The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-28
did, not go to the dwelling of witness
sister. agl
The Man Who Broke In Door.

1
Frank H. Behnke was called. He is
a solidly built man with a smooth face
and a voice that could be heard, which
was a, pleasant change. He said that
he was born in New Ulm forty-six
years ago. He was in Ingelbert's saloon
when he first heard of the murder. 1t
was after $3.50, but he could not tell
lust what time it was. He was able to
describe all of his movements, SO as to
guage the time. Ingelbert was outside
and came in and told Messrs. Reed and
Richardson something about a fight.
| went out and saw dozen people at
the foot of the stairs. l went up the
stairs and met Policeman Weisenborn.
We tried the doors. Weisenborn went
down to the printing office and got a
chair and took it up. He stood on it
and looked over, the transom and said
"Oh, ja," which is German for "Oh
mercy" He got down and kicked the
door to the operating room in and we
went in. The operating room was light
ed, and the body was lying in the center
of the room with the head westerly,
toward the door by which we entered.
The body was lying on the stomach,
with the head sideways and the hands
extended forward. There was large
pool of blood near the head, about ten
by twenty inches. The blood was mostly
south of the head. There was blood on
the map and on top of the safe. The
roll top desk was open. A rocking chair
and screen were tipped over. The screen
was lying in front of the door leading
to the reception room. The rocking chair
was three or four feet from the body
and in front of the door to the reception
room. The rug on the floor was ruffled
up as though there had been scuffle on
it, The safe door was open very
little. DIR. Fritchie examined the safe
nalf an hour later and found $50. and
one cent. A book open on the safe
was spattered with blood. The labora-
tory was lighted, but the reception
room was not. Frank Nenno came in.
went down to the Review office and
telephoned to Chief Klause and then
went right back. 1 then went to the
police station for Policeman Weisen-
born's electric light. More men were
there then. 1 went into the reception
room and back into the operating room
and picked up hammer and handker-
chief. The hammer was three feet in
side the reception room from the door
to the operating room. 1 gave it to DIR.
Fritchie The handkerchief was lying
near the hammer and was full of fresh
blood. There was blood on the handle
and also on the iron part of the ham,
mer. The blood on the handle appeared
as though it had been wiped off. The
end of the handle appeared as though it
had been freshly sawed off. gave the
handkerchief to Dr. Fritchie.
The noon recess was taken.
This Afternoon.
Mr.. Behnke resumed the stand at two
o'clock. He had noticed lead pencil
south of the body, about eight or ten
inches from the head and little near.
er the shoulder 1t was lying on the
pool of blood. the upper portion dry.
He could not tell whether it was the
first, second or third time that ne was
in the room that he first saw the pen
ell. Saw some blood on the reception
room door that had frosted glass with
lines of transparent glass around the
outside This door leads from the hall
way to the reception door. There were
bloody finger prints at the bottom of
the glass. There was blood in the office
of DR.. Reineke's, and the door between
| it and the joint reception room was
open. The blood was by the window
looking out onto the alley. The window
was up and blood was on the inside of
| VIC pottolh iiohhC Poi VI IhC iO"Ci
sash. There was little on the floor,
and some on the curtains.
] Mr.. Abbott conducted the cross exam
| nation. At the foot of the stairway
are double glass doors, set in few
inches from the street line. There is
a platform about fifteen inches wide be-
low the first step. Heard no noise across
the street, toward Gebhards office when
l left the saloon. Entered Engelbrets
saloon after $3.50, and was there seven
or eight minutes before / was called
out. Did not notice Brooks or Cave
naugh when went to Gebhard's office
There was nobody above me on the
stairs or in the hallway except Police
ban Weisenborn. The latter tried all
three doors, those opening into the
operating room, joint reception room and
Dr. Reineke's office. Weisenborn got
stool from the Review office and look
ed over the transom into the operating