The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-30
.SLEU1HS UNDER CLOUD
They Planned to Effect Escape OF
John A. Loefflmacher.
Detectives Coleman and Whitney Are
Men Accused.
From Wednesdays Daily.


Detective Thomas j. Coleman and on
of his assistants, Whitney by name
are under suspicion of having put up
job to effect the escape of John A. Loef
fimacher. the fellow who is under sen
tence of seven years to states prison
for arson and for dynamiting threshin.
machine.
Loefflmacher is the man who charge.
the detectives with having promised t.
set him at liberty, and they were to re
ceive $3.50 for their part in the transac
ton.
The prisoner wrote letter to his
father, August Loefflmacher, requesting
him to send $3.50 in $50 bills. The money
was to be handed to John this morning
while he was in the court room at St
Peter receiving his sentence. The let.
ter cautioned the old gentleman to be
very carful not to allow any one OBJ.
serve him transferring the money, es.
pecially the sheriff.
! Yesterday afternoon Detective Cole
man made his appearance in New Ulm
going there from ST. Peter. About an
hour later man answering the de-
scription of Whitney showed up and he
made arrangements with local livery
man to deliver letter to August Loeffl-
macher in the town of Ridgely. Old man
Loefflmacher was not at home and,
therefore, the written communication
was not delivered to him, but to his
daughter, Emma, girl seventeen years
of age. This young lady suspicioned
something was wrong, and she immedi-
ately drove to New Ulm and called on
Attorney Pfaender, who with w. E.
Young of Mankato, has been acting as
Loelflmacher's lawyer, and exhibited to
him the letter. Mr.. Pfaender at once
commenced a Hawkshaw stunt.
This morning Attorney Pfaender went
to st. Peter and there met his colleague
in the case. They held private consul
tation with Loefflmacher, with the re-
suit that their client "coughed up''
everything. According to the story
told by the prisoner to his attorneys the
detectives were to have carriage in
waiting at the union depot in st. Paul or
Minneapolis and after succeeding in get
ting Sheriff Mcmillan intoxicated, while
en- route with his prisoner to Saltwater,
they were to assist him in making his
escape. Loefflmacher was to be convey
ed to the home of Coleman in Minneapo-
lis, there to be secreted until the storm
had blown over.
The following is a copy of the letter
verbatim:
"St. Peter, Oct. 26, 1908,
''Dear Father:
81 would like to have you come to
st. Peter at once, you and my mother
and Sister if possible and Bring me $3.50
along, and bring them in fifty dollel
Bills and give me them on slay, So the
SHIRTS don't see you hand me the money
AS got to have this money without de.
lay and in paper money and large Bills
be down here and see me before Wens.
day morning and give me the money il
you can in the court house in the morn.
ing if possible. when I get sentenced
so the two shirts don't see it. You know
what 1 mean-My Sister Emma, seen me
again and 1 am glad.
~. A. LOFELMACHER,
"St. Peter,
| 'EMinn."
| The letter was turned over to Loeffl
macher's attorneys and they have inter
viewed Sheriff Mcmillan regarding the
matter. Sheriff Mcmillan claimed t.
know nothing about the matter, but ad
mitted that Coleman has been allowed tt
visit the prisoner alone. just why Cole
man was allowed to interview the pris
oner alone the sheriff did not explain
The prisoner had already pleaded guilt.
and Coleman could have had no legiti
mate business with him. Loefflmache
claims that Coleman suggested the feast
bility of an escape to him and that i
the reason why he made the attempt.
+, Coleman is the same man who made al
unsavory reputation in this county il
the Buckholtz arson case. 1t is said tina
he has several times endeavored t
coax money from the old man Loefl
macher by promising him to assist hir
in his defense in the cases which wer
recently dismissed for want of prose
cution.
At the opening of court this mornin
John Loefflmacher was sentenced
two cases to a term in Saltwater. Fe
arson in the third degree the court in
posed a sentence of four years and Il
attempting to destroy property by d!
namiting, sentence of three years We
imposed. The latter term to begin {
the end of the four years term. Juds
| Weber did not take into considerable
the fact that Loefflmacher had attemp
ed to make an escape.
| Loefflmacher will be taken to Still
water today.
III NEITHER SIDE SCORED.