The Mankato free press., 1912-12-13
STORY OF HACK DEATH
TOLD TO COURT JURORS
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The jury that is trying Charles
Pollei on the charge of numbering
Hubert Hack, who was trying to
escape from the policeman to his
home i'll North Mankato, is de-
prived of it's liberty more than the
defendant is. The latter is out on
bail and is at liberty to go and
come between his home and the
court house. but the jurors cannot
visit their homes. but are confined
in the court house, under the charge of
two bailiifS, George Anderson and
Bennett Johnson, who were sworn
yesterday afternoon. Judge Pfau said
that he would like to grant the jury
all possible liberty, and said that
the members might walk out in
charge Of bailiffs for exercise.
Mrs. Poliei sits beside her hus.
band during the trial-a neat ap-
pearing serious faced little woman
whose happiness depends upon the
acquittal of her helpmeet. Inside
the railing sit-the aged mother and
other members of the family Of the
blood this trial is in progress. Other
ladies sit in the audience. Some are
witnesses, and others are specta-
tors. A varied array of millinery
adorns the heads of these people,
breaking the monotonous appearance
Of the dull court room.
Cold draughts are let in through
open windows to chase out foul air
that gathers from the cooped-in aud.
fence, and it is a choice between
suffering from asphiXiation or freez-
ing-rather an alternating. The ven
tilating facilities of the room are
very crude and would be condemned
in any school room.
No Mystery to Be Solved.
The case on trial is devoid of
sensational features. No surprises
are expected. and there is no mys-
terry to be solved. The whole ques-
tion at issue will probably resolve
itself down to whether policeman
Pollei, in order to stop an escaping
prisoner, shot to kill or shot merely
to intimidate The law would not
justify his shooting to kill, under
the circumstances surrounding the
case, the court is likely to instruc.
The course that the bullet took is
being speculated upon. That it
struck some object and glanced Off
and struck Hack is what the de-
Tense seeks to show.
1t is thought that the evidence
will all be gotten by Monday night
and that the arguments will be made
Tuesday.
fn i'm
in opening the case for the state
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Ellsworth
said. in substance:
Policeman Had No Warrant.
The defendant, Oh receiving re-
port from the women without wait
ing to get d warrant, found Haack.
The state would form that the two
men started across the intersection
of Front and Main streets, diagon-
ally, when Haack started to run
down the sidewalk along the Saul.
paugh toward the bridge and his
home, when some fifty feet beyond
the northerly corner of the hotel,
Haack and Pollei, both running full
speed, Pollei drew revolver from
his belt or clothes and took deliber-
ate aim at Haack and shot him dead.
Mr.. Ellsworth made this statement
with strong dramatic effect.
The states evidence would be di-
rect without any circumStantial evi-
dence. 1t would be shown that two
hours before the shooting. POllei had
rot premeditated the murder OF
Hack, but the state would rest It's
case after proving the facts as they
had been stated.
Mr. Ellsworth closed by saying
that he hoped that the case would
be so conducted by the attorneys.
jurors, and all others, that when it
was over there would be no stain
left TO rest on Blue Earth county.
Mrs. Hack First Witness.
Mrs. Amelia Haack, mother OF the
deceased. was the first witness call
ed by the state. She said she did
rot understand English very well and
wished an interpreter, but it was de-
cided to see how the examination
would proceed without one, and it
proceeded satisfactorily. The wit
ness said that Hubert was twenty
three years old and had lived at
home all his life, and went to school
from the age of six to fourteen
years. anu ne was COluTlieu luSli
he went to work in the tub factory.
He was working for ]. B. Nielsen &
Co., on the Mother House when he
was killed. He had learned the car
penters' trade and had worked for
Nielsen G Co., for some time. The
witness said that her home is at
413 Range street, North Mankato,
three or four blocks from the bridge.
Witness last saw Hubert alive about
seven o'clock the evening of July
3, when he ate his supper and then
went to town and never returned.
He spoke to Emma Hazelbrook, who
lives with the witness, and whose
home was at New Ulm. This young
woman is about twenty years old,
and had lived with the witness for
two. years. The next the witness
saw of her son was on July Fourth,
when she saw his dead body at the
undertaking rooms. Hubert was a
big, strong boy, and was in good
health. He had worked at the car
penter trade since 1910, and work
ed steadily.
On Cross Examination.
Cross-examined, the witness said
that she and her husband had hired
a lawyer to help the county attor-
ney prosecute the case. She was
asked whether they had not hired
other LAWYERS TO sue Mr.. Pollei and