St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-25
PROBABLY SUICIDED.
The Body OF Alex Cameron Found
in the Mississippi---A Theory as
to the Cause of His Death


A soldier at Fort Smelling saw the
body of man floating among the drift
wood at the head of Pike island yester-
day. Coroner Quinn went to the place
and made an investigation. Letters in
the dead mans pockets showed him to
be Alex Cameron, and that he had
formerly resided at 40 East Ninth
street, this city. He was a Scotch
man, as indicated by his clothing.
which was of Scotch material, his linen
bearing the stamp of Edinburg mills.
From appearances the body had not
been in the water longer than two days.
One of the letters in his pocket was an
Introduction by John r. Hague, secre-
tary of the Y. NJ. c. A. of ST. Paul, COM
mending him as a thoroughly honest, re-
liable man, industrious and Intelligent. 1t
appeared from another letter that he was
married. No. 40 East Ninth street is a
boarding house. The landlady states
that Cameron and his wife came there
to board Feb. l, and remained until
March u, when they moved to cheaper
lodgings in the one-story cottage at the
southwest corner of Ninth and Cedar
streets. Cameron was thirty-five years of
age and Mrs. Cameron is a plump little
Scotch woman of twenty-three. They
seemed to be greatly attached to each
other. When they took lodgings at No.
40, they had just came from Winnipeg,
where they located on their arrival in
America, having sailed from Scotland
about Sept. l, 1887. In st. Paul, Cam
eron secured employment at the freight
house OF the Chicago, st. Paul q Kansas
City railroad, where he worked
steadily and gave great satisfac-
ton. He was very quiet and uncom-
municative,. but gentlemanly In his
manner, and was considered a model
husband and boarder by his landlady.
When the CameronS moved to the corner
OF Cedar and Ninth their quarters were
limited to one small room. There they
lived until one week ago last WedneS-
day. Cameron left his position with the
railroad company, and on Friday. May
8, assumed the position of book
keeper at the wood yard of
Griggs IL Foster. His landlady is
authority for the statement that Cam
eron came home under the influence of
day he remained in the house consider
ably intoxicated. When a representa-
tive of his employers called TO see what
was the matter he refused to go to
work, and resigned his position. For a
week Cameron remained at home,
going out at intervals for drink,
and. although he never created
any disturbance, he appeared to be in
toXicated. He braced up about Monday,
May Is, and began to look for work.
Being unsuccessful in this city he and
his wife. announced their intention of
going to Minneapolis, which they did
on the following Wednesday. Nothing
has been learned of them since except
that on Monday last Mrs. Cameron was
at the Union depot and sent an express
man to the house at the corner OF Cedar
and Ninth streets, to get their two
trunks.
The theory is that Cameron was I'M
able to get situation at Minneapolis,
took to drink, and committed suicide.
1t is supposed that Mrs. Cameron is in
Minneapolis, or that when she sent for
the trunks on Monday, she had started
back to Winnipeg. The landlady at
No. 140 says Cameron had friend who
was connected with the army at Fort
Smelling, but she does not know his
name or rank. She says Cameron VS.
tied there frequently.