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

afraid of him. At about twelve O'Clock
he said that he wanted a priest, and
told Traxler to get him, but Traxlei
did not go. 1 then told him that he
could tell me alone. Traxler stepped
out. Then he said: T will take youi
hand and will tell you the truth De-
PENDANT said:
81 poisoned those children,
usually used to buy candy for chill
dren. l bought some and took a
gum drop and put some poison
into it and held it in my hand and
when passing the candy passed it
to the boy. l sent my wife to the
neighbours with a note. l got some
poison from the granary, put it
into a glass and pumped some wa
ter into it and gave it to the boy
first to drink. Some OF the poison
still stayed in the glass and l
pumped some more water into the
glass and then gave it to the girl
to drink. Some of the poison still
remained in the glass and took
that myself and il made me sick.
l would have taken more ii l had
it. | was sorry for the children.
| could see them before me when
/ went to work in the field and in
my dreams. The reason l sent my
wife to Kudlik's was to get her
away. 1 had this poison for about
ten years. got it for a sick
horse at one time and kept it in
the granary wrapped up in n rag
During the night he called it ar
senic several times and once called i,
strychnine. ONIalley said that h
thought he didn't have enough poison
SO he tried to buy some from Janousel
to have more. He said he wanted t
have this thing over with as soon a
possible. / got paper and put il
down. He told me about his former
arrest and told me that his lawyer
c. c. Kolars, told him not to TELL H,
said he didn't know how Kolars knew
it, that he didn't tell him. | wrote ou
the confession and he signed it ant
Thur, Traxler and l signed it "a wit
nesses."
Confession Read to Jury.
County Attorney Hanzei then reaC
the confession to the jury, which is a
follows:
august IL, ! a. m. 1910. I,
Martin OMalley, herewith of my
own free will and accord without
any promise of reward make the
following statement to Louis Chaser,
whom l know to be detective.
The following is the truth to the
best of my knowledge and belief.
That the third week in June, 1910,
1 gave my stepson, Frank Prgcl,
about four years old, some arsenic
in candy, and on Wednesday be-
fore July 2, 1910, l again gave him
some arsenic in water. also gave
his sister, Marie Prgel, about two
years of age, arsenic in water,
from the effects of which l believe
they died on July 3, 1910. / gave
them the poison because my neigh
bors made fun of me for marry
ing a Bohemian woman. had the
arsenic in the house for long
time. did not know whether it
would be enough, therefore l tried
to buy some arsenic in Janousek's
drug store in Montgomery, Mimi,
July 2, 1910. He sold me rough
on rats, but 1 did not give the
children any. Martin O'Malley.
Witness, Louis CHASER, John H.
Traxler, Otto c.. Thur"
James BAIL was next called. II
said: 81 know Mrs. Bergl for the pas
six or seven years and was a neighbo
of hers at Montgomery. He testiie
along the same lines as Coroner BuI
nett in assisting in the exhuming G
the two bodies of the Bergl children
taking them to Ctvrtnik's undertaken
establishment and helped to reinte
them"
State Chemist on Stand.
Julius Hortvet testified: II hay
lived in Minneapolis for the pas
eighteen years. My occupation is tina
of a chemist. l am employed in tn
chemical laboratory of the state dair
and food department of the state G
| Minnesota, where | have been employ
ed for the past ten years. l kno'
the coroner of LIE Sueur county. Fl
came to my office on July 9, 1910, an
brought with him the stomach an
liver of child for analysis. Thes
organs were submerged into solutio
of salt and water in quart jar.
made a chemical analysis of the live
of the little girl and found arseni
present. / next made an analysis G
the fluid contained in the stomach an
found arsenic present in that organ
On July Is, 1910, the coroner came, t
my Office the second time and brough
with him for analysis half gallo
fruit jar which contained the stomach
liver and kidneys of child. l mad
a chemical analysis of each of thes
organs and in each instance found al
senic present. l used the Marsh an
Ranch tests in making an analysis Q
both the first and second jars brough
me by the coroner of lie Sueu
county"
John Traxler, sheriff of lie Sueu
county, was called and testified in sui
stance as follows: 81 have known tn
defendant for more than fifteen years
have had the defendant in my Gus