rHE NORFOLK NEWS hiDAY ! , MAY 12 1905
MAN WHO SAW THE MURDERER
OF DR. GEBHARDT.
\
WITNESS FOR THE FIFTH TIME
Tells the Story of the Crime as He
Saw It Was a Close Friend of Dr.
Gebhardt and Only an Acquaintance
of Dr. Koch.
ManUnto , Minn. , May 5. Asa P.
BrooHs went on the witness stand to
day , after Abbott had opened the case
for the defense to the jury.
Ho said he was 30 years of age and
unmarried , and had lived In Redwood
Falls , and had edited the Sleepy Bye
| l ( " Herald , the Morgan Messenger and
the Alexandria Republican. He was
in a regiment in the Spanish war for
nine months. He went as far to the
front as the rest of them.
"I have been in New Ulm about four
years , and have known Koch since
that time. I have often met him , but
would not say every day , and have
noticed n scar on "his right cheek.
" 1 knew Dr. Gebhardt well. We
nte at the same table and we had
I what we called a club , which contin-
\ ned for two and a half years. Geb
hardt roomed outside , and not in the
club. There were three of us who
had a housekeeper.
"There was a screen door to the
Blairs leading to Gebhardt's office.
Any one in my office could hear anyone
ono walking across the floor of his
rooms , and could hear the buzzing of
his polishing machine.
"Dr. Gebhardt and I were at the
St. Louis lair and at Chattanooga on
a trip. I do not believe it is possible
for a closer friendship to grow up
between two men than that between
Gebhardt and myself. I have often
borrowed money of Gebhardt for a
day or two when I needed a hundred
dollars or so.
"Dr. Koch and I were acquaintanc
es. I was not especially intimate with
the Koch family. "
"You have testified before1 ;
"This makes five times. The first
time was before the coroner's jury ;
the second time was before the jus
tice of the peace , where no one in
particular was charged with the
crime. "
"Who conducted that examina
tion ? "
"Popham , a Chicago lawyer. "
, "Was Silverson there ? "
T "Yes. I testified at the last trial.
I was before the grand jury.
" 1 recall Nov. 1 last. In the early
evening I met Somsen. He wanted to
get up a game of cards , and we began
the game at about 7:30 : p. m. Koch
and Vogel came in , but they did not
play. I noticed only that Koch had
on a brown derby hat. Vogel and
Koch sang songs ; sometimes in our
rooms and sometimes in the other
room. I do not know what time Koch
came In or what time he went out.
"The game broke up at 9:35 : , for
Hoidale , , who said he was tired with
election work and kept looking at his
watch , wanted to go home. "
Brooks then testified to the break
ing up of the party , and he and Soin-
sen went to the postofllce. On the
way to the Review office Brooks
passed Herbert and Oscar Baltrush ,
boys who had been working in his
office , and were on their way home.
"Before I reached the office and
was passing the drug store near the
barber shop I heard a sound. It was
an inarticulate utterance or cry ; that
ji is the only way I can describe it. It
was a groan or a cry for help.
"I unlocked my office and sat down
to read a letter of about 100 words. "
Brooks heard a sound of scuffling
up stairs.
Try a News want ad for results.
We sell flour , oil meal , mill feed ,
stock and poultry supplies. Flour and
i Feed store , Pacific block.
BIG WRINGER JBOES TO PIECES
Whirling Clothing Flies Through the
Air at the Laundry.
The breaking of a big whirling
wringer at the Norfolk steam laundry
yesterday afternoon spread clothing
all over the building and out of doors ,
demoljshed the machine , bent up a
few other machines and drew a large
crowd of spectators. The loss to the
Norfolk Laundry company , of which
Dan Craven is president , is about
| 300. Mr. Craven was out of the city
at the time of the accident. No one
was hurt by the flying pieces.
Within a few feet of the bits of iron
that sailed through the air , landing
hero and there , were five employes ,
who saw the whole performance and
who are uninjured. They were :
George Madsen , Max Schwetfeger ,
Carl Russel , Daisy Button and Rosle
Bowman.
