The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-28

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this removes any possible fear that the
pencil was dropped by some person who
went to the office. after the murder.
Koch Had Injuries.
The person who went through the
screen must nave injured himself. The
state will snow that a few days after
the murder DIR. Koch's hands were ex-
amined. Three superficial scratches
were found on one wrist, one sixteenth
of an inch apart. The wires on the
screen were one sixteenth of an inch
apart. The state will prove that on the
day following the murder the defend
ant went to drug store under his Of
fee and went behind the counter and
began to search for some cots for his
fingers. The clerk in the store will tes-
tify to seeing sores on two of DR..
Koch's knuckles, as though the skin
had been jerked off. He helped Koch
put on two rubber cots. A day or two
later another witness saw the sores
The sores, the state will claim, were
made by the defendants fingers brush
ing against the brick wall as he let
himself down into the alley in making
his escape.
Witness will swear that Koch on the
night of the murder wore black
cravenette overcoat with slash pockets,
and he says he wore pepper and salt
suit. The next morning he wore a
brown coat, according to one or two
witnesses. Another creditable witness
will testify that at $3.50 p. m. that af-
ternoon he saw the defendant with his
right hand in his pocket. and mis- left
by his side. He suspected Koch and
scrutinized the coat closely for blood,
and will testify that the coat was
brown. He also saw small, reddish
colored scratch under one of the de-
PENDANTS eyes, apparently recently
made. Another witness will testify
that the coat worn next day did not
have slash pockets. The defendant
claimed at the New Ulm trial that his
eravenette overcoat disappeared three
weeks after the murder, but that he did
not tell it to anybody but his brother
inlaw, Mr.. Somsen, who advised him to
keep STILL
More New Evidence.
The state will also prove that eight
or ten minutes before 10 o'clock on the
night of the murder someone ran by
the last house on Second street north
before reaching the Koch residence. The
road passes the house of Mr.. Dahm, for
twelve or fifteen years tenant of
Koch's father, almost in bee line On
the road is a post that gate swings
on, held by wires and fastened by a
rope. There is another post fifteen
inches away. In going through, one
must instinetively place his hand on a
post to keep from stumbling, owing to
a declivity in the ground. On the
morning after the murder Mrs. Dahm
saw fresh blood on the post. The day
before there was no blood there. On
the hill to the west is the Koch home.
The gate is on private way to the
latter. Mrs. Dahm will testify that the
members of the Koch family were in
the habit of using this private way. On
the night of the murder she was in bed,
but the barking of her dogs aroused
ner and she heard person running.
She "sicked' her dogs and they pur-
sued as far as the gate.
A few days after the murder, the
state will show, Koch lay on his couch
and said to DIR. Stricken: doctor, 1
an almost helpless. l do not think that
L can walk across the room, | am so
weak" or words to that effect On
Friday night severe burns were found
on DIR. Koch's hands. He claimed that
they were made by carbolic acid getting
on his hands and alcohol placed on the
burns catching fire while putting stick
of wood in the stove. The state con-
tends that carbolic acid will not mater
tally injure persons hands-all gone
in day or two. 1t will be apparent
that the defendant burned his hands
by some other means and for the pur-
pose of destroying the evidence of the
sores.
Motive Will Be Shown.
There is usually motive for human
action, and the question naturally
arises, "What could have been the mo-
tive that could have inspired the de-
PENDANT to STAY DR.. Gebhard?" Before
we can say that person had motive,
we must understand the man. There
are men so noble that they would not
take fellow mans life under any con-
sideration. There are others who will
do it for few paltry dollars. There
are men who will do it out of revenge
or jealousy. The state will show by
Ole Hen that fha dpfauda nj cold that