Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-11
NUMBER III.
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
THE EODY OF THE MISSING; y0r-Tu
FEHLER FOUND.
A Clear Case of Suicide---The Situation and
Condition of the Body--Findine the Pistol
Which He Used--The Inquest to be Re-
sumed To-Day.

As noted extensively at the time in tho
GLOBE, II. Fehler disappeared on March LIST.
from the residence of his uncle, Hermann Trott.
ESQ.,, land commissioner of the St, Paul & Pa
cifc railroad. The circumstances of the case
must be familiar to the readers of the GLOBE
of the period indicated, but will bear repeti-
ton.
MIR. Fehler was youth, aged 10 years who
had come directly to his uncle from Germany.
He was possessed of fine education and spoke
English quite fluently. However, since his adj
vent in this city, he had severely suffered from
illness, and betrayed tendency
to mental alteration On the
| evening previous to his disappearance,
an informal party of young folks of his own
age, with whom he was decided favorite, as
| sembled at Mr.. Trott's house, and engaged in
indifferent pastimes. MIR. Fehler declined to
join therein, stating that he did not feel alto
gether we'll, and retired at about 9P NJ About
O'Clock the following morning, the young man
left the house, and, in spite of the best con-
certed efforts of his friends, all trace of him
was lost.
About noon yesterday, Willie Crest, aged
about ten or twelve years. son of j. p. Crest
was strolling, with other boys, in pursuit of
rabbits, through some thick bushes in Airing
ton Hills addition to the city, when he
discovered corpse. He Immediately in
formed his father, who in turn, at
| once notified the coroner, Dr. Stein. That
official promptly proceeded to the spot, having
| first secured the attendance of parties to form
| jury in case he should not find n sufficient
number to inpanel. AS it was suspected the
| body just discovered might be that of young
Fehler, Mr.. Trott was notified and he drove
out. The only representatives of the press
were from the GLOBE and VolkSzeitung.
Arriving in the vicinity the corner impanel-
ed the following jury: Thomas J. Smith,
| w Hoofh 7
George E. Husee and Mic. Weller. The body
was found in the clump of bushes, lying upon
its right side, with the face three-ouarters
downward. Decomposition, of course, had
claimed its own, and the hands and face, the
only parts visible beyond the clothing, were
quite black, the bones of the fingers protrud-
ing beyond the rotting integument of flesh.
The mouth was open, the nose sunken, and
the eye-sockets vacant. The right side of the
face was the most decomposed. The clothing
as always happens in such cases, had withstood
bravely the effects of decays effac-
discovered small silver watch.
attached to an Albert gold chain, small piece
of lead pencil, and scrap of paper, on which
was caricature in red ink and the back
these words, You call at Mr.. Trott's my
, name is Spra." There were also two hand
kerchiefs, in the corner of one being embroid-
cred, III. F. No. II, ~ small bundle of keys.
and pair of gloves. The body was clothed in
a blue heavy overcoat, n sprinkled gray and
white sack coat, and blue Scotch vest and
pants. The black hat lay near.
Mr.. Trott at once identified the remains as
those of his nephew, and stepped back much
affected. Recovering himself, he stated that
on the morning of his nephew's leaving the
house, he had discovered an empty cartridge
box, leading him to think that his nephew must
have carried with him revolver, and asked
that search be instituted for the weapon
The pistol almost toy-like in it's size and
of the Erdchard 4 Wadsworth patent
was discovered under the leaves about
two feet from the outstretched rgh
hand. MIR. Trott also explained that tn,
inscription on the back of the paper was no
l in the handwriting of the deceased; but ha'
a been penned in joke by one of the dccedcni
: friends.
f This closed the proceedings where the bod
: was found, and the party drove back to town
i, Mr.. Trott directed the Stees Bros, undertakes
). to take charge of the body, and deposit the re
. mains in the morgue to await the resumed in
t quest at 10 A. M. to-day, the corpse being
meanwhile, by the direction of the coroner
}, watched by two of the jury until the arrival o
!. the undertaken.
# Last evening GLOBE reporter called upo
# Mr.. Trott, and asccrtained the latter had II
l. question that the body that of his Ion
lost nephew, on whose account he had suttcrc
,e weeks of anxious suspense. His theory
&c death was suicide. He believed that on the la
10 night the young in his house he mu
,r have suffered terribly, just he had dor
e. before, and, thus induced, poor Fehlcr HI
,e formed the rash resolve, which had end'
u in self-inhicted death. Sad as the end hi
ct Eeen, and not altogether unanticipated, it wa
ot at least, partial consolation to feel that Il
h. anxiety of the past two months was ended, az
10 that the tragic fate of his nephew had been
-, | mournfully solved