, The wringer was revolving at a
I . rate of 650 revolutions per minute
f when n piece underneath , which had
been previously cracked , went to
pieces. The tremendous centrifugal
force of the whirling machine tore it
to bits and sent * parts through the
window. Clothing flew in every direc
tion and George Craven , treasurer ,
ft was wrapped up for a moment in other
peoples1 collars and ties and shirts
and cuffs. Ho emerged in time to
see that no person was hurt.
A part of the new mangle was split ;
teeth were broken out of Us cogs ; a
starcher was bent and a shirt press
struck. A large crowd gathered In a
Si
remarkably short time to sec what
had happened.
This morning the laundry was workIng -
Ing full force as though nothing had
happened and the broken machine , In
pieces , was out In the back yard. Ac
cidents of the kind very rarely occur
In laundries ,
It Is economy to use want add It you
have Anything to sell , exchange or
give away ; or If , on the other hand ,
you wunt to rent , buy of borrow.
THREE CHURCHES MAY DECIDE
TO UNITE.
WELCOMED BY GOVERNOR HOCH
Charles M. Sheldon Also Speaks at
the Opening Session Important
Matter Will be the Proposed Union
of Three Churches Into One.
Topeka , Knn. , May 11. Between
two and throe hundred lay and minis
terial delegates , Including twenty wo
men , and a large number of other vis
itors are gathered in Topeka for the
triennial meeting of the general con
ference of the United Brethren church.
The general conference is the highest
tribunal of the church , and In It all
ecclesiastical power , granted by dis
cipline , Is vested. Its province Is to
define the boundaries of the annual
conference , hear and pass upon re
ports of general church officers , make
and repeal rules of discipline , settle
cases submitted on appeal from the
decisions of annual conferences , and
elect bishops and other church officers.
In addition to delegates represent
ing all parts of this country and Can
ada there are representatives present
from the ecclesiastical jurisdictions
in Germany , Africa , Japan , China and
the Philippines.
The conference was formally opened
today , Bishop Nicholas Castle1 of Or
egon presiding , and owing to the un
usually large amount of important
business to come up It will probably
be two or three weeks before the ses
sions are concluded. The sessions are
being held in the hall of representa
tives of the state capltol , where the
delegates were formally welcomed to
day by Governor Hoch and the Rev.
Charles M. Sheldon.
An important matter to come be
fore the present conference is the ac
tion relative to the proposed union of
the Congregational , the Methodist
Protestant and the United Brethren
churches. This has been a subject of
wide Interest for some time , and both
the Congregational and Methodist
Protestant denominations have voted
favorably In their general representa-
HMO meetings. It Is believed that the
general conference of the United
Brethren will likewise favor the pro
posed union.
Two other matters that will engage
the attention of the conference are the
election of two new bishops and a re
vision of the administrative plan of
the missionary work. If carried , the
latter provision will make the home
and foreign missionary department
each subject to a board of control and
to a secretary of supervision.
The educational , general mission
ary , evangelic , Sunday school , and
young people's work will all be re
viewed , and some changes will be
made in their plans and methods of
work. The reports of the various offi
cers and committees will show the
past year to have been one of great
activity for the various branches of
denominational work. The church in
America now has 44 conferences and
three mission districts ; 75 presiding
elders , 2319 preachers ; 3390 organized
churches ; 3328 church houses , valued ,
including grounds , at $7,252,907 ; 253-
C41 communicants ; 15CO Young Pee
ple's Christian Union societies , with
C3.132 members and 3486 Sunday
schools with an enrollment of 272-
336. The total amount contributed to
all purposes last year was $1,810,679.
Southern Baptists to Meet.
Kansas City , Mo. , May 11. The ho
tel registers are rapidly filling with
the names of prominent Baptist di
vines and laymen from all parts of
the south. They are the delegates and
visitors to the fifty-ninth annual
Southern Baptist convention , which
will begin a four days' session here to
morrow. Indications point to an at
tendance of fully 2,000 delegates.
On account of the death of Dr. J. P.
