Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-01-15
For the Sentinel.
rhe Rhinhxrt.Doael Tragedy:

For the Sentinel.
rhe Rhishart.Bolel Tragedy:
Perhaps no case has ever occurred
| in the Northwest that equals the
above in the ingenuity and presence
of mind displayed by the murderer, or
in the horrible depravity and barbar-
ism displayed by the sclt:constituted
executioners.
Bodell was lately from llirois,
whence he had come to secure home
for himself and family, and had in his
possession about seven hundred dol
lars. He fell in company with Rhine
hardt at an inn a few miles from
Northfield, in Rice county, at which
last place he has been stopping a few
days before. Rhinhart, it appears, was
acquainted with the circumstances of
Bodell, and after considerable CONVEX
sation induced the latter to accom-
|pany him to his claim, for the purpose
of purchasing it, if it suited him, and
i'll that case they were to continue to
Lexington IN LeSeur county lin which
county the claim was situated in order
to execute the papers. Under that
arrangement, on the LIST of October
last, they started away together, and
neither of them ever returned. 4
As the principal interest of the ac-
count turns upon Rhinhart, it will be
proper to give the reader some idea of
his previous history and character.
His parents are people of respectable
|ity and wealth residing in the State
of Illinois. He was near thirty years
of age, of proposing appearance and
physically possessed OF extraordin-
ary strength and activity. 1ntellcctu-
ally he seems to have been quite ge-
MUS, speaking the German and French
languages fluently, skilled in engraving
and drawing, an accomplished mu-
sician-a proficient on almost every
musical instrument, by trade a printer
and by profession a gambler. For
years he had led wild rowing life, de-
pending as was most convenient, upon
some one of his accomplishments, or
upon his trade for temporary support;
!atterly he had married, and pre-empt-
ed claim; his wife was them stopping
at LaCrescent.
| About two weeks after their de-
parture for the claim, letter of inqui.
ry was received at Nnrtlf;eld from the
wife Of Bodell, aud the citizens, know.
ing that he had money with him, and
that he intended to return to illinois
Immediately after going to the claim,
at once suspected foul play. On enqui.
ring at the house nearest the claim, it
was asccrtained that Bodell and Rhin-
hart stopped there on the night of the
LIST of October and had left the next
morning for Northfeld-Bodell ex.
pressing a determination not to pur-
chase-and on further inqttiry it was
found that that night lahinhart arrived
alone III Lexington, stayed there one
week, occupying himself as usual, at
tending dances, cardplaying and riding
about and tl:en left for La Crescent.
On further inquiry it was found that
a person answering his description
haa borrowed spiue on the after
noon Of the day he had left his claim,
from a German, whose house was sit.
uated about five miles from Lexington,
and half a-mile from the highway.
Rhinhart's claim was about twelve
miles from Lexington, the country be-
tween is heavily timbered, very uneven
and in every depression is a lake o,
marsh; Bodill was unacqusinted with
the country; Rhinhatt might have mis-
led him; the circumstance of his Dor
: rowing a spade was certainly very sis
: picious; altogether amounting to con
: viction.
A systematic and thorough search
wat at once commenced. The high
way, at the point nearest the hous,
where the spade was obtained, ra,
along narrow neck lying between ,
lake and a marsh; at this point tn,
r search commenced, and in a few min
Ytes one Of the party, in stepping of
log felt the ground give way beneatl
c his feet. He had stepped upon tn
knapsack Of Bodell, buried few in
ches beneath the surface. The con
viction bccaliae a certainty. In few
tnoiAet,ts a shout attracted the atten
4 ton Of the party, one of the numbe
in passing the edge of the tnorass sud
denly tripped and to save himself from
falling grasped at . sprout, one Q
a small clump of willows, which pallin,
up appeared to have been freshly cut
and stuck into the ground. On e1
I, animation the whole clump, proved
be Of the same construction, and be
meath it the body Of Bodell was found
He had been shot through the head
and his throat cut from ear to ear
Z, What sagacity on the part of the mu,
1t dererl How vain are the profound
> est precautions in the hands Of an owe,
ruling providence! No one wou!
think Of closely searchinor a clr,nn !.