about obtaining share of an
est4te ou The ground of being a miss
ing &atr lie desired to hear his voice,
and ass visitor were one and The same.
KiueiieTts acted, in Mr.. Hughes opinion,
as though he was afraid to meet him, and
slluik ID ground and refused to talk,
the A.nr, IS he did on the day of his
arrest IL was with some difficulty that
Mr.. iug,hes got him to speak, and when
he ali speak, Mr. Hughes at once recog
Risea tha pecuiiarity of voice that Klug
herty HISS. and he became convinced that
Klugt,,rts was the man who represented
himself 20 be Walter Chapman, the miss
ing hcir Go slice of the estate of the
late Or 1Aspnssa of Kansas City.
Ei Hughes says that on their last
lasesaas which was on the evening of
Septeauber 9Th, the man came to his
house ,nd walked down town with him.
He then declared that he was going to
the hospital at Rochester for treatment,
as b. had been recommended to go there.
The s'Ct hat Klughertz had been there
within year or two and submitted to
an operation makes it appear reason
able 10 No Hughes why he should have
mao such /, statement. 1t was on the
eiev nth HAT the swindle upon the Saw
irgs haaii WAS perpetrated.
M hughes states that he believes
thst Kiughertz had read of the Chapman
heir. md that he decided TO impersonate
the later and try to obtain $4,000
share "a the estate The mans refusal
to go 70 HaAsas City or to send his
photograph made it clear at the time
that ',e vas fallir. His strong German
accent Wa, accounted for by claiming
that he had lived with German family.
The Jury had retired when Mr. Hughes
hi adc his aIeged discovery, and it was
too lac to. correct the impression which
the testimony given by him and his
bresaer isvan had made upon the minds
of Tia Jury IN favor of the defendant
NJ, Hughes lost no time in informing
the ,eurt md County Attorney Wilson
of has alleged discovery, but nothing
could then be done.
Tie more sne looks at the KIughertz
case, aae ssere remarkable it appears.
If all tbst "a charged against the man is
true It would seem most strange that
he should have selected Mankato as the
scene of his operations, where he was
bo~ md raised and was known to
considerable per centage of the pOpu-
latias His success in his first undertake
ing "sust have embroidered mis- TO go to
further lengths, and thus extended his
crix,,uaf practices over long period
of years On the other hand, if he is in
noc1lts Is te claims to be and as the
mcmbers Of his family, and some Others
beiieve hin it is peculiar that so many
of Msni1,to's best citizens could be mis-
takpM IN the Identification Of the man.
His ,ctions have not been such az would
be expected fcsm a man unjustiy accus-
ed sad anxious to court the closest
scTut.ny of his acts in order to clear
hita.itif At the same time, differeat peo-
pie have different ways, and he may be
following his way.
Evan Haghes is also positive that
Kiussserh IL the man who represented
himself TO be the Chapman heir Both
Thernta md Evan are willing to take the
stand ~ witnesses for the state In case
the iefendsst should be tried on the sec
o8d Indictment.
kiugherH was araigned at 2:30 p. m.
GA HE second indictment, charging him
with forgery IN the first degree. This
Indictment charges him with forging the
signature Of Frank L. Hinniker, while
the ,3,srge upon which he was tried last
week was passing the forged document.
Az The request of his attorney, Klug-
heri, was given until Wednesday at a.
m. 70 plead
County Attorney Wilson states that
he has decided to press the second in
dictanent for riel, under the circum
stssoes
1se Jury in the case of Al Dunning re-
tired 1t 4 Is p m Saturday and an hour
later hsd sgreed on a verdict of
guilty
Dantng waa defended by A. Ell. Los
SOW. md on the stand he claimed that
he hid not STEAD the watch in question,
but shat it was handed to him by the
party who took it with the request that
he pawn it and keep share of the pro-
ceeas for bis trouble. The jury did not
take much stock in this story. evidently
Banning adaaitted that he had pre-
YiossdY aeryad time for breaking into a