Eagle , who was elected president of
the convention at the last meeting ,
the Rev. Dr. Stephens of Little Rock
will preside. Many Important mat-
teds are to come up for discussion and
action. In addition to the usual re
ports from the various mission boards ,
there will be a report from the corn-
mission appointed by the last conven
tion to investigate the work of the
negro Baptists and their co-operation
with the whites. This will be the
commission's first report and It is
looked forward to with considerable
Interest.
Use News want ads. They pay.
They bring results. In a little want
ad you are enabled to reach more than
2,400 homes every day. Granting
five people to a home , your little ad
Is read by 12,000 persona. Out of 12 , .
000 persons reached by The News In
a day , there ought to be some one
interested in what you have to offer.
A little money invested in News
want ads may bring you big returns.
The ad can do you no harm.
ED. DEGAL OF FAIRFAX HAS A
VERY CLOSE CALL.
ATTACKED BY A TRAVELING MAN
St. Joe Liquor Seller Uses a Big
Knife on the Olficer , Slashing Him
In the Face and Stabbing Him About
the Body.
Fairfax , S. D. , Ma > 6. Special to
The News : Deputy Sheriff 13d. Degal
had a narrow escape from being killed
last night In a fight with a traveling
man , who slashed him terribly with a
knife.
The trouble started In a restaurant ,
where the traveling man , a Hint or
salesman from St. Joe , Mo. , whoso
name is not known , objected to payIng -
Ing for his supper. The deputy sher
iff happened to be present at the time
and told the man he had better net
tle. At this interferi'iico the travelIng -
Ing man turned on the deputy sheriff
and abused him shamefully. During
the altercation the two men drifted
out on the sidewalk and from there
to the street , where the stranger tack-
eled the sheriff with a big knife , strik
ing him in the face and stabbing him
in numerous places about the body.
In the meantime the traveling man
was receiving considerable punish
ment and when the two men were sep
arated , it was found that both wore
pretty badly used up. The officer was
taken care of by his friends , while the
traveling man wont to a customer of
his who hid him in the cellar , for fear
that the sheriff's friends would make
him further trouble.
Finally the traveling man was
placed under arrest and it was In
tended to hold the trial last night ,
but neither man was able to appear In
court.
Tliis morning the proceedings were
disinisbed.
UNITED STATES SENATOR IN
PENNSYLVANIA WRECK.
HE WILL DIE FROM INJURIES
FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL ,
QUAY'S SUCCESSOR NOW.
FIFTY PERSONS ARE DEAD
The Dynamite Explosion on the Penn
sylvania Railroad Early Today Has
Taken the Life of One of the Coun
try's Senators , and Many More.
Chicago , May 11. An eastbound
passenger train on the Pennsylvania
railroad was blown up by dynamite
today near Harrisburg , Pa. , and the
reports still indicate that fifty people
have been killed.
Among those who are known to bo
fatally injured is United States Sen
ator Knox , of Pennsylvania , who suc
ceeded Senator Quay. Mr. Knox was
at one time attorney general of the
United States.
A large number of others are in
jured. There were about 150 people
on board. ,
The passenger train struck a freight
carrying three cars of dynamite , and
the explosion that followed wrecked
both trains.
JASPER JASPERSON HAD BEEN
UNDER WATER NINE DAYS.
FOUND TODAY BY HIS BROTHER
The Brother Who Tried In Vain to
Save the Drowned Man's Life , and
Who Almost Lost His Own in the
Struggle , Finds the Body Floating.
Neligh , Neb. , May 11. Special to
The News : The body of Jasper Jas-
person , the young man who was
drowned in the Elkhorn river here a
week ago last Sunday , and who was
swept over the dam into the eddy be
low while his brother almost lost his
life in trying to rescue , was found
floating downstream about 300 yards
from the dam today , the finder being
the very brother who almost went
also to death.
The body was in no way decom
posed and had come to the surface of
the water after the nine days under
neath. It was evident that ho had
lain in the whirlpool below the dam ,
as the body was somewhat , though
not badly , bruised.
