St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-24
CHARGED WITH MURDER.
Boys Accuse Demented Old Man
with Shooting a BOY and Burying
His Corpse Near Efy.

Boys Accuse a Demented Old MAN
with Shooting a Boy and Rurying
His Corpse Near Efy.
A little. decrepit old man. simple and
honest-looking, was led to the police sta
ton yesterday afternoon, locked in Cell
No. and kept in the suffocating, filthy
place all night. Half fainting and bewil-
dered he painted at the locker for air,
pressing his cheek against the side of the
cell door, to feel what GOODNESS was
in it. Occasionally he tried to
rest upon the wooden bench until the heat
drove him to his feet. This man was ac-
cused of a most horrible deed.
Some boys on Rice street made random
accusation against him, charging him with
having shot small boy and buried him not
far from his home. Officer Newell brought
the old man to the station and put him IN
cell without making any charge against
him, that he might hold the half childish
old man until he had fully investigated the
matter and found the grave. Newell was
on day watch and said he would report at
p. NJ, but he did not.
The old man said his name was Richard
Tasker, rs years old, bricklayer. and
that he lives at 1882 Rice street. Every
Sunday he said, a lot of boys gather at
Picket's place, and when enthused with
beer, proceed to make the old mans build
ing an object of attack. They have so
pelted it with stones that
HARDLY A WINDOW REMAINS
entire, and the old man several times mar
rowly escaped being struck with one of the
m issiles. Once he went To Nicholas
Wiegel, a milkman, who lives near the
Northern Pacific track and asked him if he
could not restrain his two smallest bows
from throwing stones at his place. Mr..
Niegel answered that he could not The
Old man tried to get out warrants for the
juvenile offenders and failed. They took
advantage of this and hectored him all the
more.
Chief Clark says he does not think the
charge will amount to much. Officer New
ellis detective work had resulted in nocting
last night. The police do not remember
when any case Of the mysterious dis
appearance of a boy, as would
probably have been if the ac-
Usation against the old man was
true was ever brought to their knowledge.
The boys are believed to be members of the
Rice street gang" troublesome lot of
young tOughS who have infested the Rice
street neighborhood for years. and the
charge against the old man is believed to be
persecution or mischief. The old man has
been living alone his wife having deserted
him long ago, and his children all living in
Illinois. For awhile he was at the poor
farm. Jailer Keefe says he has known him
for twelve years and that he is a little de-
mented.
Officer Newell said last night that he
found there was nothing in the charge
against the old man, but the boys in the
neighborhood say he shoots at them. He
says lie will have to charge him with dis
charging firearms within the city limits.
TWICE REpORTED LYNCHED.
Mr.. j. ys. schulnan, who Has
Twice Been Reported Hanged.
Returns to st. Paul.
j. 3. Schuman, tall, broad-shouldered
and sunburned, alighted from train in the
st. Paul union depot yesterday afternoon.
A policeman, who had known him some
years ago. caught sight of his face, and
after satisfying himself that it was not Z
ghost, stepped up to him and said Are
you really alive? l heard you had beer
hung twice"
IF people would mind their own bust
ness and not lie so much about me- / would
be obliged to them," said Mr.. Schuman
and he hastened to see his father, Mr.. Her
man Schuman, at 449 West Seventh street
who had believed him dead.
Twice this Mr.. Schuman has read in thu
daily papers graphic accounts of the lynch
ing of his son. Once it was il
Montana, in June 1884. wher
specials announced that j. b. Schumar
had been one of party of eight who hat
been hanged by a gang of vigilantes. fo
alleged lawlessness. A year later dis
patches from Dallas. Tex, announced tina
j. 3. Schuman had been taken from iai
and hanged by al armed mob for numbering
prominent citizen. Never since 1888
when the young Mr.. Schuman left his home