The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-28

Session of Court Saturday.
John Smack testified that he is a
grave digger in the Catholic cemetery
at Montgomery and that on Sunday,
July 3, he dug a grave and on the next
day. Monday, July 4, he dug another
grave. The funeral of Frank and Mary
Bergl was held on July 4, and the cas-
kets were placed in these graves. Two
DAYS later the bodies were exhnmed
and taken to Ctvrtnik's undertaking
establishment. and were reinterred.
John j. Janousek, druggist OF
Montgomery testified to this: "OMal-
ley drove up fast to the drug store
alone and asked for DR.. White. The
doctor drove back with OMalley to
the Havlis home. O'AIalley came back
about four O'Clock with three prescrip-
tions and asked me how long it would
take to fill them. l told him it would
take about twenty minutes. He then
asked me if | had some poison to sell
as he was bothered great deal with
rats. l showed him several kinds of
poison, among which was rough on
rats. He said he had bought some
white poison at the drug store at lie
Sueur Center. He walked out and did
not return until almost six o'clock
He took the medicine which l prepared
and bought a box of rough on rats.
Testimony of Physician.
DR.. Frederick Moench: Il am a
duly licensed physician and surgeon
in this state and have practiced medi-
cine for about sixteen years. ! know
the defendant for about six or seven
years. l was called to attend a cou-
pie OF children on the third day of
July at the Martin OAlalley home
When l got there l saw Mrs. Kudlik
and Mrs. Kendall there. l saw one
person sick and that was little girl
and saw a little boy apparently dead
examined the little girl first. l then
examined the boy and felt his pulse
looked at his eyes and examined his
bowels. | found his bowels in an al
most normal condition, only he was
somewhat bloated. | found the girls
pulse almost normal. Her eyes seemed
to be in a normal condition. l looked
into her throat and at her tongue and
found nothing. She was breathing
about normal and moved around lit
tie. l thought at first that she might
have eaten something that poisoned
her and made this statement to ONlal
ley. l prescribed for the little girl
l was called to the OMalley home
the little girl again. AT this time
found conditions changed, her pulse
was rapid and very weak, / think it
was about 100, temperature l03h. In
the condition of the bowels there wa:
bloating and gas forming, the pupils
were dilated, her limbs seemed to be
paralyzed and she did not seem to
know anything. l thought then tina,
! it might be infantile paralysis, the
paralyzed condition and change of tenn.
perature and general disturbance Of
the system led me to think it was in.
fantile paralysis. The conditions that
! l found there in the afternoon Nigh;
indicate that it came from poisoning
but l could not say positively whether
or not there were conditions of poison
ing present"
Exhuming the Bodies.
G. Z. Burnett, coroner of Lc Sueul
county, testified as follows: Il an
coroner of this county for almost three
! 7 he
at his place July 6, 1910, in the morn
ing and called to have an interview
with him in regard to the death of hi.
two step-children. Sheriff TraXler aEt
l drove over there. He told me tina,
he wished l would investigate the mat
ter as he would like to know what
was the matter with his children.
told him that he was suspected OF
foul play and / said that an invest
CATION would probably clear the sus
picion placed upon him. He told me-
that if those children were poisoned
that he didn't do it. l went to Mont
gomery and got the undertaken, Ctvrt
mix, and James BAIL to cxhume The
dertaking establishment. There Doctors
White and McKeon held postmortcn
examination first upon the little girl
The body was discolored and bloated
The doctors removed the stomach, live
and brain. ] put the contents in {
quart mason jar. l put the stomach
and liver in solution of salt and wa