The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-27
String Fight Made TO Prove Him Not
Guilty of Forgery.
He The Man Who Robbed Savings
Bank of $1,000?
Peculiar Case Confronfs a Jury in
The District Court.
Wife Helps Out the Case of Husband
Other Testimony
From Fridays Daily.

EToh rTluay 5 daily.
George Klugherz, indicted on the charg
of grand larceny in the first degree, wa
on trial before Judge Cray and jury o
twelve all day today. Yesterday af
ternoon's session vas taken up in thu
impannelling of the following jurymen
Charles Fleming, Vernon Center; Henry
Kurth, Decoria; John Graham, city; Fer
ainand Karstadt, LIE Ray; R. B. Hanna
Napoleon; John E. Schwartz, Shelby;
James b. Farrell, Jamestown; Thomas
Rooney, Ceresco; John w. Strobe Jr.
Medo; John Rhodes, city; William
Hoehn, LIE Ray and Geo. b. Bates, city.
The court convened at nine o'clock this
morning, County Attorney Wilson ap-
pearing for the prosecution and Attor-
neys Pau & Pau for the defense. Seated
near the prisoner and along the lobby
railing were Mrs. Geo. Klugherz and her
daughters whom the defense had brought
to be ready to testify. 1t was sad
seene for the wife whose emotion was
sssh that she burst into tears repeatedly.
L. G. A. Fletcher, president of the
Hankato Savings bank which was rob-
bed Of $1,000 by the forgery of which
Klugherx stands accused, was the first
witness called by the state. Mr.. Fetch
er testified that he had had business
Transactions with the defendant Klug-
herr on Sept. s, 1908, between one and
TIVE o'clock in the afternoon. The de-
feadant at that time entered the bank
and asked Mr. Fletcher if he had money
to loan. Mr.. Fletcher asked his name
and the man gave that of Hinniker and
said he lived in Mankato township. He
wanted the loan of ST. 900 for three years.
He wished the money to buy forty acre
tract of land joining his two eighties in
Aankato township, these two eighties be-
ing described as the WI. of the swA, of
section IL and the WE of the seH of Sec
ton IL. Klugherz was told by Mr..
Fletcher to 60 and get an abstract of
title to the land he wished to mortgage
for the loan and he went away with the
evident intention of so doing. He re-.
turned not long afterwards with the alb
stract of title showing that Frank L..
Hinniker owned the eighties above men
toned. Klugherz seemed to be in a
great rush. He left the abstract at the
bank to be examined.
Mr.. Wilson here presented the forged
mortgage which he offered in evidence as
exhibit "a" Mr.. Fletcher said he rec
ognized this instrument. He saw it for
the first time on Sept. IL, in the bank.
He saw the signature of Frank L. Hin
mixer put there by the defendant Klug-
ers.
Mr.. Wilson next offered in evidence as
exhibit SB" the mortgage note and cou-
pons which Mr. Fletcher said he recog-
lized and that the five signatures of
Hinniker's name were made there by
Klugherz in the presence of Fletcher.
Both exhibits Immediately after the
signatures were taken possession of by
the cashier, w. w. Davis Jr. and Klug-
hen was given $1,000 in currency for
them. This transaction occurred on Sept.
II after the time of closing the bank
that is after four o'clock.
Mr.. Pfau ST. questioned Mr.. Fletcher
closely regarding the details of the loan;
aIse about his knowledge of Klugherz's
relatives and his own residence in this
part of the county. Mr.. Fletcher had
never really known the relatives of
Klugherz though he had often heard the
name. He knew the father of the Hin
mixer whose name was forged but did not
really know the man himself. When
Klugherz first came into the bank to
negotiate the loan on Sept. or possibly
the ninth it was between one and two
o'clock in the afternoon as he recollect'
ed. When Klugherz brought in the alb
stract for examina ton it was, Mr.
Fletcher thought, on the afternoon Of
Sept. 10. The fourth time the defendant
came in he got the money.
William w. Davis Jr., cashier of the
bank, testified in confederation of al
that Mr.. Fletcher had said about the cir
h. Iln S1nr
the defendant himself to be Frank L
Hinniker of Mankato township.
L. C. Diamond, who signed as witnes.
to the signature of Hinniker, also said OF
the witness stand that Klugherz was thu
nan who signed the papers and got thu
money.
John N. Hall, who made out the alb
stract of title for the alleged forger, wa
not SO sure, when called upon to testi
fy that the forger was the prisone
Klugherz.
Frank L. Hinniker testified that at tn
time the loan was made he had not nego
tiated for any such loan at all.
5ohn Magley, one of Thinkers neigh
bors, answered few questions wit
reference to Hinniker and his where
abouts at the time the loan was nego
tiated for and made.
MIR. Pau Sr. made brief but earnes
address to the jury in rebuttal, declarin
that the evidence he would produce dur
ing the afternoon would prove an alb
ON behalf of his client. He would sho,
Just where George Klugherz was at tn