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

and said that he had used it. Mr.. Alb
bolt produced two mallets, but the
witness said that they were not Koch's
Mr.. Abbott produced some chisels and
MIR. Dahm at once picked out one as
Mr.. Koch's. He didn't know about the
others.
Mr. Abbott produced two punches, and
the witness said that neither one OF
them was Koch's. Witness was shown
two pair of nippers and picked out one
and said that Koch had pair like that
Three monkey wrenches were then
shown the witness and he said that he
could not say. Mr.. Abbott produced a
hammer and witness said that it looked
like one that had belonged to his father
mad got last year. He had never seen
it at Koch's.
Why He Had Fabricated.
On redirect, the witness recited the
conversation that he had had with VIM
Koch The latter had asked whether he
did not think that the Koch hammer
was not little fatter. l told him that
it looked the same. | told Rydell that il
was not Koch's hammer because | did
not want to be witness against DIR
Koch Had known him for twelve
years and we were on friendly terms.
Gen. Childs endeavored to have the
witness explain or give the exact con,
versation had at Rev. Albright's house
but the defense continually interposed
objections, so that slow progress was
made.
Answering Mr.. Abbott, witness said
that it was because of his friendship fol
and old acquaintance for DIR. Koch that
he had not wanted to testify against
him.
"Are you still friendly with himg"
"That can't be-"
Some in the audience laughed, anc
the court admonished them that there
must be no mirth in the court room al
the case is very serious one. He haC
to ask the bailiffs twice to keep or
der.
Not The Hammer.
Mrs. Katherine Kasz was called. She
had to have an interpreter, and H. L.
Schmitt was sworn. The witness said
that she lives in New Ulm, has a fam
lily, and she does washing and scrubbing
She had done scrubbing in the Stricken
block for two years, where DIR. Koch's
offices are located. She nad cleaned his
offices, windows, carpets, ETC., for two
years prior to last Nov. lst. Dr. Koch
had two rooms, one a work room and
the other an operating room. She clean
ed his offices every week last sum-
mer. She cleaned the windows three
weeks before the murder. She took a
window out, and used the hammer to
do it. The hammer was hanging on two
nails in the work room. The window
was in the south wall, and the hammer
was about three feet from it. There
are three windows in that room. The
hammer was near the southeast corner
of the room. There was gasoline stove
on the floor little over two feet from
the hammer. The hammer mad a short
handle and the right claw off and the
head all batteres. The handle was
homemade and looked old. The wall
where the hammer hung, was black, ex
cept back of the hammer, where it was
clean. The witness was shown the ham.
mer, exhibit 5, and said that it was not
the one. She insisted on this.
Gen. Childs consulted with his asso-
ciates and Chief Klause.
Taken BY Surprise.
Gen. Childs said that he was taken
by surprise at the answer of the witness
and wished to cross examine her.
Mr.. Abbott said that it was no sur
prise, as the woman had told Detective
Rydell and others tina tit was not the
hammer
MIR. Brown said that Mr.. RydelI could
be called.
Gen. Childs said that he had the af-
tidavit of the woman that it was the
hammer.
Gen. Childs asked the witness whetn
er Chief Klause and Mr.. Rydell, at
Mayor Silverson's, week after the
murder, showed her hammer. She said
that they did two weeks afterwards.
Gen. Childs asked whether she had
not said then to Chief Klause that
when the hammer was shown her they
had asked whether she had not seen it