Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-25
A SUICIDE OR MURDER. WHICH?
A Pistol Shot and the Victim Goes Over
the Bridge at its Highest
Point.
CRIES OF HELP, HELP, HELP.
A Policeman and "Globe" Reporter Re
spond in Great Haste,
BUT ALL EFFORTS UNAvAIL1NG,
And the Mysterious Stranger Sinks Out
Of Sight and Life.

And the Mysterious Stranger Sinks Out
Of Sight and Life.
Bang.
Splash SPLASH!
Help! HelpU Help!!
These sounds disturbed the stiffness of the
night on Bridge Square just as the town
clock tolled out the twelve strokes of mid
night.
| The noise came from the direction Of the
bridge, and Officer Baer and a GLOBE re-
porter fastened forward in the
direction of the cries of distress. Arriving
on the bridge, lower side of the iron span, a
look in the cold depths of the waters revealed
man struggling in the throes of death.
Again he cried out, "help, help" but was
born down by the stream. Encouraging
words were shouted to him, and tie only
two witnesses of the tragedy turned about
and fastened down to the rivers edge. A
circuitous route down Bench or Second
street to the levee and up the levee to the
freight house of the st. Paul and Sioux CITY
road was traversed at break-neck pace. AS
the officer and reporter reached the river the
cries for assistance were again heard
Around some half dozen freight cars,
the river was at last reached.
Then the last gurgling cries of drowning
man were heard. From his fall from the
bridge, about in the middle of the span, the
man seemed to have foated in shore. And
when his last struggle was made, it happened
just under or near the west end of the
freight house. His cries sounded
go near to the shore, and
were so muffied in tone, that for time it
was thought he had succeeded in getting un-
derneath the wharf extending from the
house over the edge of the water. In the
mean time the night Waterman at the freight
house had come out, and was informed of
the probable death. He procured q
lantern, and the officer, Waterman
| and reporter instituted thorough
search. The worm eaten wharf was walk ed
over, and the light OF the lantern thrown up
on the water; not a ripple on the surface :.
Next the piling supporting the wharf was
examined and the waters edge was followed
from the bridge to the east end of the house.
The river had taken in the man, and gave
no sign.
A
The first idea formed, SO soon as the shot
was heard, followed by the splash, and then
the sight of the struggling man in the water,
was that murder had been done.
The man was shot, and
thrown over the BRIDGE. But said
the officer, II was on the bridge within
twenty seconds after the report, and saw no
one on the BRIDGE.
THE BRIDGE EXAMINED.
All hopes of recovering the man or gain
ing sight of the body being
abandoned, a return to the bridge
was made. A careful survey of
the structure followed; attention being first
given to he lower side, about midway of the
| iron span to The place where the deed was
done. The railing up to this point was Gov
cred with snow, here it was laid bare. At
the foot of the railing the snow was found
trodd en- down and brushed aside.
EVIDENTLY SUICIDE.
Further examination gave evidence that
the man had gone to his death by his
own act. Over the rail and on the beam of
fho
marks of fingers. Closer examinat ton
showed the same impression on the slight
| sprinkle of snow covering one of the lower
| rails. It seems from all these traces that
the man deliberately climbed over the rail
| ing and suspended himself over the river
from the flooring of the bridge. He grasped
the edge with both hands, face towards the
bridge. Then releasing his right hand (the
| impress on the snow, where the left hand
rested shows as if greater weight had
rested upon it, he raised the pistol, fred the
shot.
The pistol falling from his grasp made the
splash.
The body followed with the louder
splash.
So soon as he touched the water, doubtless
the cold bath brought him to condition of
consciousness, and the cries followed of,
| Help, HELP, HELP.
WHO IS THE SUICIDE?
When the shot was heard and was fol-
lowed by the other alarming sounds, Officer
Baer and GLOBE reporter had just met on
| the corner of Wabashaw and Third streets.
The reporter had seen no one in front of him
as he came up Third street from the direc-
ton of the Merchants hotel
Officer Babe had been making tour OF
his beat. Just as he crossed Fourth street
on Wabashaw. west side, he observed man
go up to the letter box, on the northeast
corner of Wabashaw and Third
streets. Then the man walked owe,
towards the bridge. This event was only re.
called to the mind of the officer by the sub.
sequent tragedy, happening almost within q