St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-20
DIED FROM STARVATION,
Though He Had More Than $1,000 in
the House.
STORY OF A STRANGE. FAMILY
Samuel Kristie Dies Amid Filth and
Leaves His Property TO For
eigners.

special 10 tne Globe.
WAsECA, Mimi, April 19.-FOr
number of years a remarkable family
lived in the township of ST. Marys,
this county. The members Of the house
hold being Samuel Kristie and his two
sisters, Rose and Justina Kristie. AL
though German born and surrounded
by their own country people, thew
never associated or mingled with them.
either socially or otherwise. The land
which they possessed, being good
farm, was he'd in the name of the
women. Samuel was a miller by trade,
and for several years was employed III
the Touring mill at Okaman. Mimi.
Rose Kristie died over two years ago.
and JuStina, the remaining sister of
Samuel, died i'll March. 1887, leaving all
the property. by will, to Samuel. 1t
seems that at the death of the two sis
tiers, the land upon which they lived
became the property of Samuel. For
many years prior to the death of the
two sisters, and since that time, scarce
ly any one was ever admitted into the
miserable log cabin in which they
lived. They were suspicious of every
one-apparently afraid of being robbed
When
THE SISTERS DIED
Samuel procured the collins, performed
the duties of undertaken himself, and
buried them without any public cere-
mony whatever. Since their death
Samuel has lived all alone, accompanied
only by three dogs that kept watch
over the premises. For a couple of
weeks past he has been in the habit of
making occasional visits to neighbours
by the name of John Smell, and ex-
changing newspapers with him. As
krIstle had not been seen for several
days Mr.. Smell went to his cabin last
Sunday forenoon and raped at the
door, A low moan was the only re-
Spouse. Smell looked in at the window
and saw Kristie between the stove and
the bed. evidently in dying condition.
Being alarmed he went for neighbor,
and with him they returned and took
out the window and reached inside,
turned the door key and went in. A
sorry sight met their view. The poor
man. sadly emaciated, lay upon the
floor gasping for breath, but unable to
speak. They laid him OH the bed. where
he breathed his last in very few min.
uteS. Soon after
KRISTIE'S DEATH
the two neighborS left the house for
the purpose of notifying the coroner in
this city, but hearing an uproar made
by the dogs at Kirstie's place, they went
back, and upon looking in saw one Dan
Naughton. about twenty-four.years old,
and resident of this vicinity, ransack-
ing everything in the house. They un-
locked the door and inquired what he
was doing there. Naughton at first
tried to escape, but was prevented from
so doing, and it was then discovered
that he had $90S30 belonging to the
deceased, which he refused to sur
render, and took to his home. Coroner
Young was notified and took charge OF
the remains, and under his direction
Undertaken Grapp, of this city, buried
the same, together with his sword,
muSket and ammunition. in st. Mary'S
cemetery. The neIghbors who were
present at the death of Kirstie, turned
over to the coroner all other money they.
had found about the premises of the
deceased, and then the coroner pro-
ton, who at first refused to deliver over
the cash, but finally, when threatened
with arrest, reluctantly did so. One
thousand one hundred and fifty dollars
in all was found about the premises.
MIR. Grapp, the undertaken who pre-
pared the remains for burial, says that
the sight was sickening and disgusting.
The man was emaciated. and looked as
II death was caused by starvation. He
was covered with filth and his garments
were stiff with dirt. KriStie had no
relatives in this country. but by will
one year ago, devised all his property
to relatives in Lissen, Neuer Ring No.
50, province PoSen, kingdom of Prussia