The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-10
The Pacific Hotel Disaster.

The St. Louis Republican of the Goth ult., saws the
circumstances under which the warrant was sued out
are, We understand, about as follows Ephraim Doane,
whose remains we're exhumed from the ruins of the fire.
was reputed to have had the sum of s., 900 in his pos.
session. His room was adjoining that of Taylor, a plank
partition only separating their apartments. At about
ten o'clock preceding the morning of the disaster, Taylor
was seen to 60 to bed. In the neighborhood of one
o'clock he was observed at the corner of Walnut and
Seventh in company with Sharpe, Waterman of the
hotel, and Terrence. AT a quarter past three he went
to the Townsley House, on Fourth street, without either
boot or shoes, and engaged a bed, where he remained
until breakfast time. When the bed was made the
sheets were discovered to be considerably stained with
blood. Examination Of the person of Taylor shows that
he had no cut or bruise from which blood could have
issued. All this, in connection with the fact that the
papers by which the body of Doane was identified were
bloody, Is was also the straw out Of which the remains
we're taken, makes a group of circumstances fully iusti-
flying Taylor's arrest. The latter's antecedents, too,
should not be forgotten. Not a great while ago he was
apprehended for a robbery at the Missouri hotel. and
the evidence Of his guilt, it is said, would have been
pretty convincing, but the prosecuting witness was
obliged to leave the city before the trial came on, and
the accused was discharged. Moreover, report has it
that while in California he vas found guilty of a State
prison ofense, and was a prisoner at San Francisco
His general character, furthermore, is bad, being that
Of q gambler, a rske, and an inebriate.
The man Sharpe can scarcely be suspected of any
knowledge of the catasprophe beforehand, else he would
not now be lying in a critical condition at the hospital
but may it not have been that he was designedly drunk
by Taylor when Terrence and he were out with him, in
order that, in case of a FIRE, the flames might make sui.
fccient Roadway to destroy the proof of guilt before he
(Sbarpe) could give tho alarm.
Captain Morton, Of the Police force of this city, as
sisted by the Sheriff of Pierce county, Wisconsin,
arrested at Point Prescott one Of the boldest and most
extensive forgers and swindlers ever Gagged 10 this re-
gion. named Sylvester Steele.
1t seems that for a long time Steele, who il we'll
known here, bad by means of forging titles and abstracts
sold large bodies of lands, (which he pretended to have
entered but not received warrants for to various per
sons. The quantity of lands thus fraudulently conveyed
We are told ranges from 5 to 1900 acres. So boldly
and openly were these transactions carried On that for a
long time TO suspicion Of tee franj was entertained.
But by and by the game was played out. The Land
Officers at Saltwater got hold Of the STUART operator, and
the necessary documents were placed in the hands Of
Geo. S~ternberg, Esq, u. S. Dep. Marshall, VIII, accom-
panied by II. !. Grant, 81 this city, aud The clever De-
tectivc, Capt. Norton, li".taa.si -. Saturday to Point
Prescott. Two acc 'mplces were arrested at the same
time. Steele denies his guilt, anil declares he does not
even know how to v,ite~- tN'tnaesot'an.