The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-01
prosecuting.

Because DR.. S. C. Schmitt, who
had been subpOenaed was about to
move to Minneapolis and was re-
naming in Mankato only until such
time as he would be put on the
stand, he was allowed to be the first
witness. While on the stand he told
his part of the story in giving Fred
Rogers, who had been stabbed, the
necessary medical treatment. As' !.
from description of the w 9
and a few statements as to tP A.
sibiities of the knife having,~
Rogers had it not bent, very
in the way of evidence for 4
against the defendant was given. At
five o'clock the court adjourned un-
til nine O'Clock this morning when
the trial was resumed.
Short History of the Case.
On the night of November 8, Fred
]. Rogers, in company with Will
liam CATER, went to the Nicollet
hotel to see Mrs. John @. Adams,
who is a daughter of Mrs. Alice
White, the housekeeper of Mr.. CAT
fer. They were on their way to
st. Peter and as Mrs. White did
not wish to remain in the house In
South Bend alone, CATER desired to
get her daughter to remain with her
over night while he spent the night
at st. Peter
Finding no one in Mrs. Adams
room on the third floor, they were
about to descend and when they
reached the second floor they en-
countered Mr. Hoffman, so they said,
who asked them what they were do
ing up on the third floor.
Suddenly Rogers cried out that
he had been stabbed and fell down
the steps to the second floor. Rog-
ers was Immediately taken to the
office of Dr. S. C. Schmitt where
the wound was dressed.
A short time later, Hoffman, it is
said, admitted to one of his friends
that had the knife not bent on him
he would have killed Rogers. The
matter was taken before the grand
Jury, who brought a true bill of as
sault in the first degree.
Rogers On the Stand.
The second witness for the state
was F. ]. Rogers, the man who
claims he received a knife wound
in his neck in the Nicollet hotel
on the afternoon of November g..
In the direct examination Rogers
stated that in company with Will
liam CATER he went to the third
floor of the Nicollet hotel on the
afternoon of November to see Mrs.
John Adams on a matter of bust
ness. They raped on her door
Twin
started downstairs again. When
they were on the stairs leading
from the second floor to the first,
Rogers alleges that some one came
and asked what they were doing
there. He turned to see who it was
and was struck blow in the neck.
Rolled Down Stairs.
Rogers said that he rolled down.
stairs and has no definite memory
of what happened from that time
until he was taken out to the wa
gon, which was behind the hotel.
From there they went up to DIR.
S. G.. Schmitt's office, where the
wound was dressed He said that he
bled profusely in the meantime. He
said that he had had no trouble
with anyone previous to this time.
When cross questioned he told
where he had spent his time that
day previous to his visit to the
Nicollet hotel. He acknowledged
having taken several drinks OF beer,
part of them alone and part OF them
with William CATER, whom he met
down town He declared that he
was not intoxicated, however. He
became little mixed about his
statements as to where he spent
the time from the time he left
Pleasant street, where he had load
ed up som junk, until he got to
the Nicollet hotel.
CATER Takes Stand.
William CATER was then called to
the stand He testified that he had
known Joseph Hoffman, proprietor
of the Nicollet, slightly since last
spring. His story of the stabbins
differed from Rogers story in that
he said that Rogers fell part way
downstairs and that he, CATER, got
UP from the floor at the foot of the
stairs, Rogers was standing about
hall way downstairs holding his
throat with one hand, and hanging
on to the rail with the other.
CATER took Rogers into the rooms
of Mrs. Andrews, on the first floor
and asked her for a cloth to band
age up the wound in Rogers throat.
Mrs. Andrews did this. Then they
went to the wagon and drove up to
DR.. S. C. Schmitt's office in the
Richards block Both CATER and
Rogers said that this was the first
time they had been in that hotel
building that day.
CATER Was Excited.
In the cross questioning of CATER
he stated that he had had about
six glasses of beer during that day.
1t was learned that he had been in
police court on charge of drunk
enness and disorderly conduct sew
eral times during the past eight or
nine years. After he had taken Rog.
ers to DR.. Schmitt's office he went
into Richards store and told one of
the Richards brothers what had hap
pened The next morning he again
went into Richards store and when
Mr.. Richards said: who got stab.
bed, Bill?" he replied who told
your" Mr.. Richards said to CAT
fer: you told me-" CATER said that
he wasn't drunk but was wonder
fully excited when he told Mr.. Rich.
ards of the affair in the afternoon,
opd tbof woe whv he had fOroOtt on