The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-04
NEW EVIDENCE
IN TANKE CASE
WELLNER WAS SHOT ON A LOAD
OF HAY.
Frank Brey, Neighbor, Comes For
ward with Belated Testimony Which
the State Overlooked and Which
Would Have Helped to Confirm the
Guilt of the Man and Woman.

Special to The journal.
New Ulm, Mimi, Jan. Anew evidence has
several years old, which, had it been Introduced
by the state at the trial, would have helped to
fasten the guilt of the murder Of John Wellner
New Years eve, 1898, still more firmly upon
the man and woman now serving life sentences in
saltwater prison. "a ~ - 49, - .s-.t
The first theory was that Tanke killed his
victim between 1880 and $50 in the evening, and
when Mrs. Tanke confessed she said It was
about chore time. She also said she killed her
husband in the barn. +:
|, This new evidence shows that wellner was
killed between 4 and 8 in the afternoon and on a
load Of hay which Wellner and Tanke were haul
ing from a field. -.. H-.
Il the new evidence is reliable. then it makes
little difference whether or not Tanke took that
second trip to the Wellner farm that the state
went to such pains to prove, for the murder was
committed not in the evening, but in the after
noon. So 's
Frank Brey, a neighbor Of tho murdered man,
1s the witness who comes forward with the be-
lated testimony. Tanke was the hired man at
the Wellner farm and 1t was his duty to do the
chores. Following the murder he did not return
to the place for day or two and Mr.. Brey
did the chores about the farm. 4, a.,
in the house with Mrs. Wellner and spoke about
going out to feed the stock.
II guess" he said, that Will take some
hay of that load which is standing in the barn
on the wagon Mrs. wellner looked up quickly
and spoke rather sharply. :.>,~ ~g>~s -.
"You may take hay, OF the sides Of, the load
you want TO, 6Q6 9a1Q, ''DuC there Is plenty
Of hay beside that on the wagon" ,> -.
Made Brey Suspicious: ~.
This made Brey suspicious. and at the first
opportunity he climbed upon the wagon and ex-
amined the load Of hay. On the top toward the
front was a great smear of blood and Brey
thought at once that Wellner had met his death
while driving from, the field late in the after
noon. IT - =.
He figured it out in this way. wellner was
driving and Tanke was riding behind. Tanke
| fred two shots, one entering the back of the
head on the right side and the other IN the
back He then drove the wagon to the barn
and leaving the body on the load rushed into
| town to establish alibi. He later returned at
the time the state endeavored to prove he did
and with the victims wife laid out the body at
the southeast corner Of the barn on the outside,
where it found.
B1ey never testified at any Of the trials be.
cause he was never subpoenaed, and he never
came forward voluntarily with his testimony be-
cause he knew that it would take him away from
his farm work for long time and into counties
some distance away. Moreover, at the time, he
did not realize the Importance of what he
knew.
Supported by Other Testimony.
This theory Of Brey's seems to be borne out
by some of the testimony offered at the various
trials. Neighbors heard shots late in the after
noon. Tanke was not on the farm at about 4 80
pm. when a friend called to get him to 60 to a
dance in New Ulm, and so must already have
left for the city.
Wellner and Tanke were hauling hay from a
from stack in the field and throwing it into
the barn the afternoon in question and the
dance in this city. He to be met by a
friend and they were to go in together. When
! the friend called Tanke was gone and he pro-
ceeded to the city alone.zss
At 6 O'Clock that same evening Tanke was
seen in Stengel's saloon. According to the testf
mony Of his father and sister he came home at
about O'clock and went to the dance, where he
remained until in the morning. =
| The state explained his movements thai
night as follows: He left the farm about 4
o'clock, reached his home about I O'Clock and
shooting Wellner he jumped horse an6
rode at gallop for Klossner station, reaching II
! in time to catch the $3.50 train and ride int
{ New Ulm. witness saw him ride along thu
snow fence this side Of Klossner.
With this new evidence of Brey's 1t is still
probable that Tanke made that second trip to thu
t to establish his guilt. The explanation would
now be that the trip was taken for the purpose
Of removing the body from the load Of hay ant
placing it where it was found. The fact tina
the man was not killed where the corpse wa
:, discovered established on the trials by tn
y fact that there was TO blood ON the ground.
= Mrs. Wellner's Story :.*
e John wellner 1t will be remembered, wa
r. shot and murdered on the last day Of the year
r 1898. His body was not found until the mex
. morning between and o'clock by his wifi
g and her father, whom she had summoned froT
!; his home some distance away. The first stor
l. was that he had been killed hey some robber
who had tied Mrs. Welners hands. She sal
that she and her husband had heard a noise out
side, between II and IL o'clock and that Vel
ner got up, partly dressed and went out with
lantern. Shortly after two men entered an
q bound her hands and robbed the house. "
Several hours after she managed to get one {
her hands free and ran over to her fathers plac
IT and told him she feared for her husband. The
n returned together and discovered the body nea
II the barn. ~. -. =, -:
IS Later Mrs. wellner ana Frank ranke WEI
married and had enjoyed welded bliss abor
IT two years when evidence was produced COZ
y Meeting them with the crime. IT,. -.