The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-14
New UIm Publisher Must An
swer Before Judge Cray.
His Article on the Sable MUIR
der Causes Trouble.
Said to Have Mailed Copies
to Jurors and Others.

Phlnp Llescn, edltor ana proprietor
of The Brown County Journal, publish
ed at New Ulm, has been cited to APP
pear before Judge Cray tomorrow at
9 a. m, in this city, and show cause, If
any there be, why he should not be adj
Judged guilty of contempt of court and
punished therefor, for writing, print
ing and publishing an article in his
paper issued last Saturday, having the
following head lines: estate Is Now
Delving. DR.. Geo. R. Koch's Cousin
Was Murderer. Two Cases Are SINH
lar County Officials Vie to Cover Up
Crime and Murderer Only Receives Five
Years Sentence" The order was issued
yesterday by Judge Cray, and the pa
pers were served upon Mr.. Liescn at
New Tim last evening by Sheriff Will
Jams.
The order of the court goes on to say
that Mr.. Liesch must answer to the
charge of "willfully and maliciously,
and with intent to prejudice, misiead,
deceive, and corrupt all persons in
whose hands copy of the issue might
come, causing several hundred copies
containing the article to be delivered
in the postoffice at New Ulm, directed
and addressed to divers persons and
places of business in Mankato, where
the Koch case is to be tried, and for
having written, published and mailed
the papers to several of the jurors on
the regular panel of the district court
trial is to be had, with the intent and
purpose on the part of said Liesch to
prejudice and poison the minds of said
jurors, and to unlawfully interfere with
the proceedings of the court, and for
having sent the same with the purpose
to disqualify as jurors any person who
might read or be advised of the con-
tents thereof, and to prejudice, poison
and inflame the mind of the public gen
orally against the defendant and the
members of his family in order to pre-
vent fair and impartial trial of the
case, ETC., ETC., and for having done all
of these things willfully and malicious
ly"
The order is based upon the affidavits
of w. d. Abbott of Winona, one of
Koch's attorneys, and w. d. Walker
and d. L. Clements of this city, jurors
on the regular panel of the district
court.
Mr. Abbott in his affidavit reviews
the Koch case up to the present time.
and then says that he is informed and
believes that the mother of the de-
PENDANT died many years ago and that
his father has never since remarked.
That the mother of the defendant never
had but one brother, who died in in
fancy. That in October, 1888, there re-
sided in Todd county, Minnesota, per-
son by the name of Samuel Sable, VINO
was the son, or step-son, of a half
brother of the father of the defendants
mother, who is the same Samuel Sable
referred to in the article published in
the Brown County Journal. That Liescn
was familiar with all of the steps tax
en- in the Koch case, and willfully and
maliciously caused the article referred
to to be written, printed and publish
ed in the paper. That there are large
number of subscribers in Blue Earth
county, particularly in the western part
thereof, adjacent to Brown county.
That on or about April 10th, 1905,
with the intent to prejudice, mislead,
deceive and corrupt all persons into
whose hands copy of the paper of
April 9Th might come, he caused about
six hundred copies of the issue to be
placed in the New Ulm postoffice, di-
rected and addressed to divers persons
and places of business in the city of
Mankato, marked sample copy" That
the affiant is informed and believes that
said Liesch procured list of the jurors
upon the regular panel of the district
court for the February term and mail
ed copy of the paper to many or all
thereof. That said article was widely
read through Blue Earth county and
elsewhere to the great prejudice and in
jury of the defendant. That the article
was written and mailed with the in
tent of prejudicing and poisoning the
minds of and disqualifying as Jurors
any person or persons VINO might read
or be advised of the contents thereof,
and to prejudice, poison and inflame the
mind of the public generally against the
defendant and the members of his fam.
lily i'll order to prevent fair and i'm
partial trial of the case, and so unlaw-