The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-01-13

New Ulm, Jan. ll.-Asa p. Brooks,
the newspaper man of this city who saw
the murderer of DIR. L. A. Gerhard in the
dentists office on the night of the ira
gedy, was called to the witness chair
this. morning. After number of wit
nesses had testified General Childs arose
and stated that the state would rest it's
case for the present and desired to hear
| the ruling of Judge Weber in regard to
calling Asa p Brooks to the stand.
Judge Weber stated that the court
would call Brooks and he was put upon
| the stand. Judge Weber told him to de-
scribe his actions on the night of the
murder as fully as possible, to tell Of ev-
cry move made from the time he enter.
ed Hoidale & Somsen's office until the
door was broken open in DR.. Gebhard's
| office. Brooks stated he knew both the
defendant and the murdered man init
mately and that both were engaged in
the dental profession in this city. He
went up to Hoidale & Somsen's office on
the evening of Nov. lst at about seven
o'clock and he played cards there with
the other gentlemen present until short
| ly after nine O'Clock, when he and Mr..
Somsen went to the postoffice.
Brooks Heard Noise.
st was nearly GAS when l entered
my office and | heard noises above be.
tween 9:35 and 9:45. When | left my Of
fee L passed Alfred Vogel on the side
walk and he said there must be some
trouble up stairs and said Yes, a
rough house | guess | asked him to
come along with me, but he did not.
went up stairs Immediately and tried
both doors and found them locked; then
| waited a minute and finally got upon
/ the bannister and looked over the tran
som and there was man leaning over
! the body of someone lying on the floor.
The man looked up and our eyes met.
[ got down and ran down stairs and
again met Vogel and again told him
| there was trouble or murder in DIR. Geb-
hard's office and asked him to 90 UP
with me, but he did not seem to want
| to 60; said he was afraid. Then | went
across the street, asked Cavanaugh to
go with me. We went up the stairs and
[ looked over the transom again and
said to Cavanaugh: BY George, some
one has been murdered and he said:
| Can it be sou Then / told him to look
| for himself, and he did. When he got
down he said: My God, l am not 60
ing to stay up here and be shot We
went down and got the police and the
door was then kicked in"
Judge Weber at this point asked
him if he knew the person who looked
at him when he looked over the tran
som and Brooks said he did not Then
the Judge asked him, 'was it not the de-
| fendant?"
| at was not the defendant"
Judge Weber further questioned the
witness and the defense did not exam
inc him.
Brooks Cross Examined.
Then Childs began a most rigid cross
examination.
'What time was it when you left
Hoidale & Somsen's Officer"
at was twenty five minutes of ten.'
"How do you know this?"
| "Mr. Hoidale told Mr.. Somsen that it
was 9:35."
"What were you doing them"
| playing cards.
"Where did you 60 them"
"Mr. Somsen and l went to the post.
office"
What did YOU do in the postoffice ~
Il opened my box and got my mail"
slow long were you in the postof-
fice?"
| "Two or three minutes"
"Did you go at once to your Officer
81 did"
"Did you at once enter the Officer"
81 did"
"How long did it take you to come
from the postoffice?'
! "Not over two or three minutes"
Heard Sounds Before Entering Office.
"Did you hear any sounds before you
entered the office"
eyes, heard the same sound in front
of the drug store"
"You began to read some of your
mail and had opened one letter."
eyes,"