The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-12-30

tective and romancer, has again invad-
ed New Ulm Billy has something up
his sleeve He is reported to have made
this statement: "If DR.. G.. r. Koch is
guilty of the murder of DR.. l.. A. Geb-
hard, then there are two men guilty"
The result of his seven weeks re-
search is reported to be startling in the
extreme, duplicating person to whom
suspicion has not so far been attached.
This evidence Baxter has not made
public so far for several reasons, chief
of which is that DIR. Koch is the man
picked by the public as guilty and the
evidence in any other line has been pooh
poohed, but he will lay his findings be-
fore Prosecuting Attorney w. II. Childs.
If Mr.. Childs wishes to make use of
it, well and good, and if he does not,
Baxter will place it in the hands of the
defense, to use as it thinks best,
SIN either event, sensations will be
sprung before the trial is over" so
claims Mr.. Baxter
The Minneapolis detective is so conf
dent that the clue on which he and sew
eral of his men have been working is
not false one that he has caused
brief stay in the wave of public senti-
ment against the man who is about to
stand trial, and people ask: "May it
not be true that after all we have i'm
prisoned the wrong MANI" :.
This suspect of Baxter's, according to
the detective, is man who lived in New
Ulm up to short time ago and he was
here on the night of the murder. He
answers the description given by Brooks
and there is a chain of circumstantial
evidence against him. Just what the evil
dence is the detective will not say but
he intimates that he is ready to prove
that it was he who sent the bottle of
poison and that he was in the neigh
berhood of Gebhard's office on the night
of the tragedy.
He has an alibi in one man, who was
with him, but this the detective believes
is by no means unbreakable and he
thinks that with other evidence piled
up the alibi will prove valueless. The
motive is far stronger than any which
Koch may have had.
1t is a motive which involves a young
woman over which the two men at one
time had quarrel and nearly came to
blows. 1t is hardly thought that this
new evidence will stay the prosecution of
Koch, but the probable defense may
make use of it in way which will clear
the young dentist from all suspicion of
guilt.
Just what will be the testimony of
the states witness is an enigma. Ever
since DR.. Koch's arrest, rumors have
floated about New Ulm of various things
that would be proved by the state. just
how much grain there is in all this
chaff is question. That the state will
endeavor to prove the ownership of the
hammer with which the dentist was
slain is evident from. the fact that Miss
Lydia Schapekahm, caretaker of DR..
Gebhard's office, is one of the witnesses.
1t is stated that she will swear that the
hammer was not the property of the
murdered man. The inference is that
it was carried there by his slayer.
Along this line it is expected that
the state will try to prove that the ham,
mer belonged to DIR. Koch and that it
was formerly kept in the workshop in
the rear of DIR. Koch's residence. 1t is
stated that two witnesses will identify
the hammer as his. One, it is said will
say that the handle is too short by about
three inches.
Rumor has it that this piece of ham
die is in the possession of the state, as
well as the hacksaw, such as is used in
cutting iron, with which it was cut off.
Both are said to have been secured by
detectives who searched the workshop
at the Koch home.
Sheriff William Julius of Brown coun-
ty will not summon the special venire of
l20 jurors ordered by Judge B. F. Web
Der in Koch's trial. An affidavit of pre-
JUDGE was filed late yesterday by w. d.
Abbott, one of Koch's attorneys, and the
sheriff was declared disqualified by Judge
Weber. The jurors will be summoned
by the county coroner.
The affidavit stated that Mr. Abbott
believes Sheriff Julius was prejudiced
and would not perform his duty faith
fully. Discussion as to the legality of
the methods used by Sheriff Julius in
securing impressions of DIR. Kochs
thumbs in Jail is said to have been the
cause of disqualification.
koch's attorneys threatened to have
Julius indicted for using force and re-
moved from Office, and it was feared
that he might harbor resentment. I'm
der the law the sheriff, or if he is dis