The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-01-27
Will Be Compared With That
Found in the Office.
New Witness For the STATE
Has Been Located.
Will Testify as to Keen Edge
of k0ch's Knife.


ed from its grave Sunday night and a
lock of hair cut from the head.
The body was exhumed at the re-
quest of the authorities. of Minnesota.
who wished to compare the color and
character of the dead mans hair with
the lock found on the floor near Geb-
hard's body the night of the homicide.
The point sought to be established is
that the lock found on the fatal night
must have been shipped from Gebhard's
head by very sharp knife. The state
is prepared to prove that DR.. Koch
was the possessor of such knife and
was proud of it.
To one witness he is said to have
remarked a few days before the murder:
''Do you see that knife?. It's sharper
than any razor you ever saw" While
delivering this speech, DIR. Koch is said
to have been Sitting piece of card
board into ribbons, emphasizing each
word with deft cut with the knife.
NJ. Norman, a life-insurance man of
st. Paul, will be put on the stand to
tell of a visit at DR.. Koch's office some
time ago, when the accused displayed
several dental instruments, among them
a particularly short knife. Because Hor-
man had disappeared, the state was not
able to use any testimony along this
line, though Anton Simmett, barber,
testified that the lock of hair had been
cut with a sharp knife. Mr. Norman, in
an interview, said that he visited Dr..
Koch and talked life insurance with him,
but the dentist refused to take out a
policy.
''The reason l kept out of the way
at the trial." said Mr. Herman, "was
because / feared that if l testified, some
of DIR. Koch's friends would say l was
inspired by revenge because he would
not take out policy So 1 remained
with friend until after the trial. l
do not remember that DIR. Koch did OF
said anything when l visited him be-
yond showing me the knife and other
TOOLS"
Senator Somerville, when informed of
the new witness procured by the state
stated that he did not attach much i'm
portance to his testimony.
1t is said that General Childs will
have much stronger case to present to
the next jury that sits in Judgment on
Koch
Sommerville Not Surprised.
Senator Sommerville knew that the
body of DIR. Gerhard had been exhumed.
Thiel agency detectives, who keep watch
of every movement of the state, an
nounced the midnight affair to him by
telegraph.
81 don't think that such evidence is
surprisingly strong" said Senator Som
merville. perhaps DR.. Koch did have a
sharp knife, but there's nothing to show
that it was his knife that cut off Geb-
hard's hair, if the state can show that
the hair was cut off, and not knocked
off by the hammer blows"
The detectives have not been releas
ed by either side The Thiel agency
men are working for the defense, though
they work so quietly that very few
persons are acquainted with them. The
Pinkerton men are working for the
state. Detective Rydell, at New Ulm, is
known as ''limelight" man. He un-
doubtedly works with secret service
men, however, as was shown when, on
the stand he greatly embarrassed Sena-
tor Sommerville by denying that he had
ever paid a visit to the Koch home
though it was known that the Koch
home was guarded and the outhouses
searched by detectives who worked at
night.
The work of the Pinkertons is to find
new evidence against DR.. Koch and to
sift all other stories pointing to an
other murderer The work of the Thiel
men is to discover what evidence the
Pinkertons collect, so that no surprises
may be sprung on the defense They dc
what they can to collect evidence
against other possible suspects.
The detectives work together in a
friendly way. Rydell was the crack
man at New Ulm. The evidence he Sc
cured from. Ole Ulen, the possible Claus
Blixt of DIR. Koch, was surprise on the
defense and was not heard of by the
other detectives until Ulen took the stand
and told his story.
1t was the detectives who located Hor-
man in st. Paul. They watched his
home, knowing that he would return
after the jury had reported.