New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-01-04
EVIDENCE o. BLOOD ON Hay
Frank Brey Brings BeIated Testi-
n1ony

Ir1ony
Pound Blood on Load OF Hay soor
After Murder.
Shows That Theory OF Wellner,.
Death Was Wrong.
New evidence has come to light II
the Tanke murder case, now severa1
years old, which, had it been intro.
duced by the state at the time of the
trial, would have helped to fasten The
guilt OF the murder of John Wellne1
on New Years eve, 1898, still more
firmly upon the man and woman now
serving life sentence in Saltwater
prison.
Inc evidence bears upon the time at
which the murder was committed, and
the place. The first theory was that
Tanke killed his victim between 7:3O
and $3.50 in the evening, and when
Mrs. Tanke confessed she said it was
about chore time. She also said she
killed her husband in the barn.
This new evidence shows that Wei
liner was killed between four and Eve
ID the afternoon and on load of hay
which Wellner and Tanke were haul
Ing from the stack in the field to the
house.
NOT MURDERED IN EVENING.
If the evidence now discovered IS
reliable then it makes little difference
whether or not Tanke took that second
trip to the Wellner farm that the state
took such pains to prove, for the
murder was committed not in the
evening but in the afternoon.
Frank Brey, a neighbor of the MUIR
{ dered man, is the witness who comes
forward with the belated testimony.
Tanke was the hired man at the Well
ner farm at the time and it was his
duty to do the chores. Following the
murder he did not return to the place
for day or two and Mr.. Brey did the
chores about the farm.
On the morning following the crime
he was in the house with Mrs. Well
ner and spoke about going to feed the
stock.
I guess" he said, that I will take
some hay off that load which is stand
ing in the barn on the wagon. !, Mrs.
Wellner looked up quickly and spoke
rather sharply.
You may take hay off the sides of
the load if you want to- she said,
ssbut there is plenty Of hay beside that
on the wagon.
BREY GROWS SUSPICIOUS.
This made Brey suspicious and the
first chance he got he climbed onto the
wagon and examined the load of hay.
On the top toward the front was a
great smear Of blood and Brey thought
at once that Wellner had met his
death while driving that hay in from
the field, late in the afternoon.
He figured it out this way. Wei
liner was driving, and Tanke was rid
ing behind. Tanke fired two shots,
one entering the back Of the head on
the right side and the other in the
back. He then drove the wagon to
the barn and leaving the body on the
load rushed into town to estab lish an
allbl. He later returned at the time
the state endeaVored to prove he did
and with the victim S wife laid out
the body at the southeast corner of
the barn, on the outside where it was
found.
Brey never testified at any of the
trials because he was never subpoened,
and he never came forward voluntar-
lily with his testimony because he knew
It would take him away from mis- farm
work for a long time and into coun-
ties some distance away and so lose
him many dollars. Moreover, at the
time. he did not realize the importance
of what he knew.
OTHER TESTIMONY CoRoBoRATEs.
This theory of Brey's seems to be
borne out by some of the testimony
offered at various trials. Neighbors
who heard the shots said they heard il
late IN the afternoon. Tanke was moi
on the farm at about 4:3O p. m. when
q friend called to get him to 60 into a
dance in New Ulm, and so must have
already left for town.
Wellner and Tanke were hauling
hay from stack in the field and
throwing it into the barn on the after.
noon in question and the latter was
planning on going into a New ears
dance at Union hall, in this city
He was to be met by friend and they
were to go in together.
When the friend called Tanke wa.
gone, and he proceeded to town alone
At six O'Clock that same evening
"a Jye,,. ~