The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-05-12

in DIR. Koch's office to my knowledge.
W. N. Amundson of ST. Peter, vo-
cal teacher. said that he had appoint
ments at New Ulm in September last
and later and met Dr. Koch. On the eve
ming of Nov. lst | saw DR.. Koch as he
came down stairs from his office. This
was about 9:l2 or 9:l5 p. m. He stood
with us three to five minutes and then
walked toward his home. Messrs.
Higgs and Schanau were there.
Cross examined, the witness said that
the next morning he had told this to
Chief Peterson of st. Peter, who had
been instructed from Netw Ulm to ask
him about the matter. Heard that our
heard then that Koch's name was men
toned and laughed about it. / told
Mr.. Peterson that Koch had left the
drug store at 9:l5 or 9:lS p. m.
On redirect, witness said that he
knew about the time because he and
Mr.. Schanan had compared watches. 1
was eight minutes out of the way.
Compared my watch later with the Da-
kota House clock.
Henry G. Davis of Chicago, newspa-
per man, was sworn. Have lived in
Chicago a week. Lived in Minneapolis
three years before that. Am employed
as a copy reader in the Inter Ocean
Was employed by the Journal in No
vember, and went to New Ulm Satur-
day evening, Nov. 5th, to write up the
case. Saw DR.. Koch about noon, Nov.
6. Have known Shepard, reporter for
the Minneapolis News, for four years.
He, I and Mr.. Baker, representing the
st. Paul Dispatch, went to the Koch
residence together. We were invited in
and told Miss Ida Koch and DIR. Vogel
Vogel telephoned to Mr.. Somsen for
permission for DIR. Koch to talk. DIR.
Kocn then told all of his movements.
Mr.. Shepard and DIR. Vogel took the
statement down and compared them af-
forwards. l published an exact copy of
it in the Journal. DIR. Koch had just
been having his hand dressed. He APP
peared like one who had lost sleep. He
seemed to be suffering some from his
hand He talked freely and voluntarily
on all points. Had no trouble in un-
Outstanding him. His voice was natur-
al and he frequently laughed. On Mon
day, l saw DR.. Koch, with DR.. Vogel.
DR.. Vogel told him that he might lose
his hand if he caught cold in it. DIR.
Koch said that he did not care if he did,
that he was going down town, for he
was tired of being shut up like Grim
inal and people would think that he
killed DIR. Gerhard if he stayed home.
DIR. Koch went down with us. He wore
a pepper and salt coat, brown striped
trousers, brown derby hat and a black
cravennette overcoat. We went to his
office. Looked to see whether there
were any marks of cleaning on his
clothes and saw none. Mr.. Shepard
came to the office. / was working all
day on the handkerchief story, about
the cocaine fiend, getting up what is
called in newspaper parlance "a pipe"
looked all over the office. DR.. Koch
did not say that he had missed a nand
that he had, as it would have made the
story read much better, but he would
not. | made all the statements about
that story, because Shepard and l were
working together on it-syndicating it.
DR.. Koch made no statement about it.
We were not in DIR. Koch's office Sun
day. This happened on Monday at
about ii a. m. On Sunday the back of
his right hand was white, as though
blisters had pulled up and gone down
again. Some of the skin appeared loose.
There was only one place where it look
ed as though it had been gouged, and
that was on one knuckle. 1t did not
then impress me as having been groug-
ed.
On cross examination, Gen. Childs
asked: "You went to New Ulm to report
the case for your paper, the Minneap
oils Journal?"
81 went there to write stories for
the Journal. / suppose you would call
it reporting"
"You were a close friend of Mr..
Somsen?"
'No, sir"
''You were the guest of Mr.. Som
SEM"
"You took your meals with him?"
"No, sir l took few goose sup
pers with him."
"You were invited by Mr.. Somsen to
be his guest?"
"No, sir"
"You and Mrs. Davis were invited to
be their guests, were you not?"
"No, sir. Mrs. Davis had an invita-
ton"
"Who FROM"
"Mr. Somsen. But she did not 90
there"
Witness said that the cocaine fend
story was first talked of in the carriage
from the house to Koch's office Mon
day.
"Now, Mr.. Davis, there was no foun-
dation for that story was there? 1t
was one of the pipe dreams you speak
Off"
"There was this much basis, that
ordered transportation to go and look
up the man."
GAS matter of fact. there was no
foundation for it, was there?"
''Well, l heard of letter supposed to
be in DR.. Koch's office describing. an
other man. That said nothing about the
cocaine fend.
"When did you first hear of the CO.
caine field?"
'It was Sunday morning, Nov. 6tn"
"Then you published your story next
day?"
"Not until we got some more facts, |
or what we believed to be facts"