New Ulm Police Department photo New Ulm Police Depart Officer Albert Winkelmann, whose murder is unsolved, was shot in the line of duty in July 1895.

NEW ULM — Thursday morning, the official New Ulm Police Department twitter posted a photo of Officer Albert Winkelmann to remember him on the anniversary of his murder.

Winkelmann was a Night Watch Officer for the city who was murdered 123 years ago this week. His murder remains officially unsolved.

According to newspapers from The New Ulm Review in The Brown County Historical Society collection, Winkelmann was found at 4 a.m. on July 4, 1895 by Albert Kiesling near the intersection of Front and First S. Street. Winkelmann had been shot in the throat.

Kiesling, who was Winkelmann’s cousin, found the wounded officer after investigating a groaning noise outside his home.

Dr. Weiser and Dr. Fritsche were summoned to the scene and Winkelmann was taken to the hospital for treatment. Winkelmann was still alive when he arrived at the hospital. He would not pass away until the next day on July 5.

Initially it was assumed a tramp or vagrant had shot Winkelmann. Dr. Weiser would later testify that before he died of his wound, Winkelmann was asked if a tramp shot him and he answered in the affirmative.

Winkelmann’s state of consciousness would come into question later. Some testified he was capable of communicating while others claimed he was in and out of consciousness.

At the time, the public doubted the tramp theory since the evidence suggested Winkelmann had been ambushed and could not have known his killer.

According to physicians, Winkelmann had been shot at a close distance — less than two feet. His service revolver was still in its holster, suggesting he was caught unaware.

The only evidence left by the perpetrator was a trail of blood near where Winkelmann’s body was found. The trail ended at the river near modern day Riverside Park. It is believed these tracks were left by the murderer.

Over three months later Dr. August E. Koehne, a well-known veterinarian was arrested in Lamberton for the murder.

Following the murder, there were rumor implicating Koehne. Several witnesses would testify Koehne had a grudge against Winkelmann and had made threats in the days leading up to the shooting.

Anton Wiesner testified Koehne and Winkelmann had a fight three years earlier and Koehne had threaten to “put cold lead into Winkelmann.”

Adding to the suspicion, the day after the shooting Koehne left town with his family and pawned a revolver.

The prosecution built a strong case against Koehne. Multiple witnesses testified that Koehne made comments at a bar about Winkelmann being dead and out of the way.

Koehne’s boarder in Lamberton, Mr. Nicolls, testified that on July 2 Koehne said he was returning to New Ulm to “do somebody up.”

Nicolls also said Koehne sent him to collect a revolver for him before he left for New Ulm.

The revolver Koehne pawned was entered into evidence with two shells missing, one shot discharged recently.

Despite the suspicious statements made by Koehne, Justice Brandt rendered a decision that there was a lack of evidence against Koehne and he was released from custody.

The defense successfully raised doubt by posing the theory Winkelmann was killed by a tramp.

George Boock was the last person to see Winkelmann before the shooting. He testified they were together from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. the night of the shooting. Boock and Winkelmann had gone to the train depot on July 3 to put a group of tramps out of town, but one got away near the Franklin School House. This is near where Winkelmann’s body was found a few hours later.

Hospital worker H.L. Saverien testified that while he washed Winkelmann’s face on the morning of July 4 the wounded officer managed to say “tramp shot.”

Two years after the court hearing in 1897, the sheriff of Steele County sent a letter to Brown County stating one of the prisoners in his custody had admitted to the murder of Winkelmann, but this was from a second hand source.

Another prisoner, John Ives, told the sheriff one of the other prisoners had confessed to firing the shot resulting in Winkelmann’s death.

This other prisoner went by multiple names, including Tom Haagen and Michael Enright.

According to Ives, Enright said he entered New Ulm by box car on July 3 and had trouble with a policeman who ordered them out of town. The policeman returned later that evening to the box car. Enright said a group of tramps pinned the officer head in the box car door and he fired a loaded revolver at his neck. The officer managed to free himself and started to chase him. Enright easily escaped and only learned later Winkelmann had died.

Winkelmann was found a block from the depot and it is possible he collapsed at First S. St and Front St. after being wounded in the train yard.

Despite this possible confession, no other indictment was issued for WInkelmann’s murder. Over 100 years later the case is still classified as unsolved.

What really happened on the early morning hours of July 4, 1895 will likely remain a mystery but it is hoped Winkelmann will never be forgotten.

Winkelmann had been with the NUPD less than a year at the time of his death. He was 32 years old and was survived by a wife and two children. He was laid to rest in the Pioneer Section of the New Ulm City Cemetery.

Winkelmann is memorialized on the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP), which is a non-profit organization that maintains a website for law enforcement officers and prison officer who have died in the line of duty.