New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-05-03
THURSDAYS PROCEEDINGS

The rule that no one would be per-
mitted to stand up in the court room
during the Koch trial has been sadly
violated. Some of the sessions of the
court have been attended by so dense
a crowd that almost all available stand
ing room has been taken. Fully half of
the people present have been ladies
who are taking a deep interest in the
case. 1t seems probable that poorer rec
itations will be made in the schools for
some little time to come, to judge from
the time that some students are spend
ing in the court room.
Inc state has spent large part of
the past two days in laying the founda
ton for an assault on the abb that the
defense will seek to establish. The
states witnesses are getting in line
better as to the time of the murder than
at the New Ulm trial. For instance
yesterday Joseph Polta, the young coop
er who was taking a stroll with cou.
pie OF girls from the country, was able
to remember that he heard the church
clock strike 9:45 as soon as he had
slowly walked three blocks from the
Gebhard offices, after listening to the
noises emanating from there. At the
New Ulm trial he said nothing about
the clock striking. Cecilia Martinka, one
OF the girls, has also improved her mem
DRY, for she was able yesterday to say
that the church clock struck Just $3.50
Just as she got to her sisters home
three-quarters of block from the Geb-
hard offices. The cross examination was
not able to shake either witness as to
the striking of the clock, but it did give
Miss Martinka an uncomfortable half
hour. At the New Ulm trial she tes-
titled that she could not tell the quar-
ter hour strikes of the clock, but YES
terday she had them at her tongues
end. She claimed that she was too
frightened at the New Ulm trial to be
able to answer
The state did not produce Frances
Roeseh, the other girl who was with
Polta. At New Ulm her story conflict
ed with Miss Martinka's in regard to
her having gone to Miss Martinka's
home. At New Ulm she said that she
went with Miss Martinka to the latter,s
sisters home after the walk with Polta.
but yesterday Miss Martinka said that
Miss Roesch did not do so, but kept on
walking with Polta until their team
was ready to start for the country at
ten o'clock Polta also testified to This
1t is undoubtedly this fact that kept
Miss Roesch from being called.
the defense has been able to lay the
foundation for the impeachment of
Polta and Miss Martinka by the evil
dence of other witnesses for the state
Polta and Miss Martinka claimed that
they We're standing in front of the Re-
view office when persons began to 90
up the stairway to investigate the cries.
1avanaugh, Behnke and Vogel testi.
lied yesterday afternoon that they saw
no girls around at the time
Polta's improved memory makes his
agree with that of Cava-
laugh and Brooks as to the time of the
.ries The state is carefully strength
ming this feature, and eliminating ev
that would tend to detract
rom it.
Yesterday Afternoon.
Alfred J. yo gel, the New Ulm lum-
Der dealer, said that he was in Hodale
Somsen's office on the evening of
Sov. lst. He went there at $3.50 Or
';45 p M, and watched game of
ards played by Messrs. Hoidale, Som
en-, Brooks and another man. He took
: i hand in the game shortly afterwards Il