The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-01-20
Especial to The Free Press.1


state had gathered. The counsel for
the defense in the opening address to
the Jury had considered that the one
who had sent the poison had committed
the murder. All these facts and circum-
stances that the state had procured
tend to show that the defendant sent
the package of poison to DR.. Gerhard.
Mr.. Childs then brought out to the
| jury how the state had gotten together
all the evidence showing how the poison
was sent, how it was taken from the
office of DIR. Stricken, the bottle also
taken from there and whence came the
box in which the bottle was packed, how
the address on the package was writ
ten on the typewriter and all the facts
and circumstances connected Herewith,
how the package was mailed at Hanska
and finally reached its destination and
placed into the hands of DIR. Gerhard,
who was advised by DR.. Reineke that it
must be poison and that he should be
careful not to take any of it. 1t is not
question whether the defendant sent
enough to kill Gerhard, but whether he
sent any poison at all. The attorney
then referred to the fact that strychnine
mixed with Bromo- caffein will produce
mild drink and that the victim would
not have discovered the bitter taste of
the strychnine until after he had swal-
lowed the dose and that the contention
of the defense, that if DR.. Koch had
wanted to poison DIR. Gerhard, he would
have sent him arsenic, which is sweet,
was ridiculous.
Mr. Childs claimed that the evidence
submitted by the state, established be-
yond a reasonable doubt, that the pois-
on was prepared and sent by the defend
ant to the deceased.
Attorney Childs claimed that the state,
| by the accumulation of evidence has es-
tablished beyond reasonable doubt,
F.! that Koch committed the murder of Dr.
Gebhard. He impressed upon the jury the
fact that not only one circumstance
| leads to this belief, but that many cir
cumstances and facts linked together,
go to show that the crime was commit
ted by the defendant. Then the Attor-
ney took up articles of evidence and
analysed them and went on to show the
movements of Koch on the night of the
murder and stated that it was the inten-
| ton of Koch to enter the office of Geb-
hard, to kill him with the hammer
without making any noise and then he
would quietly leave the dental office and
the dead body of Gerhard would probab-
| ly not be discovered until the following
morning. Koch would then come for
ward and say that he had been to DIR.
Gebhard's office the evening before for
a friendly visit and when he left there,
the doctor was enjoying the best of
health and the fact that Koch's family
| stood well in the eyes and estimation of
the people of New Ulm, and that he
himself had always borne an excel
lent reputation, he would not be suspect
ed of the crime. He had his plans well
prepared. 1t was his intention to find
out whether any one was in the office
of Dr. Gerhard, so that the coast would
be clear for the commission of the
crime, but like all men who commit
crime, they overlook some things. DR..
Koch in his excitement after the COM
mission of the crime and in his hurry
to escape, left the bloody handkerchief
and the hammer on the floor of the re-
ception room, and he feared to go down
the front stairs so he rushed into Dr.
Reineke's room, tore the screen and
grasping the wire near the window, he
threw his body out of this, but the wire
way, his body struck against the brick
wall, his hands came in contcat with the
brick wall and that IS how he sustained
the injuries to his knuckles and the
scratches on the palms of his hands.
This is as far as the attorney had
gone with the analyzation of the evil
dence up to the noon recess, but he will
probably talk for couple of hours this
afternoon and Mr.. Brown will make the
closing argument for the defense and
the judge will probably require an hour
or an hour and a half to deliver his
charge to the jury.
The wife of one of the iurymen had
her fortune told day or two ago, and
she received the information that her
husband would be on jury duty six
more days and that the jury would rem
der a verdict of guilty"
New Ulm, Jan. 17.-If DR.. George r.
Koch is the murderer of DIR. L. A. Geb-
hard the defendant did not make his
guilt manifest by his manner while Civ
ing his testimony in Judge Webber's
court yesterday. Those who expected