The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-11-25

Not Sufficient Evidence.
Talk of the arrest of DIR. George
Koch on suspicion has been given a res
pite upon hearing the report of Attor
ney Popham. Mr.. Popham returned from
st. Paul Friday evening after having
spent the day in consultation with the
head of a detective agency on the evil
dence collected. Upon his arrival in this
city he at once sought Mayor Silver
son, and with him and the Gebhardt
brothers held conference which lasted
until after midnight. Saturday morning
the party again met, and after going
through all the evidence, gave it out
that evidence was not sufficient towarrant
the arrest of any party under suspicion,
as reported by your correspondent on
Saturday Attorney Popham says that
while satisfied in his own mind as to the
guilty party, he thinks the evidence too
incomplete to warrant an arrest at this
time, and advises waiting until the detec-
tives have their chain as complete as
possible.
Was 1t Work of a Degenerate?
Among the new theories that have
been advanced during the past two days
is one which connects degenerate with
the murder of Gebhard According to
the story related to The Free Press cor
respondent, there lives in New Ulm a
person of depraved mind, fellow who
has been suspected of pilfering dentists
offices here, taking a number of articles
upon which he could realize few dol
lars. This fellow is said to have been
in the habit of spying upon certain men
here and then going to them with de-
mands for money. His threats of expos
ure have caused parties to pay him
Hhush money" 1t is suspected that this
fellow went to DR.. Gebhard's office on
the night of Nov. l, and demanded a
sum of money from the young dentist,
making his usual threats. These having
failed to make the doctor disgorge and
Gerhard becoming angry at the fell
lows remarks, attempted to eject him
from the office A scuffle ensued, the de-
generate becoming beside himself with
rage and Selling the hammer struck
the doctor on the head rendering him
helpless. Finding his antagonist power
less, the half crazed fellow bounced up
on him with his knife, slashing him
fearfully.
Was Acquainted With Premises.
1t is claimed that the assalant is
familiar with about all the business
buildings in New Ulm, and that he
knew how easily it would be for him to
make his escape from a REAR window of
Dr. Reineke's office. 1t is said that this
degenerate has been seen skulking up
and down alleys at night time for
some time past, and the police have
watched him in the hope of catching him
COl1Ill1ItIiS SOIlt ullidNlul dcl.
In connection with this story another
one is told. This is one to the effect that
certain residents of New Ulm are not
overly anxious to have the degenerate
arrested for fear that his tongue will
wag freely and he will let drop some re-
marks which will place them in rather
embarrassing position before the public
That some of their private acts will be-
come common property, and furnish a
rich morsel for the gossips. Many citi-
Gems of New Ulm take no stock in this
latest story, but your correspondent
gives it as one of the reports that are
circulating about the city.
Working on Different Theories.
Detective Rydell of the Pinkerton
agency is working on the theory that Dr.
Koch committed the murder. Chandler
the Thiel man, is pursuing a different
line entirely He will not believe that
Koch had a thing to do with the affair
Rydell states that things are moving
all right. Chandler refuses to tip off to
the newspaper men or anyone else any
information or a piece of evidence that