Funeral Today.
The funeral will be held here at 3
o'clock this afternoon , and the re
mains will be laid to rest in the Ne-
llgh cemetery.
Jasper Jasperson , his brother and
two other Danes were rowing on the
swollen rlvor nhovo the dam a week
ngo Sunday. They lost control of the
boat mid It started for the dam. Two
of the occupants jumped to a brldgo
One JiisporHon Kiiliit-d n footbridge bo-
low. Jiispor Jumped out nud caught
on the wlroH. Kor fully a nilnuto hlH
head was seen under water. Ills
brother plunged hi after him , but WIIH
utiublo to tmvo him. The young man
lloiitud down over the tliun and WIIH
not seen ngiiln until today.
NEW ULM DENTIST MAY BE GIV
EN SECOND DEGREE.
THE POISON PACKAGE IS VITAL
Defense Has Succeeded In Explaining
Away Severn ) Little Points and It
Is Thought the Judge May Allow
Second Degree Verdict.
Mnnkato , Minn. , May 9. The do-
fciiHo In the famous Koch murder case
has rusted and the arguments are be
ing made.
The proving , as the defense claims ,
that the Gobhardt poison pitckagu was
mailed at Hanska when Dr. Koch was
not In that town , and the typewriter
expert's testimony that the address
on that package was not written on
the typewriter In the office across the
hull from Dr. Koch's , indicate the pos
sibility that Judge Cray will instruct
the Jury that it may find n verdict of
murder In the second degree.
Premeditation Is the prime reiiulslto
of first degree murder. If the defense
1ms proved that Dr. Koch was In no
way connected with the tending of
the blue box and bottle to Dr. Geb
hardt , It will appear that thcro was
no premeditation and deliberation , If
Dr. Koch was responsible for the mur
der.
der.The
The state's position in such a case
presumably would be to maintain that
when Dr. Koch ascended the stairs to
Dr. Gebhardt's office he was not con
templating murder , but that while
engaged In conversation with the oth
er dentist ho slew him in a burst of
passion.
State and the Court.
Whether or not the state will tacit
ly admit that Dr. Koch did not mall
the poison package is not known.
The persistency with which it has
pursued this line of evidence indicates
that It would bo very reluctant to do
so.
But there Is apparent today the pos
sibility that Judge Cray In his charge
to the Jurors will say that if it is
found that the defendant did not send
the socalled poison package to Dr.
( Icbhardt prior to the homicide , they
may return a verdict of murder In the
second degree.
KOCH'S ALIBI.
Family on Stand to Testify as to De
fendant's Actions.
Mankato , Minn. , May 10. Having
presented to the jury the opinions of
two handwriting experts and two oth
er witnesses that the word "sample"
on the blue bottle sent to Dr. Gob-
hardt shortly before ho was murdered ,
was not written by the same hand that
wrote in Dr. Koch's account-book , the
defense cleared the way for the alibi
testimony of the members of the Koch
family.
It was planned to put the father ,
brother and two sisters and the de
fendant himself on the stand to es
tablish the defendant's alibi by testi
fying that Dr. Koch got home at 9:38 :
on the night of the murder.
By the testimony of Professor Rich-
ord Fischer , of the University of Wis
consin , and of Charles A. Heers , a
New Ulm contractor , the defense prepared -
pared for the story of the defendant
that on his way home that night he
saw a rabbit and , going into the house
for a gun , 'returned to shoot it. These
two witnesses testified that the Koch
place , being on a high bluff , was well
lighted by the many lights from the
town below.
The story of Anton Horsak was told
last. Mr. Horsak is a German shoe
maker in New Ulm. He says that he
saw a strange man enter the stairway
leading to the Gebhardt offices about
ten minutes before Dr. Koch passed.
Mr. Abbott , in his opening , said this
would Indicate that the murderer
waited until the defendant walked by
and then stamped up the stairs so as
to lead the person In the office below
to believe that it was Dr. Koch who
ascended.
Relatives to Testify.
