The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-05-13

conclude the introduction of testi
mony for the defendant sometime
tomorrow, and that, in all probable
ity the remainder of the day woulc
be taken up with the introduction Of
motions, ETC., with portion of the
arguments on Saturday, it being his
belief that the case would not be
given to the jury until Monday fore.
noon, because of the necessary de.
lays in taking time for completing
the case.
When court reconvened yesterday
afternoon in the $4,000 damage
suit brought by Mrs. Mary Johnson
against DR.. J. c. Koch of Blackjack,
Miss Laura Koch, a sister of DR. L.
Koch, testified as to certain CONVEX
sations between herself and Mrs.
Johnson and Della during the
Easter vacation a year ago.
DR.. C. M. Freeburg, a dentist of
Blackjack, was the next witness for
the defendant. He had acted as
pallbearer at the funerrl of Oscar
Johnson and at that time had seen
Mrs. Johnson take DR.. Koch by the
hand and say, John, we never
could have gone through what we
have, without YOU" About the
last of the month he had gone to the
house to extract a tooth for Olga
and DR.. Koch had administered
chloroform to her. At that time
Mrs. Johnson had again said,
Doctor, we never could have gone
through all we did without your
help, and thank you, too, doctor
turning to the witness)."
In cross examination Senator
Peterson asked, Didn't you say to
Mrs. Johnson or one of the children
when you went to the house to
extract Olga's tooth that you were
sorry but that DR.. Koch had been
called at the eleventh hour?''
Witness No. sir. I was sorry
about Oscars death and told them
so, but not the latter part of the
conversation" He acknowledged
that he was a friend of DR.. Koch
and was interested in this case.
Questioned by Mr.. Mcdonald, DR..
Freeburg acknowledged that he was
in court as witness at the request
of Mr.. Mcdonald.
Reverend F. J. Barackman, pastor
of the Presbyterian church of Black.
duck, told the jury of converse tons
he had had with Mrs. johnson soon
after the death of Oscar, in the first
of which she had said, DIR. Koch
was very angel of a man." She
had said that DR.. Koch had been al
the home constantly and spent the
last two nights of Oscars life there
At a visit to the Johnson home ir
April the conversation had been ir
regard to the failure of the doctor:
services and the family criticized
him before the witness.
In cross-examination Reverend
Barackman acknowledged that the
newspaper article had been talked
about and that he might have sale
that from common report the docto
had been called too late.
James N. Reed, manager of thu
store of c. H. Allen & Co. of Black
duck, had attended the funeral o
Oscar Johnson and had seen Mrs
Johnson take DR.. Koch by tn,
hand and tell him that she didn'
know what they would have don,
without his help.
Mrs. Mary Conway of Blackducl
testified that she and Mrs. Ellsmor,
had been at the hospital when Mrs
Johnson and Della had called il
the latter part of April. Mrs. John
son had asked them to go out t.
the kitchen while she talked to Dr.
Koch. They did SO but heard Mrs
Johnson say to DR.. Koch, John
you kill my boy. You kill Oscar,
in sorrowful, yet excited, voice
Della had screamed and they hear
the word Murder" The witnes
heard a racket but couldn't sa
that any blow had been struck
She had heard DR.. Koch trying t
get his mother to 60 out into tn
kitchen.