The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-11-11
He Says He Is Competent to
Conduct the Murder Case.
Massmeeting Last Night at New
UIm Doesn't Last Long.
The People Are All Wrought Up
Over the Situation.
Especial to The Free Press. ]

Especial to The Free Press.l
New Ulm, Nov. 5.-If the citizens of
New Ulm were in high state of excite
ment before over the tragedy recently
enacted here, they are now at fever heat.
The massmeeting held last night did not
terminate as many of those who attend
ed had thought it would, and there is
a great deal of dissatisfaction expressed
over the attitude assumed by County
Attorney Hoidale, who informed the au-
dience last night that he did not want
their assistance in the work of running
down the murderer of DR.. Gerhard. Mr..
Hoidale stated with no little emphasis
that he felt himself competent to handle
the case and wanted no interference
from the people. He did not endorse the
offering of rewards for the murderer's
apprehension, but considered it a bet
ter policy if the money could be paid
direct to some legitimate detective
agency and its men employed to clear
up the mystery.
The meeting lasted but thirty minutes
and Phillip Leisch, editor of The Jour
nal called it to order. He stated its OBJ
ject, and then left the gathering in the
hands of Judge Weber, who had been
called upon to preside. After County
Attorney Hoidale had finished, Ed. Bos-
ky, prominent socialist of this city,
made motion that the meeting ad-
journ. This received no opposition.
1t was expected that County Attorney
Hoidale would consent to the appoint
ment of an attorney to assist him in
the case, not that Mr.. Hoidale is not
competent, but owing to the peculiar
conditions and circumstances which sur
round the affair. The fact that the
county attorney is law partner of Mr.
Somsen, the city attorney, and the lat
ter is brother in-law of DR.. Koch, has
caused a number of people to form an
opinion that the county prosecutor might
not investigate certain features of the
case with as much vigor as if circum-
stances were not as they are.
In word the people are not satisfied
with the Investigations so far as they
have preceded.
No new clews have been unearthed
The multiplicity of rumors still fly
about, but many of them receive no
attention as they are baseless. Others
are purely the work of fakirs. The fate
full handkerchief found imbrued with DR..
Gebhard's blood and marked with ini-
tails that seem to read &c. r. H." is
still unexplained. The officers are not
exhibiting it to any one and are engaged
in vigorous attempts to establish its
ownership. Even DIR. G. R. Koch, who
has been entirely eXonerated from any
connection with the affair, has not been
permitted to see the handkerchief and
does not know whether it is his, and if
so, how it came to be found in the Geb
hard office. The initials are not at all
plain, and new theory is that they are
sc. f. r." and that the handkerchief
belongs to DR.. G. F. Reineke, who was
DR.. Gebhards office mate. He might
have left it in the operating-room or in
the waiting room they used in common.
DIR. Reineke, is indignant at the talk
that his name should be used in connec-
Young Kellar, the drug clerk, one of
the parties whom Neumann, the black
smith saw going up stairway in the
block where the murder was committed,
is in hysterical condition, due to the
excitement and the thought that his
name has been mixed up with the dread
full affair. Another crop of rumors has
been sat afoat. The latest is to the
effect that a relative of the murdered
man was not in good circumstances and
of a rather dissolute character; that he
might have visited the doctor to borrow
money. There is nothing to confirm this,
however. The Twin City detectives at
work in the case says he puts little faith
in the Neumann story.
1t was given out today that search
of the Koch premises has been made,
but if anything was found duplicating
the doctor in the affair of Tuesday night,
no one but those who participated in the
search is aware of it. The search was
made by the sheriff and the chief of po-
lice.
The dead dentists oldest brother
ton with the handkerchief.