The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-28
Mankato Man Will Get at Bot
tom of the Facts
RIGID INQUIRY IS PROMISED
Investigation to Be Made Into Poker
Case: Escaped From Roches-
ter Mad House.

st. Paul, February ga legisla-
tive investigation into the methods
employed by the state authorities in
handling the criminalIy insane was
set in motion last evening by the
house committee on claims.
The work of the probe will begin
today, following the session of the
house, when the committee will en-
anime Sheriff Otto S. Langum and
Deputy Sheriff John Wall Of Mime
apolis relative to the shooting of
Matt and Leonard Lenzen at Hamel
last November by Henry Poker, an
escaped inmate of the Rochester
hospital for the insane. Present
members of the State Board Of Control
and superintendent of the Rochester
and other hospitals probably will be
called before the committee
The attention of the committee
was called to the Poker case when
the Lenzen brothers appeared before
it with claims for damages, Matt,
who was seriously wounded by the
madman's bullet, asking for $500,
and Leonard, who was less seriously
injured, $1,000.
Escaped From Rochester.
Poker escaped from the Rochester
institution in July, and for four
months the hospital authorities made
no effort it is alleged, to capture him.
November % he appeared at Hamel
and shot through a window into the
Lenzen home. Deputy Sheriff Wall
led posse from Minneapolis and
killed the maniac after a desperate
battle
Representative l.. A. Lydiard of
Minneapolis and Miles Porter of Man.
katO, the latter chairman of the
committee. promoted an investiga-
ton, declaring they would spare
neither time nor effort in sitting the
whole matter of the handling of the
criminally insane to the bottom. The
apparent negligence of the hospital
authorities in the Poker case, they
declared, should teach the state
lesson.
Move to Close Theatres Sundays.
V. c. Sundberg's bill prohibiting
Sunday theatrical performances was
given a favorable vote by the gen
eral legislation committee of the
house, after hearing in which l..
F. Soukup, representing the must
clans union of st. Paul protested
vigorously. The bill goes much fur
Their than the present law and pro-
hibits the enactment of tragedies,
comedies, vaudeville performances.
wrestling or boxing exhibitions, and
hits practically every kind of public
performance except motion picture
shows, concerts and outdoor games.
The penalty imposed is SIS to 800
fine or Imprisonment from sixty to
ninety days or both. This is more
stringent than the present law
Would Stop SEEMING.
Representative NJ. ]. Sullivan would
repeal the law permitting licensing
Of seining in Minnesota, and compel
the game and fish commission to do
its own SEEMING and sell all the rough
fish caught and turn the money into
the state treasury. This bill is in
tended to remedy the difficulty which
now surrounds the state game and
fish commission, following the award
ing of contract to seine Lake She
TEX.
Hearing on Woodmen Bill.
Rival factions in the Modern Wood
men of America will be given a
chance to fight it out before the
senate insurance committee March 6.
The bill is known as the "Woodmen's
emancipation measure"