The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-08-04
ANOTHER TRAGEDY.
The Murder Of q Passenger ON the
Anna johnson by an Insane
man..Further Particulars.

We gave IN yesterday fIONEER Drlet tele.
cram from Captain Isaac II. Moulton, of the
steamer Anna johnson, stating that passen:
ger on that steamer named Nathan 8. Roberts,
had been sho near Wabashaw by fellow pas
senger named u. :. Stocking, and died. The
Anna Johnson brought to this port yesterday
morning the body of the deceased, and the
murderer, who was at once taken to the Jail
for safe keeping. The body, which was packed
in ice, in o large box was removed to the'Court
House, and Coroner Sheig at once proceeded to
hold an inquest on it.
THE CoRoNER'S INQUEST.
We give the testimony taken before the Cor.
oner's inquest, as furnishing full and reliable
statement of the particulars OF the sad tragedy:
DIR. CHARLES d. WILLIAMS, SWORN.
examined the body of the deceased, whose
name do not know. Inc pau e SU Inc
brain. and should judge passed through the
latter. did not open the skull 1t passed
ont through the front part of the jaw, under
the chin. The direction of the ball was from
above downwards. The wound was necessar.
ily fatal. 1t was what caused his death,
should say.
F. B. HILL, OF CHICAGO, AFFIRMED.
[ met deceased at La Crosse, Wis, while
waiting for the boat, Anna johnson. MIR. Rob
erts. in conversation with him, said he was go
ing to st. Paul, and wished to look for q farm
or some kind of real estate for investment He
made some inquiry about my opinion OF the
health of the State, and its future prospects as
q wool growing State. He said he had sold
out his farm in New York near Syracuse, and
intended to invest in some land in Minnesota
or Central Iowa. On the evening of the 26th,
while was talking with Mr.. Roberts in the
cabin of the boat, first noticed MIR. g. e.
Stocking, who took some part in the converse.
ton about Minnesota, and MIR. Roberts asked
him about Minneapolis, and stocking gave MIN
some information about it. Roberts then got
up and walked away, but Stocking kept on
talking about Minnesota and the country in
which he resided, and kept it up until the con-
versation was broken off by my going away.
Soon after, Mr.. Roberts and myself retired
to our state room 1--WE had one IN common-)
On coming out of the state room in the morn.
ing, Stocking was sitting near the door. and
asked him if he did not have room. He said
he did, but could not sleep. noticed Wild
look about him, and an uneasy motion in rub
bling his hands. He moved his seat near to
where had sat down, and told me he would
rive all he had if they would let him off the
boat" supposed he meant the Captain and
Clerk. He then came up and spoke in low
tone, and said if was bis friend, he wanted
me to get them to shoot him, and not cut his
throat. felt satisfied he was laboring under
insanity from some cause and asked him if he
was sick or had drank anything. He replied
No to each question. l met Mr.. Roberts soon
after. and told him g our Minnesota friend Is
crazy" He said he thought not. but might be
scared or homesick. Mr.. Roberts is the per-
son who here lies dead.
HENRY L. HINsDALE-SwORN.
I reside at Kenosha, Wis. l was on the boat
when this affair occurred. I was sitting on the
puard at the bow. Other persons were on the
guard behind us. l was looking at crane
sitting on the sand ahead of,the boat, and hear
ing shot fired, supposed it had been hred at
the bird. Immediately heard second shot.
The ball whistled so close to my head, turned
to see where it came from. AS l turned, the
third shot was fired. saw soldier struggling
with man who proved atterward to be Stock
ing. Surprising it to be merely row, passed
around on the other side OF the boat out OF the
way of the shots. As Ipassed around the cabin,
Stocking passed through it, and climbed over
the guard on the other side. The Captain then
seized him and called the Mate to tie his hands,
which was done. went at once to the place
where the shooting was done, and saw the
body OF the deceased lying tnere; Assisted IN
carrying him into the saloon. This occurred
shortly after we had left Alma, Wis. 1t was
about 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. l did
not know deceased, but saw the letters and pa
pers taken from his person. They bore the
name Nathan 8. Roberts," The letters were
]. J. Fisk" Surprising from the letters that
this lady was his sister, telegram was sent to
her from Wabashaw.
PHILIP w. FIX, SWORN
reside at Spring Lake, Scott county, Min
nesota. am q Sergeant OF Company A, 4th
regiment. am veteran. was on the An
ma johnson when this occurred. recognise
the BODY here as that of man whom l saw on
the boat. did not see him shot. as was look
ing in an opposite direction, but saw him fall.
saw Stocking with revolver in his hand as
he fired a second shot. He fired it at soldier
who had stood talking with deceased. This
soldier is not here. l do not know him. The
| was running toward him to arrest him. He
fred fourth shot at me when was almost in
reach of him-the ball passing through my hat
rim. He attempted to shoot again, but
caught the pistol and his hand, and disarmed
him He struggled hard to keep it. As soon
as got it away from him, he ran through the
wash room and saloon into the cabin, and out
upon the larboard deck.
He did not utter word while firing these
shots l had talked with him before he came
on the boat at La Crosse and on the trip. He
told me that he lived in Minnesota Cat Hutch
inson, l think) and that he was on his way
ZONE after q visit to Indiana to his brother-in-
law. He said he had moved to Minnesota for
his health having been afflicted with bleeding
at the lungs. The morning after (Thursday)I
talked with him again. he was IN the cabin.
l sat down by him and asked him how he felt.
He said, bad enough. l asked him in what
wav. When he went on to state that there
were men on board who were plotting to kill
him. Seeing he was out OF bis mind, talked
with him to get him out of that notion, but he
said it was no use. I asked him if he had ever
felt that way before. He said be had, about
two years ago he had some two or three spells
of the kind. He said he felt grateful to me
for the Way had treated him on the boat, and
considered me one of his best friends: This is
about all the conversation we had at that time.
After the shooting l asked him where ne got
the revolver. He said it was his. and that he
had it in his state room. He said he had been
watching through the window at the deceased
talking with a soldier, and that they were
plotting to kill him. That he went dlrecty
| into his state room and got the revolver-that
he passed through the door of the cabin upon
| the guard, thinking that he had better shoot
the meu that were plotting to kill him, ana
then fired. When I asked him why he shot at
me las he considered me- his friendo he replied