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

had signature book, but went mostly
by memory. Never claimed to be an
expert in handwriting. See no similar
ity between the letters on the bottle
and those on the other exhibits.
Prof. j. r. Brandrup, one of the
College, was called. Have made nand-
writing study for sixteen or seven
teen years, and made comparison of
handwriting a study for the same
length of time The witness was shown
the exhibits and said that he had COM
pared and examined them last evening
very carefully, using a glass.
Il don't think that the writing on the
bottle was made by the person who did
the writing on the Sheets" said the wit
ness, replying to question.
The witness explained the difference
in the formation of the letters, by
which he had arrived at his opinion.
The greatest difference was found in
the "m" round turns being made at
the bottom i'm the letter on the bottle.
The letter was made with one stroke,
and one of the downward strokes was
repeated quarter of the way down.
The sp'' was also quite different. All
writing has some similarity. The sc" is
made in different ways on the defend
ants exhibits, and some of them are
similar to the sc" i'm Sample" The
ending of the sc" is somewhat similar
in some cases and in som cit is not.
| do not attach much Importance to
the ending of word, because the same
people have different ways of ending
words.
that he could compare handwriting as
shown by a combination of six letters
as readily as with more. He later modi-
fled this, and said that ne could not do
it as readily as with forty pages of
writing He knew of no institution that
teaches expert handwriting.
Prof. Curtiss was recalled and said
that the final letter 'e' ends differently
in different words on the defendant S
exhibits.
Charles A Hers, a contractor of New
Tim, was sworn. Visited f. G. Koch
premises at II p. IN. Sunday. The moon
had gone down and the sky was cloud
ed. The lights in the valley below en-
abled person to see objects distinctly
in some places. Examined a newspa-
per nalf way between the barn and
corn crib, and read the headlines. Prof
Fisher folded a paper and placed it
against a fence seventeen steps away,
and we could see white spot, but not
the outline of the paper. We counted
seventeen lights in the city.
Cross examined, the witness said that
he had been playing cards at Turner
hall just before starting. William Koch
was there. Could not have told whether
the white object against the post was a
board or any other white object What
| read was the name of the paper across
the top.
The noon recess was taken.
Alfred Baltrusch, clerk in w. G
Alwin's drug store at New Ulm, testi
fed this afternoon that he saw the de-
PENDANT adjusting a cot on his finger
la Lnl
nuekle. Have had experience with
carbolic acid burns. They turn the
skin white, and in half an hour they
turn red, and after while a scab comes
off,
On cross examination, the witness
said that it was about noon when DIR
Koch entered the store. Do not know
where Cleve Fredericks, the other clerk
was. Did not see him. The defendant
was standing between the two counters
and | was behind the counter. | could
see that he mad ''bruise from carbOlc
acid" Three scabs were all that l could
see. They were on the knuckles of the
first, second and third fingers of the
right hand. They were remarkable
scabs. Did not examine his hands care
fully.
On redirect, the witness said that
Koch did not try to conceal his hands.
Produced the Post.
Paul Hippaub was sworn. At the
time of the homicide, | had been living
at the Koch residence month and a
half, attending college. There is one
room finished off in the basement be-
side the cellar, and / occupied that
There is a door entering the basement
after going down seceral steps. Never
saw the hammer in evidence at the
Koch premises. There We're other ham
mers there. There are four WAYS to
go to town from the Koch place, by
the road, the Herman park, the cream.
cry and the slough past the Dahms res
H. II