St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-09
WILD AND weird
Are the Tales They Tell of
Resuseitating Pete
Barrett.
The Romance of How Elee-
trieity and an Omaha
Doctor
Brought Back the Vital Spark
to the Gibbeted Mup-
deper.
Undertaken Connolly and the
Physicians Scout the
Strange Story.
Authenticated Cases in Which
GalloWs Fruit Was Pre-
served.
Meanwhile Peter Barrett'S
Ghost Terrifies the Car
Drivers.

It would seem as if the Names of the
two gibbeted Barrett brothers had been
and that they are so disquieted withal,
that, like Banquo's ghost, they twill
not down." The general public opinion
was that they had fallen in,
as decOrously as possible, with
the rank and file of the
army of the "great majority" their
souls had 'gone marching on" to and
through that bourne from which no
traveller returns" But the rumors
and gossips of recent days TEEN with
contrary suggestions of the most start
ling character, and with all due allow
ance for superstitious imaginations,
morbid cOnjecuureS and nervous phan-
tasma, there is enough to set the minds
of the most intelligent, stolid and COM
nonsense, matter-of-fact people a.
thinking.
Mysterious influences, weird mani
festatiOns, spectral Illusions, ghostIy
apparitions, uncanny sounds have been
repOrted-tO an extent that rendered in-
vestigation quite proper and neces-
Sary.
Last week-Monday- about 9
O'Clock in the evening, as Josef Nord-
QuiSt was passing the spot near the
cemetery where the Barrett boys mur-
dered Car Driver Tollefson, three men
approached through the darkness, and
he could dimly see one of them
lay a piece of board on the
track. His curiosity was aroused by
the strange noiselesSneSS of their
movements; they seemed to float OF
glide along without any sound of foot
steps. He paused, and out of curiosity
watched them. Just then a car came
along. and. the driver noticing the
piece of board, put on brakes, got off
the platform, picked up the board and
threw 1t away. Just as he resumed the
the
THREE SHADoWY FORMS
again loomed into view, ran along by
the side of the car and two sprang upon
the platform. The startled driver. fear.
ing robbery, struck out with his fist at
the men. at the same time urging his
team on to a gallop. The robbers
seemed to slide backward into the dark
ness. and as the car light fell on them
the Mortified driver recognized the faces
of Tim and Pete Barrett. Nordquist
also recognized them, and taking to his
heels became like all the world, a
fieeting show.'' At that moment
terrific cyclone of wind and
though no wind was observable
rod distant. The driver was so terr-
fed that he did not start on his return
trip until two men accompanied him.
Nordequist sticks to his story, and it is
extremely doubtful if the aggregate
wealth of the Vanastorbilts would in
duce him to repeat his experience.
Wednesday nightat about 9:2O O'Clock
George Olafson declares that he saw
Pete Barrett, in his own words. lust as
alive as ever he was, only little pale ;:
This was on Plymouth avenue, near
Washington, on Friday night at about
10 O'Clock, according to the assertion OF
William BjoTnSten and Abel ArkentSer
they saw ''Pete Barrett, or his ghost ,
in company with young girl or
Chicago avenue, just above Eighth
street.
This gossip has had considerable
headway about town, and, although
there has been great deal of scrutiny
no one about the city has yet beer
found having any particular resem
blance to Pete Barrett.
The foregoing may all be utterly dis
credited by cool, hard-headed people
and 'pOoh-poohed' and "pshawed'' by
the public generally, but there are
other grave circumstances to consider
Shortly before the execution among the
visitors to the jail was plain but very
intelligent-looking, medium-sized, dark
compleXioned man. His repeated visit.
were noticed, because, although ht
never spoke to the Barrett boys. yet hi
looked at them SO long and intently
that one of the keepers set him dow
as crank. That man was
PRESENT AT THE EXECUTION.
No one seemed to recognize him, ant
no one now can account for his identity
Nor can it be ascertained how he man
aged to gain admission. He could no
have entered unobServed, but mus
have purchased pass from some one
The sheriff did not issue ticket to an,
stranger.
That mysterious man never took hi.
eyes away from the condemned from
the moment of their appearance unit
their faces were hidden under the hid
eouS black caps. After the bodies Wer,
cut down he continued his critical oh
servatiOn, and remained until the las
moment possible. He was withou
when Undertaken Connolly and his as
siStants came to remove the dead, AM
asked several questions of one of them
and became annoying and was ordere'
away by the polibe.
He entered a cab and followed tn
hearses 10 the morgue, where he vainl
sought admission; was repulsed and de
parted.
No more was seen of him until las
evening, when, accompanied by
heavily veiled old lady, he occupied
section of the sleeping car, booked t
Chicago, under the name of
''DR. MMAHoN AND MOTHER"
1t is rumored that this DR.. Patricl
McMahon is practicing physician a
Omaha, an intimate friend of the Bal
retts; and his companion in the dis
guise of an old woman clad in dee
mourning was none other than Pet
Barrett, who suffered the extreme pei
atty OF the law on the gallows here O
March %. 1t is now stated that youn
Barrett was surreptitiously hurrie
away by some sharp maneuverins
taken to lonely suburban cottage bac
Of the Lake Of the Isles and there rt