The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-08-04
RESUME Of THE KOCH CASE ]

From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
When court opened this morning the
defense expected to be able to rest this
evening. In that case the rebuttal will
be put OH tomorrow forenoon. and the
arguments will follow at once The de-
Tense is taking as long or longer than
it did at the second trial, even though
the poison branch is left out.
Juror Boesch is suffering from Sc
we're cold, and said that if he was HON,
he would remain in bed
Juror Wilder, although seventy years
old, is standing the confinement better
than most of the others. and his appe-
title is better than before he was call
ed. He suffered much during the hot
days at the opening of the trial, but
the cool weather has braced him up.
H. G.. Davis of Chicago, formerly a
reporter for the Minneapolis Journal,
testified yesterday afternoon that he
spent five weeks in New Ulm last fall.
He had gone there to 'try to fix the
crime on cocaine fiend" He described
the defendants physical condition,
which showed suffering. The defendant
had been frank in his statements. When
advised not to go down town Monday,
he had replied that he was going if he
lost his hand, for people would say that
he killed Dr. Gerhard if he stayed
home. The skin was broken on two
or three of the blisters on the knuckles.
He had said that it would be easy for
cocaine fiend to take handkerchief
from his coat pocket, but he said moth
ing about the handkerchief that was in
the coroner's possession being his.
Writer of Fiction.
"You say you were there trying to
find material to write fction?" asked
Mr.. Wilson on ross-examination.
"That was my mission" replied Mr..
Davis.
DIR. Geo. B. Weiser testified that on
Wednesday afternoon after the homi
eide the defendant had done some den
tai work for him. and he had noticed
nothing out of the way. He testified
to the examination of the defendants
hands Saturday, when he had seen the
burns but no other injuries.
George w. Barnes of New Ulm, pres
ident of the Interstate Accident Insur
ance company. which had offices in the
same building with the Koch offices,
said that he had never seen claw ham
mer in Dr. Koch's laboratory, among the
tools hung upon the wall. He had want
ed to borrow hammer shortly before
Nov. lst last to pull nails, but DIR.
Koch had none and he had taken a hat
Chef. The hammer in evidence had
never been i'm DIR. Koch's office as far as
the witness knew. He had never seen
DIR. Koch wear SLOUGH hat during the
last two years, but he always wore a
black or brown derby, having one of
each.
Charles Stuebe said that he had had
an engagement with DIR. Koch for den
tai work at about p. m. Nov. LIST, and
as DIR. Koch did not come at that hour
he had made another appointment with
him for the following afternoon. He had
noticed nothing the matter with his
hands. He had not seen DIR. Koch wear
SLOUGH hat The witness declined to
illustrate for the states attorney how
he had leaned back in the dental chair,
but admitted that he could not see
whether there were any defects or finger
rings or court plasters on the attor-
ney's hands that We're held close in
front of his face.
Saw No Marks on Koch's Hands.
Louis Buschard a dealer in general
merchandise at New Ulm, said that he
had heard suspicious against DIR. Koch
and when he went to him to have some
dental work done he had paid particular
attention to his hands. He had seen no
marks on them. not even the scab that it
is admitted was on one finger
Fred w Johnson, proprietor of the
Dakota House, and state librarian un-
der Governor Lind, testified that DIR.
Koch's hands were without injuries just
following the homicide. He also tes-
titled to DR.. Koch's clothing and hat. He
said that the soil on the roadway past
the Dahms place is soft and springy.
Cross examined, the witness said that
it was the Friday noon after the homi-
eide that he looked at DIR. Kochs hands
for two or three minutes, the hand be-
ing two feet way from him. He saw
no signs of acid burns, nor did he see
the old scar that was admitted He
had not testified about seeing the hand
before.
Chief of Police Klause testified that
on March 18th last, at 1925 p. m. he
had cut the top of the post off, on the
Dahms gate. He had done nothing to