The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-07-21
RESUME Of THE KOCH CASE !

lowing the triers so day each for
eight days service.
DR.. George b. Wiser of New Ulm was
the first witness called by the state
He testified very similarly to what he
did at the second trial. He told of
seeing the body on the evening of the
murder, Just after ten o'clock He eX-
amined the body, and after being there
five minutes noticed the pencil lying ON
the eliot of blood near the head. This
eliot was large one and was an inch
deep at the deepest part. The blood was
CONCEALED, and the pencil sank into it
only line He could read the letter
ing, which was on the upper side. DR..
Weiser said that he did not drop the
pencil. Attorney Pfaender stood up and
DR.. Weiser illustrated with him the
position of the knife cuts found on DIR.
Gebhard's face and neck, and describ-
ed the knife and hammer wounds as he
had found them at the autopsy next
morning at Binger's morgue. The inn
mediate cause of death was the deep
cut on the right side, severing the sa
rotid artery and partly severing the Jug
lar vein. but death would have resulted
in few hours from the hammer blows
on the back of the head Gen. Childs ex-
amined for the state and L. l.. Brown
for the defense.
Eugene Pfefferle, the druggist, testi-
fed that he was in Simmet's barber
shop on the evening of the murder. DIR.
Koch came in at 9:20, asked for Arnold
Stamm, remained a few minutes and
went out He said that he and others
had walked to the Ottomeyer block to
the Koch residence in l5:45. Mr. Pfen-
der examined for the state and Senator
Somerville for the defense. On cross
examination, Mr. Pfefferle said that he
and Simmet looked at the clock few
seconds before DIR. Koch came in and
it was just 800. Didn't notice wheth
of hat he wore.
Anton Simmet, the barber whose shop
is next to the Review office and the
second door from the stairway leading
to the Gerhard offices, said that Dr.
Koch entered his shop just after 500
p. IN. on Nov lst and left three or four
minutes later. He wore a brown derby
hat and a black overcoat. Did not
notice his trousers. DR.. Koch asked for
Stamm. Pfefferle came into the shop
at about 9:lO p. m.
Alfred Him., who worked in Sim
NETS barber shop, and is seventeen
years old, said that he left the shop
at 9:05 OF 9:l0 p. m. Nov. lst and
stood in front of Pfefferle's drug store.
Saw Dr. Koch walk past to the Fas-
senmeyer hardware store, four stores
north, look around and come back and
90 into the barber shop. Koch made in
quiries as to several people. On cross
examination, the witness said that he
stood in front of the drug store fifteen
or twenty minutes, and that Koch was
goxn seven or eight minutes when he
went north. Witness saw him all the
time
Herbert Baltrusch, nineteen years old,
who was working in the Review print
inc office. was called. He worked for
Asa P Brooks. He said that on the eve
ming of the murder he saw DIR. Koch
pass the window and Immediately af
forwards heard heavy footsteps ascend
ing the stairs, cross the hall, heard the
door to DIR. Gebhard's office opened and
shut loudly, and heard the footsteps go
into Dr. Gebhards operating room.
ING machine ceased. He heard no voices
and he went home in five or ten min
uleS anu ulu IOJ ltdlH VI lHt uCi
that night. On the way home he saw
Mr.. Brooks and Henry n. Somsen.
brother in law of the defendant, on
Berg's corner walking south.
On cross examination, Mr.. Baltrusch
said that he got home at 9:45 p. NJ. 1t
took him two minutes to walk there
from the office Heard no cries or noise
as he went home. DIR. Koch wore a
brown derby hat and a black overcoat
From the time that DIR. Koch passed the
window until the footsteps were heard
it was a minute or two.
General Childs tried to bring out
where DR. Koch would have met any
one else who might have been the per-
son. ascending the stairs, but questions
to this effect were all ruled out on OBJ
lection by the defense. General Childs
said that he was surprised, as the wit
ness had never testified like this be-
fore. The attorneys for the defense de-
clared that at previous trials he never
was asked this question. General
VI