New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-09-27
HO|DALE DEFENDS HIS Name
Reply Of County Attorney to Criticisms Recent
ly Made. Announces Retirement
From County Politics
New Ulm, Mimi, Sept. 25, 1905.

|
hardt murder last fall the writer and
the county authorities have been most |
unjustly misrepresented and grossly |
abused by certain of the local press
and to some extent by individuals.
Personally, the writer could forget the /
injustice that has been done to him,
but there are other reasons that APP
peal to him and prompt him to speak
In the first place, the local public,
which has been misled and deceived,
has a right to know the truth and it
might be pardoned for believing charges
and insinuations repeatedly made with
futed. In the second place, (and this is
the more serious phase of the situ-
ation) the fair and good name of this
community has been doubly besmirch-
ed and stained by scattering broadcast
charges to the effect that the writer, the
board of county commissioners and to
some extent the sheriff and the coroner,
were engaged in a plot or conspiracy,
Or we're individually moved by some
common design and purpose onot only
passively conceal information and
facts going to prove who was guilty of
t the homicide but that these agencies,
+ each sworn to perform sacred and stern
: duties to the State, were actively en-
gagged in covering up traces leading to
the detection of the guilty criminal.
What could be more shocking? What
= could be more derogatory to the fair
, fame of a civilized community? What
y could more outrage the sense of honor
=. in the men against whom these charges
were made?
T. 1t does not seem ri ght that should,
4 under these circumstances, remain
q silent. I would not be doing justice to
myself and certainly not to the public
Il and the community, if I failed to an
4 swer my accusers. Tempted, as have
+ been, not only to speak but to act as
10 we'll, 1 averefrainedd during the months
# of the several trials from doing either,
20 and now that the time has come when
10 it is possible for me to speak, am
o. 10th to do so as it somewhat revives a
" subject naturally disagreeable to al
- concerned. This should have beer
published Immediately following the
trial, but my absence from the State
!, has caused the delay.
In order not to unduly extend thi:
y article, I will confne myself to state
w. ments of facts to show the talsity O
- the unfounded and malicious charges
- made. TO sum up the charges and cri
ticisms which have been freely mad
~ and circulated, they may be stated a
- follows:
~ /. That the County Attorney wa
~ dilatery in getting detectives on tn
ground.
2. That he purposely avoided gettin.
blood hounds and made no seriou
efforts in that direction.
= 3. That the county commissioner
were unwilling to furnish funds neces
Y sary for prosecution.
| A. That the County Attorney convive
& and conspired to defeat the ends c
Justice and to aid the defense of tn
person accused.
l 5. That the coroner and sheriff faile
to perform their duties as publ
4 officers.
1 First: On the night of the homicid
I [ retired at a quarter to 10 O'Clock an
I was called about an hour later. Th
/ coroner and police officers were then i
charge of affairs in the Gerhard
I offices. Hurried inquiry of the officer
\ and an interview with the eye witnes
/ quickly led me to believe that we wer
l confronted by mystery which re
quired quick action as we'll as NOR
\ skill and experience in work of thu
! kind than any of our local men coul
furnish. Inside of half an hour ate
1 I arose I called up police headquarte1
\ of St. Paul, informed the man charg
\ of the facts and asked him if he woul
| see to it that a detective, skilled
/ criminal investig ations, came out O
1 the very first train. I urged the in
I portance of this strongly and /
I promised to do what he could. At tn:
| time of the night all the detective Office
| were closed and there was nothing mo-
\ to do in that direction. -.r.
I By the time I was through tel
l phoning, the body as we'll as the exh
j bits had been removed. One of the fir
4 things I did the next morning was
4 telephone again to the ST. Paul poll
IA headquarters to inquire whether d
"a tective had been sent. The man tn
4 in charge said that he did not kno
~ and that the night man was not ther