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

mlIleu 10 Slanu up III TIC couie iooii
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.
The state has spent large part OF
the past two days in laying the founda-
tion for an assault on the alibi 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
Gerhard 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
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
Roesch, 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
Polta and Miss Martinka by the evil
dence of other witnesses for the state.
Polta and Miss Martinka claimed that
they were standing in front of the Re-
view office when persons began to 90
up the stairway to investigate the cries.
Cayanaugh, Behnke and Vogel testi-
fled yesterday afternoon that they saw
no girls around at the time.
Polta's improved memory makes his
testimony agree with that of Cava
naugh and Brooks as to the time of the
cries The state is carefully strength
ening this feature, and eliminating ev
erything that would tend to detract
from it.
Yesterday Afternoon.
Alfred j. Vo gel, the New Ulm lum-
Der dealer, said that he was in Hodale
& Somsen's office on the evening of
Nov. LIST. He went there at $3.50 or
S:45 p. m, and watched game of
cards played by Messrs. Hoidale, Som
sen, Brooks and another man. He took
hand in the game shortly afterwards.
DIR. Koch entered about o'clock, or
it might have been a few moments
before nine. He entered in company
with DIR. Vogel and remained ten or
fifteen minutes. He mad dark suit
Niotiioutcu SOi1t ADVERTISING peHCllS
there, and believe / handed DR.. Koch
one like the one introduced in evidence
got the pencils on the afternoon be-
fore and had distributed quite a few
do not remember how many. Only two
were given to strangers. 1 am not
positive l gave DR.. Koch a pencil. He
left about 9:l0, l am not positive.
Alfred ]. Vogel, the New Ulm lumber
man, continuing his testimony, said that
he heard noises of a person in pain as
if one were getting a tooth pulled.
when near the Gerhard offices.
There was light in the
Review office and he saw Brooks in
his office and when he came out, Brooks
said that there seemed to be trouble
upstairs, and he went upstairs, and in a
minute or two came down and said that
it seemed to him as though their had
been a murder upstairs or somebodv