The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-07
From . STAFF Correspondent.

From STAFF Correspondent
New Ulm, Jan. Interest in the
Gerhard murder, revolved today about
the sinister-looking hammer found in
the dead dentists office. Yesterday
the state had established that this ham
mer did not belong. to DR.. Gerhard, and
presumably had been brought as a.
x sse boldly th Sought tc show od st the the
hammer belonged to DR.. Koch. If the
shown that the defendant g handker-
chief had been found in the office of the
murdered man, and that such a pencil
as was found near the body, had been
murder, things would indeed look black
for the accused man.
Two witnesses were relied upon by
the state, but only one, Edgar Dingler,
a teamster, gave positive evidence. He
had hauled gravel for the Kochs in
1908, had seen hammer of peculiar APP
pearance in their barn and when shown
the one in evidence, identified it posi-
lively by marks on the handle as the
one he had seen. The sensation this ev-
idence made in court may be imagined.
Naturally the defense made desperate
efforts to discredit it on cross examin-
alton and did not hesitate not only by
indirection to charge bribery and per-
| Jury, but to name in its questions the
| witnesses by whom It expects to i'm
Epaach Dingler. He WAS asked if he
had not Boosted that be was to get $500
when. the case was over. This he de-
lnied positively. sss..i
Jurymen Are Impressed.
! The jury was plainly excited by the
charges limited at in the defense s ques-
tions, and Jurors Mandefeldt and Rim
Ike asked thatathe witnesses to whom
Dingler is alleged to have made his
damaging boasts be produced. This
could not be done at the present june
ture, of course, but the defense prom
ises to produce them at the proper mo-
ment when presenting its case. Ding
Ter was still on the stand when the
noon recess was taken.
| The battle over the hammer prom
! Uses to be replete with sensation and
both sides realize that much depends
on its issue.
Poison Evidence Comes In.
The state won signal victory in Sc
curing admission of. evidence with ref
erence to the bottle Of poison sent to
Dr.. Gebhard a few DAYS before the muir
der. General Childs offered to prove
that this poison came from the defend
ant and showed that the crime was pre-.
meditated. The defense objected siren
uously, but made no argument, and
Judge Weber told Mr.. Childs to pro-
coed. Many witnesses from the drug
houses Of the twin cities and an ex-
pert chemist are here to give evidence
on this phase of the case.
General Childs is well pleased with
the progress the state has made. At
| the same time, the defense is far from
/ being depressed. It's attorneys an
1nonnce that it has about been decided
not to put A. p. Brooks on the stand
and thus forestall a verdict of guilty,
because the state has not sworn an
eyewitness Of the crime.
The attorneys for the defense were
questioned in regard to the poison
fears, and that they will have no
trouble in proving that DR.. Koch did
not send the poison to DIR. Gerhard.
| The Hammer Episode.
The state today undertook to com
plete the work for which foundation
was laid yesterday, viz, that of prov
ling that the hammer with which DR..
Gebhard was killed belonged to DR..
I Koch.
Gustav Dahms, formerly employed by
:Dr. Koch g father, testified that there
was q clawhammer at the Koch resi-
dence, but when the one in evidence was
shown him, he could not say whether
it was the same hammer. The hammer
he had seen at Koch g had factory
handle, while the one in evidence had 8
, home made handle.
! Edgar Dingler, teamster, was Mex
: sworn. He had worked for DR.. Koch I
: father at harvest time in 1903.
"Did you ever see hammer at thu
: Koch residence?o asked General Childs
q eyes, I saw one lying on the win
j dow sill in the barn at Koch s -
about that hammer9o
eyes, it had mark on the handle.
r tDid you ever see this hammers,
+ asked General Childs, showing the wit
: ness the hammer with which Gebhart
i was killed.
eyes, I saw that hammer at thu
T Koch residence.
: Mr.. Abbott cross examined Dingie
: closely. and while he drew from hin
the admission that the witness coul,
not remember anything else that oc
s CURED the day he saw the hammer, b
could not shake the statement that tn
witness had seen the hammer at Koch Z
I Abbott Goes After the Witness.
tWhen did you work for Kochf
n asked Mr.. Abbott.
+ aAfter harvest in 1908.
What were you doinga' sHaulin
gravel.
Where did you put the gravelf'
"In the barn.
Il stOn which side of the barn was til
n door thru which you! shoveled tn
ID gravels' The south side.'
r Which way was your team heat
FL eda South.
Re
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