St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-07
INDICTED FOR MURDER.
The Grand Jury Finds True Bills
Against Beckman and Peterson.

The Grand Jury Finds True Bills
Against Beckman and Peterson.
Special to the Globe.
ROCHESTER,, June 6.-Contrary to the
general expectation, the grand jury con-
tinued its investigation nearly all day,
but at 5 p. m. brought in the following
Indictment:
August j. Beckman and Edward Peterson
are accused by the grand jury of the county
of Olmsted, in the state of Minnesota. by this
as follows: The said August j. Beckman and
Edward Peterson, on April l A. D. 1889,
at the city of Rochester, in the county of
Olmsted and state OF Minnesota, Wrongfully,
unlawfully and feloniously, and with force
malice aforethought killed one Taylor
Combs, human being, by then and there
striking, beating. bruising, choking, kicking,
pressing and stamping him, the said Taylor
Combs, with their hands. knees and feet,
and with a club or some other weapon to the
grand jury unknown, which said killing was
perpetrated by said August j. Beckman and
Edward Peterson, with premeditated de-
sign to effect the death Of the said Taylor
Combs.
The men were arraigned Immediately,
but took the statutory time to plead,
twenty-four hours. There is no doubt
that they will plead not guilty. DR..
Mosse was interviewed by the GLOBE
representative this afternoon and asked
to give an explanation Of the charges
made against him of changing the
coroner's record. he admitted that he
had changed it and had added to it
since he had become acquainted with
the facts. He said: 81 am not re-
quired by law to keep a record at all.
The minutes that have made in my
-
diary would be. 1t is not public
change it. I am required to file
with the clerk of the court statement
of the inquest, which l did. If had
had changed that would then he guilty
OF changing public record" An at
torney was then visited by the reporter
and his opinion asked. He corrOborated
the coroner's statement. Hon. A. T.
Stebbins, being interviewed, said: ''Dr.
Bowers has for twenty-One years been
an efficient and trusted officer of our in
sane hospitals. and enjoyed the conf
dence of all who knew him. For his
erring in judgment this once and then
in the belief that he was doing what
was for the best, the public
will not, in my estimation, Sc
verely condemn him. Ninety-nine men
out of every one hundred would have
done the same thing under the circum-
stances. Had the resident member of
the board, with whom DR.. Bowers al
ways consulted, not been seen, l feel
sure the present condition of things
would not have existed. The highly
sensational and colored reports of this
unfortunate affair are greatly miSlead-
ing. and the reporters who caused their
publication should be publicly cenSured.
DIR. Bowers and his estimable wife. like
wise the other officers of the institu-
tiop, have the confidence and SYM
pathy of the entire community.
The investigation is being most
thoroughly made, and until it is
completed an intelligent public will
reserve judgment. Although public
opinion is divided as to the blame of
Dr.. Bowers. there seems to be heart
there not? He has devoted ten of the
best years of his life to work in this
institution, which he is now obliged to
leave under cloud. 1t, and it's
reputation under his superintendency
heart, and, notwithstanding his
removal under such circumstances,
those who know him best still retain
their high respect and confidence in him
as man and officer, and exceedingly
regret his removal. There is another
matter on which public opinion is unan-
imous, and that is in the indignation
felt towards the two special reporters
who have been here this week pur-
suing and contriving like fends for the
downfall of all those connected with
the affair. One represents a morning
paper in Minneapolis and the other a
St. Paul morning daily. 1t was rumored
here at one time this evening that if an
indignation meeting were held it might
90 hard with these two men,"