The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-03
.BLAMEs. The WOMAN.
Counsel for Tanke Outlines His Case
and swears His First Wit
ni,lesses. IL
Final Evidence of the State Bore on
Alleged Confessions of the
Defendant.

Special to The Journal. ~. Ss5s
st. James, Mimi, April 3.-H. J. Peck
opened the Tanke murder case for the
defense this morning. In outlining, the
case he said, they would show that the
defendant left the Wellner farm at 5 p.
m. and arrived at his 1omeSin New Ulm
at p. M, instead of $3.50, as commended
by the state; that 1t was an imposs1bll1ty
for Tanke to go to New Ulna in an hour
and half, and that Wilmert, who testi-
fed he saw Tanke ride by on horseback,
was not at Ulrich's that night. 4
Continuing, he said the defense would
show that if a revolver had been in the
river for the length of time asserted by
the state it would have been a mass Of
rust. The defense would show also that
there was no trouble between the defend
ant and Wellner, but that trouble had
arisen between Wellner and his wife, and
that driven by threats she had shot her
husband near the barn.
In this connection Mr.. Peck said the
defense would pay particular attention to
the club found under Wellner's body.
Defendants First Witness.
J. K. Morrison. conductor on the Min
neapolis & st. Louis railroad at the time
Of the murder, testified in regard to the
departure of the train from Klossner. The
schedule time put the: train out at $3.50
p. M, but there was no record to show
Professor Leavenworth, astronomer at
the state university, was put on to con-
tradict Winners testimony in regard to
seeing. Tanke ride by in the moonlight
The witness said the moon did not rise
that night until 8:43 p. m, with New Ulm
as a basis for his calculations.
The testimony of Peter Zurich and
Anna Renter tended to contradict Will
merits testimony as to his being at the
home of the former that night The
former, however, on his cross examina-
ton said he could not swear. that he did
not see him, and the latter said he might
have been in the kitchen. 49, :"
Harry Atlas, the Jew peddler, then
took the stand and said he%was On his
way to his home in Mil:>-:-Ssoolis and saw
John Wellner alive in the road near his
house on the night of the murder at about
9 o'clock or some time later than the
| time set for the crime by&the state; he
said he spoke to Wellner about some bolts
he had borrowed. from him some days
before. @> 49, ---~
| On the cross -examinat ton, the witness
denied he had told Wild or Dunheim after
| the. murder that he was glad he was not
\ in that neighborhood that night and that
he was at Fairfax. The witness said he
did not know the time he had seen Well
ner until he had driven over the road
from New Ulnn to the Wellner farm and
found out the distance and thus made his
calculations.
h. .taMe Killed sWelner." s..s.s:
Detective Coleman, recalled yesterday
afternoon, said that he and Whitney had
| driven out to the OWeflner farm on the
evening of Oct, g.. 1901, from New Ulm,
upon being informeH that Loreck had been
discharged. They entered the barn, Cole
man climbing up to a west window. He
shortly saw Tanlze come toward the barr
| Wi q hos . q wa
on THE Inside by: his wife, and. Coleman
and his partne err, 5whot had lsecreted them
selves in the hay heard Mrs. fTanke3 sa y:
II Know that vast detective you
| hired,' referring to Loreck. Tanke re-
piled: mo that that. wasn't detectives you're
Mrs.: Tarlke then said S.sYot1' let me dc
! the hiring and nobody will ever know we
killed Wellner.'' :h=z =
R. J. Whitney corroborated this story
I and added that he sought admittance tt
the Tanke house a few days later in the
guise of a peddler, but was refused =
Anton Weisner, Tetaned,# Gold of a re-
mark passed by Tanke at the time Of the
arrest. He had said: II don't see. how
they could find out anything about it,
| =: More Conversations. = -,
The testimony of Michael Miller prac
tically closed the states case. Employed
as detective at the, county jail at st
Peter, where Tanke, and his wife wer'
confined, he had, he testified, oVerheart
discriminating conversations as follows:
l. Speaking to his wife Tanke had said
IF I. knew before what know now,
could have bought them all out.''
On another occasion Tanke said that j
he were to get twenty years he might a
well hang and they might hang him yet.
The witness said that Tanke was con
tinualy telling his wife that she mus
not give him away. to- which she replied
that she would not. - e.. ?
The state rested it's case at p. m.