Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-08-06

n 4
N COUNTY. MINNESOTA. I
was loaded down with rock nearlysto the
waters edge and swinging into the rapid
current Of the falls, was q very inconsid-
crate and rash act, especially as he could
not swim. Deaths by accidental shoot
ing and drowning have been quite fire.
quent in comparison with the number of
the population, but the most Of those who
met with such deaths were new corners
or transient persons who came to this
county for the purpose Of hunting, as
game has been more plentiful here than
in any other part of the State. The large
amount Of logs and RATS that annually
passes down the Mississippi river furn-
.ishes employment for a large number of
men, several of whom have been drowned
in going through the fall at this place.
In the fall Of 1874 three young, men
came up from Iowa to hunt deer, and
built hunting camp on Little Elk river.
After completing their camp two of them
went for supplies, leaving one to. take
care of the camp. One of them returned
after having been away four days, and
found dead the young man who had been
left. The guns were all hanging up, but
revolver with one barrel empty was ly-
ing on the floea and a bullet had entered
his bowels. 4 He had apparently lived
some time after heAwas shot, as the pants
he wore, containing a ball hole, had been
taken off: s'As nothing was missing from
the camp it was clear that the shooting
was accidental His name was Charles
F. Lowe, and he was found dead on the
second day of October, 1874.
John Millbauer died in the town of
Buckman, this county, February 9Th,
1880. He had been married about eleven
years, and toward the latter part of his
life an unpleasantness grew up between
himself and his wife, on account of sup
posed improper conduct between her and
one Fred 'Kovets, a bachelor, who had
been intimate with the family for several
years, and owned farm adjoining Mr..
Millbauer's. Some suspecion was ex-
cited at the time of his death, but he was
buried without objection being made by
any one. He had scarcely been put in
the grave when the neighbors began to
compare notes and investigate the matter
as far as they could, and strong convic-
tion arose in the community that the
death of Mr.. Millbauer was caused by
poison administered to him by his wife
or the said Kovets. The Coroner, DR.. ].
O. Simmons, on application having been
duly made to him, held an inquest upon
the body of said John Millbauer on the
18th and 18th days of April, 1880, the bo-
dy having been exhumed for that purpose
DR.. Cheney, of Sauk Rapids, was en-
ployed to assist the Coroner. They ex-
amined the brain and removed the stom-
ach, which appeared to indicate the pres
ence of poison. The stomach was taken
to noted chemist in Minneapolis to be
analysed, but he demanded 5000 in ad-
vance for making a proper analysis of the
contents of the stomach. The Coroner,
not desiring to pay this sum out of his
own pocket, delayed further action until
the financial question could be submitted
to the board of county commissioners,
which so far have declined to pay that
amount of money for that purpose, as
they consider it an exorbitant price In
the mean time the Coroner's jury, at an
adjourned meeting, on the evidence they
were able to adduce, rendered a verdict
that John Millbauer came to his death by
taking poison administered to him by
some unknown person. That unknown
person might have been himself, he hav-
ing at several times said that he should
die, and that the action of his wife was
great source of trouble to him. We are
of the opinion that this matter is about at
an end, but it may he that only the be-
ginning Of the end is reached.
A Coroner's inquest was held in the
town of Pierz in this county June IA,
1880, on the dead body of Barthel Urey,
an old German resident of that town, who
who was drowned in the Skunk river a
short time previous to that date, when the
water was very high. tits supposed that
he was drowned accidentally by under
taking to ford the river. He might have
drowned himself on purpose, however, as
he was bordering on insanity, if not
really insane. Nearly year ago he was
brought before the Judge of Probate and
examined as to his sanity. He was adj
judged to be partially insane, but on ac-
count of his being harmless he was not
sent to the asylum. ~.
On the 24th day of November, 1879, an
inquest was held on the body of Frank
lin Smith, in the town of Buckman
From the testimony of his brother,
Charles N. Smith, and others, it appears
that while hunting for deer and watch
ing a runway, he went into the top of a
fallen oak tree, and by mishap the gun
was fired and the ball entered his body.
He went but short distance where he
was found dead As his gun was not
with him it was thought that. some one
had shot him and taken his gun, but on
his gun being found shortly afterwards
in the tree-top, the mystery was ex-
planned. Charles n Smith and his de-
ceased brother were new corners into this
county.
We will now proceed to unveil the
dark catalogue of crimes that have been
committed in the county. Daniel Bor-
man, a saloon keeper at Little Falls, was
found dead in his store room, on the
morning of the 20th day of June, 1866.
It appeared that he had been called up in
the night by some one to draw some Ii.
quor, and while in the act of drawing it
he was struck on the side of the head
with stone, and was knocked senseless,
and large knife was thrust between his
ribs on the left side, reaching his heart.
The blood ran out upon the floor, and
was tracked about the house by persons
wearing moccasins From the develop
ments made through the testimony at the
inquest, suspicion rested strongly upon
one 10 Roy, half breed. He was ar
rested and placed in the hands Of. the