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

ne would nave mad to have stepped
over two piles of lumber about a
foot high. The dust on the brackets
and boards where he might have
stepped or fallen is partially re.
moved, but sometimes workmen step
there in oiling the shafting just be-
low the balcony floor
If Koch heard suspicious noise
on the main floor under the balcony
he might have hurried away from
his registering box, leaving the door
unlocked and stepped over the lum-
Der hastily to investigate the noise,
and in STOPPING down he might have
lost his balance and fallen, or he
might have tripped over the lumber
and gone over head first. He was
always a slow and careful walker,
and seldom FASTENED his movements
for anything.
There seemingly was no other way
in which the man could have re-
ceived his injury by accident. The
machinery was not in motion and
could only have been started by
turning on the electric motor, and
Koch was not familiar with this.
There is a suspicion on the part
of some that the man was assaulted.
If this suspicion is well grounded,
the assault most likely was made
with the hammer, but there are no
evidences of a struggle. No blood
spots whatever were found on any
of the machinery or on the floor ex-
cept under the mans face. 1t is
possible that the man may have
been struck from behind and before
the assailant had time to rife the
pockets of their contents he was
frightened away by what seemed to
him of someone approaching.
Man Was Not Robbed.
Opposed to the assault theory is
the lack of motive. The man was
not robbed, as he would have been
without doubt if he had been held up
in the shop by hoboes. In his over
alls' pocket was found a purse con-
tanning about $3.50, and none of the
pockets seemed % have been rifled.
Theer was no other motive so far
as known. While Koch was man
of quick temper he was not quarrel
some, and seldom spoke to anyone
unless first addressed. He was a
man of quiet disposition, about fifty
years old, single, and lived alone
in a shack on Elm street. He had
no relatives in the city, and the only
relative known of is a brother in
California. While he had words with
shop, they did not bear grudge
against him. He was not on speak
ing terms with one of the men,. be-
cause of his temper, but this man
bore him no i'll will, it appears.
The shops have never been en-
tered by hoboes, and during the past
four months only On one occasion
did anyone enter them at night, and
that was a local man. When Koch
reported the occurrence to his en-
ployers they advised him to keep the
doors locked, and he did this, so
far as is known.
No tools were missing from the
shop this morning, as might have
been the case if hoboes or others
had entered it for the purpose of
getting tools to break into some
business place.
Koch had lived in the city some
years, and was a carpet weaver by
trade He was not known as a
drinking man, and his employers
state that he was strictly sober, so
far as they know.
An electric light globe was found
on the floor near the body, but it is
not recalled by the workmen
whether it was there yesterday or
not. There is fixture with a globe
on over the lathe. A board that was
fastened upright to the lathe on the
side that the body was found on was
found broken off this morning, but
the workmen nailed it on again.
Koch, if he fell off of the balcony,
would necessarily have broken the
board off.
When He Was Last Seen.
Koch was last seen by Louis
Mayer at $50 o'clock, and was all
right then. Mr. Mayer at that time
placed his car in the shop. Lorentz
Mayer was in the shop at $3.50
o'clock, and at that time Koch was
in good spirits. Mr.. Mayer states
that Koch never told much of him.
self, and talked but little, unless
spoken to- He was faithful man,
and enjoyed good health, seemingly.
Koch always smoked a pipe, but
search for it this morning near the
body failed to discover it.
LeSueur still has a murder mys-
terry on its hands.
Yesterday afternoon the authorities
there thought they had the mystery
surrounding the Staying of stranger
in that city on Saturday night par
TALLY solved, at least, but events
that have transpired during the past
twelve hours go to show that they
are still baffled, to some extent. 1t
is a case of now you see the muir.
derer and now you don't see him.
And the authorities thought they had
the identity of the dead man estab-
lished, as related in The Free Press
last night 1t appears that a more
minute examination of the dead
mans remains convinced Farmer
Wagner that they are not those of
Charles Allen, who was employed OH
his farm three and more years ago.
So the authorities are again in the
Il 0e ho