The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-04
ABBOTT OUTLINES
DR.. KOCHS CASE
Continued from First Page.

cards and with DR.. Vogel sang popular
songs; of his starting home and meet
ing and talking with three men at the
foot OF his office stairs; Of his visiting
IN the barbershop; Of his return to his
office to extinguish the light which he
remembered he had left turned on; then
OF his going home by the route which
it was his custom to follow.
The lawyer said that5when DR.. Koch
passed the stairway leading up into DR..
offices the man who had
SUNK into the entrance several minutes
before, assembled the stairs with tread
so heavy that it could not but attract
the attention of the young men in the
office below, who had seen DR.. Koch
pass the window but moment before.
He said that witness would be pro-
duced who would testify that he saw
this strange man step into the hallway
about thirteen minutes before DR.. Koch
passed. This witness would say that the
stranger held handkerchief in front
of his face so that passersby might
not discover who he was.
The Alibi.
Following DR.. Koch to his home that
night, Mr.. Abbott said that it
would be proved that he reached there
at 9:3S. The father aud sister Of the
defendant would swear to that. Then it
would be shown that DR.. Koch took off
it on a hook; that he stood by the table
in their presence for. few minutes and
read the news in the paper; that he
went down into the basement of the
house where he and al college student
and his brother, William Koch, roomed.
The college student would testify that
while DR.. Koch was. there he, the for
mer, observed the@1clock and saw that
it was before 10. Then it would be
proved that the defendant went up
stairs, got an apple and sat down by
been given to him the day before by the
college student; that his sister. Ida
Koch, retired; that finally their father
went to bed, and that later on he him
self went down to his basement bed
room and went to bed.
The next morning. Mr.. Abbott said,
DR.. Koch went down to his office as
usual. His sister would tell that she
walked with him as far as the school
house where she taught. Thence the
defendant went down Center street to
where he met Professor Rein of the
Lutheran college. Together they OBJ
served the window thru which the muir
derer had escaped. Thence the de-
PENDANT went into DR.. Gebhardt g office,
which was filled with people.
1t would be proved by. Professor REIN
and others that on that morning DIR:
Koch had on his brown stiff hat and
cravenette overcoat, and DR.. Stricken.
called by the state yesterday, had said
that the defendant wore an overcoat
when he reached his office that morning:
All this, he said, was an peachment
of the testimony Of Postmaster Krook
that the defendant wore brown under
coat and no overcoat on the morning
following the murder; and also of the
testimony of John G. Groneau, car
penter. who said that when he saw
Koch in the Gebhardt office he had on
no overcoat. III
Demeanor al Funeral.
+ From DR.. Gebhardtsss office, Mr.. Ab'
| bott said, itwould he Shown that the de-
PENDANT went straight to his own office
and all day was engaged IN operating
on several patients, Hnone of whom ever
noticed an abrasion Of the skin or spot
or blemish upon his hands, Other
! witnesses would testify that DIR. Koch
went to his brother-in laws house that
evening and with other young people
practiced music for the funeral of DR.
Gebhardt; that he attended the tunera
services, both at the house and at the
church; that he sang in quartet a.
those services. "And it will be shown, ;,
continued the speaker, that altho. al
most everybody in the audience hac
heard the day before and that morning
that handkerchief had been founc
with his initials on it, and were care
fully watching for some indication o.
embarrassment, there was no person II
the entire audience to take the stant
and say that they observed the slight
est unnatural action upon his part
It would be shown, too that imme
diately after the funeral the defendant
was taken to the office of Henry Som
sen and informed that he was being
suspected as the murderer. Senator
Somerville, who was present, made
critical examination of the bruises
scratches or blemishes on the defend
ants hands. It would be proved thai
the only injuries upon them then wa
a slight scratch in the hollow of thu
palm of the right hand and an old seal
on the knuckle of the third finger.
Explanation Of Injuries.
Explanation of these injuries, he said
would be made as follows: 1t Woult
/ be proved that DR.. Koch received tn
scratch in the palm Of his hand on thu
! Sunday before the murder. At (tha
time he was driving with his girl frien<
and, having his gun along, left tn.
/ buggy to beat in the brush for, quail
! While he was gone, a threshing machln
which was passing frightened the hors
which ran. DR.. Koch rushed thru tn
: brush to catch the horse and had thel
4 got the scratch on the hand and an
other under the left eye. DR.. Nogel
the speaker said, would testify that n
had seen the injuries on the Monday be
] fore the murder, and had 90 loshed :, h1r
: about them, whereupon the defendan
, gave the explanation as above.
he scab on the finger, Mr.. Abbot
: said, was caused by the defendant
. catching his hand while trying to lift
, steel spring of seat from buggy
: This, he said, occurred two weeks be
fore the murder while the defendan
: with his brother and neighbor wer
| hunting. These companions would tes
tify.
AS to the carbolic acid burns, tn
contention of the defense would be tina
which it made at the first trial wit
, the evidence strengthened.
HThe claim of the state said NJ
; Abbott, "that DR.. Koch 8 hands wer
cut or scratched or bruised is abst
lutely without foundation, as will b
!. proved, and finds its origin in the a.
tempt Of the state to prove a preco1
.. ceived theory, to bolster up a films
, case against the defendant.
AS to the Poison.
L "A r. L u