Henry Somsen , brother-in-law of
the defendant , testified that he was
familiar with Dr. Koch's handwriting
and that , In his opinion , the word
"Sample" on the poison bottle was not
written by him. He identified several
letters and pages from the account-
book in Dr. Koch's office to the exhib
it the defendant's handwriting.
Cross-examined by General Chllds ,
as to each letter of the word "Sam
ple , " Mr. Somsen said that , In his
opinion , no letter indicated any pe
culiarity which he had ever noticed In
the defendant's handwriting. He was
uncertain as to the letter "a" and " 1 , "
which ho said had no Individuality
that would enable him to judge.
William Koch , cashier fn the Citi
zens' bank of New Ulm , and brother
of the dcendant , testified that in his
opinion the word "Sample" on the
bottle was not written by the defend
ant. General Chllds did not cross-ex
amine him.
> ROM THE ANTILLES.
Chnmberlnln's Cough Remedy Benefitfl
City Councilman nt Kingston ,
Jnmnlcn.
Mr. W O O'Helllv KoKitrly. who IH
n member of the ellv council al Kings
ton , .litumlon. Went linden , writ en IIH
follows : "One boltle of Cliiiiuher-
Inln'H CouKh llemedy had miod effect
on n cough ( hut WIIH giving me ( rou
ble and I think I Nhnuld have been
more iiulcjdy relieved If I hud con
tinued lhi < teiiicdy Thai It WIIH hem-
eflrlnl and ( illicit In relieving tun Ihoro
IH no doubt nud II IH my Intention to
olilnln iniollier Itiiltlo. " I'mmile by
l.c'oiuinl ( lie
A lltllo want ad , wiilch IH read by
several tlmiiKuiid porHoiiH every day ,
may bring jiml what you want. Quo
cent a word IH not too expntmlvo to
trv n
t
VERV LOW RATES FOR
Homeseekers
and Colonists
To Missouri , Kansas , Texas , Arkansas , Indian and
Oklahoma Territories Every Is * and ! ld Tuesdays
OIKMVHV c'olomM niton to above points on Miiroh Ulut , mid to
T eerfiiiu in Colorado nud l/minlmm.
f One Fare for the Round Trip , Plus $2 J
Final Limit of Tickets 21 Days
StojKvern will bo allowed withinitrnnMt limit of U > dnyH K"K | !
nfk > r reiichin | > llrst liiinrM''kcrn' ( ] Hinl ) en route.
For further infonuutiou or Ijinil ruiiiptilctH , I'Nildci-R , MII | > H , etc. ,
i iinv ii 'eut of the cini | > iin.v , or
T. E. GODFREY. TOM HUGHES ,
Pnsfi. anil Ticket ARent. Trav. I'nss. Aent. (
OMAHA , NHBRASKA.
Cuba Florida
New Orleans
Tourist tickets now on sale to the resorts of the
south and southeast at greatly reduced rates. Liberal
stopovers allowed. The
With its handsomely equipped trains'ofl'ers exceptional
facilities for reaching the Sunny South.
For particulars and copy of illustrated booklets ,
giving detailed information about Culm , Florida and
New Orleans , write
W. II. MR ILL ,
I ) . P. A. 111. Cent. U. K. Omaha , Neb.
Protected by
Block Signals
The first railway in America to adopt the
absolute Block System in the operation of
all trains was the
Chicago , Milwaukee & St , Paul Ry
The St. Paul Uoad was the first railway to
light its trains by electricity. The St. Paul
Road was also the first to adopt the steam-
heating system.
Through daily trains to Chicago from all
points on the main line of the Union
Pacific Railroad. For time table and
special rates see Union Pacific agent , or
write
F , A , NASH , Geii'l ' Western Agent , 1524 Farnam St ,
OMAHA , NEB.
FOLLOW THE FLAG"
EXCURSIONS SOUTH
DAILV
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trip
SOUTH
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EAST
write and let us tell you best rates , time , route and
send marked time tables ,
This saves you worry , annoyance and makes you
feel at home all the way.
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dress
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Omaha , Nebr.
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