The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-08-11

discovered.
One Door Was Unlocked.
1t develops that while the instruc-
tions have been to keep all of the
doors of the building locked at
night, the big door on the east side,
seventy feet from the end, was found
unlocked yesterday morning, but
closed. This door cannot be unlocked
from the outside. however. and was
probably left unlocked by Koch to
property. He was supposed to go
cut of he office door, which locks
itself when closed
The testimony brought out at the
coroner's inquest favored the theory
of accidental death, yet the jury
brought in a verdict indicating its
belief that murder probably had been
committed. The jury felt that as
long as there was so much doubt
about the matter it would be better
to bring in such verdict, because
If later it should develop that there
was murder committed the verdict
by the coroner's jury that death was
due to accident might tend to hand
leap the prosecution of the parties
who might be charged with the MUIR
der. The jury was unanimous In
its verdict, which was reached after
mature elaboration.
Lorentz Mayer First Witness.
Lorentz l.. Mayer was the first
witness sworn at the inquest. and
testified to Kochs employment by
his company as night Waterman and
his duties, and how he registered
on his watchman's time clock, the
last registration having been made
at approximately 1850 a. m. The keys
TO the clock are at the stations and
the Waterman must go to the sta
tons in various parts of the building
in order to register the time. The
last station visited by Koch was at
the north end of the east balcony,
and the balcony is fifteen feet wide.
The body was found 80 to 100 feet
from the station in question, and
was apparently under the edge of
the balcony. The balcony has two
and one-half foot projection there,
holding an arc lamp. The body
could have been where it was found
had Koch fallen from the balcony.
The lantern was eighteen inches
from the body. There was a lathe
just west of where the body lay.
There was nothing on the lathe
blood or hair-to indicate that Koch
might have struck the lathe In fall
ing from the balcony. Fritz Klus-
meier discovered the body and re-
ported the discovery to the witness.
Money is kept in the office safe, and
one of Kochs duties was to watch
the office There was no indication
of any one having been at the
building later than $50 o'clock We'd
nesday night, when Louis Mayer was
there Nothing was missing yester-
day, and the safe was locked. Oc-
casiOnally tools have been missed, but
none recently. Witness noticed no
hair indented i'm the floor. The
cap was lying near the body and
had no blood or cuts on it. The
hammer was apparently made bloody
by the undertaken in removing the
body.
Testimony of Doctor.
DIR. ]. s. HOlbrook testified to his
post norton examination of Koch's
body. There was a confused wound
on the back of the head, and the
ference of three inches at the base
of the skull. There was no depres-
sion to any extent. There was one
circular crack and smaller cracks
running from this toward the center.
The fracture could have been caused
by blow from blunt instrument
on the back of the head. The con-
fusion may have been made in a
fall from the balcony and striking
on a projection from the lathe. The
scalp wound was three-fourths of an
inch long and One-fourth of an inch
wide. 1t would not have been made
by striking the hard maple floor
laid on sand, the fall being thirteen
feet. The body weighed $50 pounds,
about. There were slight Commissions
on three knuckles on the right hand
and on the left arm. Had the body
struck the floor first instead of the
lathe there might have been more
discoloration of the body than was
Bard, as one who was at his place
found. The lathe was of such smooth
metal that no hair might be retained
there The hair would prevent blood
drops getting on the lathe. The
wound could have been made by a
blunt instrument, such as wood or
iron held in persons hand. The
witness had examined the body at
1890 a. m. and it had been dead at
least five hours then. 1t would be
possible for a man to crawl away
after hitting the lathe, but it is not
likely that Koch moved. He was
probably rendered insensible at once
and died shortly afterwards. The
fracture probably extended forward
toward the nose. to Judge from the
hemorrhage of the nose.
Man Who Found the Body.
Fritz Klusmeier testified that he IL
thirty-siX years old and employed by
Mayer Bros He saw Koch's dead
body lying on the floor by the lathe
at 6:25 a. m. The cap lay beside
the body. The body lay between the
lathe and the work bench. The lathe
would be outside of a plumb line let
down from the edge of the balcony.
Witness at first thought Koch asleep
and called him, but he did not move.
He took him by the hand and it was
cold, and then he noticed blood on
the back of the head and flies about.
and then witness had gone into the.
office and told LorentZ Mayer that
Koch must be dead and to come in