New Ulm review., 1913-10-15
Mrs. TankeASks
Prison Pardon
Claims That Cruelty Of Hus-
band Drove Her To
Murder.
Story of Mystery Recalled
BY Woman's Plea
For Clemency.

Mrs. Frank Tanke's application for
|! q pardon which was filed with the
State Board Monday recalls one of
the most celebrated murder mysteries
ID the state. % New Years morning
1899 the body of John Wellner who
lived in Lafayette was found near
his baro. Mrs. Wellner, now Mrs.
Tanke, said he had been killed by
bandits and that her hands had been
tied by the same party who had killed
her husband.
This story was never believed by
the friends of Wellner but there was
not sufficient evidence at the time to
var rant Mrs. Wellner's conviction 1t
arrested and prosecuted and her story
vent unchallenged until the Spring of
|le02, when an investigation WAS inst-
|sated BY Sheriff John Mcmillan, then
Sheriff of Nicollet County. Two de.
s1ctives, man and woman, claimed
/ o have overheard conversations In
eliminating Mrs. Wellner, who had in
the meantime become Mrs. Tanke. and
] her husband Frank Tsnke. Their ar.
rest followed and they we're aubse.
quently indicted by the grand jury of
Nicollet County. In passing it may
be remarked that Mrs. Wellner- -Tanke
on J an. s.. 1899 less than . week after
the murder, offered 1900 reward for
the arrest and conviction Of the MUIR
derer of her husband John Wellner
which Offer Was given due publicity In
The newspapers.
During the first trial at st. Peter
Laae Of the jurors became insane and
this put an end to the trial at that
term Of court. A change of venue was
granted 70 sibley County and during
the next term of court held at Hender-
son, Frank Tanke was convicted of
murder in the first degree and SEN
fenced to be hanged. 1t was then that
Mrs. Tanke broke down and confessed
that she had committed tho murder
herself. On the strength Of her state
ment under oath. Judge Caldwell
granted q new trial and sent it to
W atonwan County for hearing where
Tanke was subsequently convicted OF
murder in the second degree and
sentenced to lite Imprisonment.
Before Tanke's trial at st. James,
Mrs. Tsnke's case was reached at
special term cf court at Henderson.
Upon being given an opportunity to
plead guilty to murder in the second
degree she did so and received life
sentence.
Jos. A. Eckstein, chief counsel for
both OF the Tanke's when interviewed
by q Review reporter was willing to
talk upon oil those things which were
matters of public record, but when
pressed for information outside the
record stated that professional ethics
sealed his lips and that he had moth
ing further to say.
In her statement to the Board Of
Pardons, Mrs. Tanke tells OF her
troubles with her former husband and
accuses him of all manner Of cruelties
She says that be did cot like children
and that through that and his stingi-
ness he lost his life. She says that on
the night of the murder che attempted
to leave the place to go to her parents
who lived nearby and that he followed
her from the house and chased her
into the barn where she hid among
the cows. Believing that he had q
gun in his hand she reached into box
where she knew . revolver was kept,
got it, aimed it at him and then she
fred.
Friends of the murdered man scout
the idea of the accusations of cruelty
now being made by Mrs. Tanke and
are 10 firmly as ever convinced that 1t
was case of cold blooded murder
without any extenuating circumstan.
ces.
The Heinze bakery and restaurant
Mankato, which was opened by Ferd G.
1> AL