St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-10
CLAIMS ALL TIE Cash.
Mrs. Maggie Lees Husband
Was Not Food for the
Fishes.
A Man Long Mourned as
Drowned Is in the
Flesh.
He Claims the Property Of
) His Spouse, Who Was
Cremated.
Treasurer Nelson DeviSeS a
Scheme to Accumulate st.
Paul Taxpayers.

A man giving his name as Lee called
at police headquarters yesterday morn
ing and informed Secretary Morton that
he was the husband of Mrs. Maggie
Lee, who was burned to death last year
in the fire which consumed the residence
of Laid BurmaSter, on Edward street,
West st. Paul, and which at the same
time resulted in the death of little Maud
Burmaster. He says he can easily prove
his identity as husband of the deceased,
and demands that her estate, consisting
of personal property now i'll the hands
of an administrator, be turned over TO
him. The man afterwards visited Dr.
Quincy, to whom he repeated his story,
and wanted to-know what had become
of the trunk containing silver plate and
other bric-a-brac belonging to his de-
ceased wife. Lee also visited
the scene of the contiagra-
ton in West st. Paul. and re-
peated his story to Officer Hurley, OF
the West side police force. The claim
ant expressed an intention to commence
proceedings for the recovery of the
money and valuables which were pos
sessed by his wife.
Mrs. Lee came to st. Paul about the
LIST of June, 1888, from Chippewa Falls,
where she had formerly conducted a
rival here she engaged as hOuSekeeper
for Ladd Burmaster, who resides
at 212 East Indiana avenue, West
st. Paul, and in short time greatly
endeared himself to the family. On
June 26, about two weeks after Mrs.
Lees advent in the BurmaSter house
hold, the fire occurred in which
SHE WAS BURNED TO DEATH,
as was little Maud BurmaSter, who
was occupying the same room with the
hOusekeeper. Iadd Burmaster, the
child's father, saved the lives Of his
two other children by throwing them
from the windows of the burning build
ing, afterwards jumping himself, and
sustaining injuries from which he has
not yet fully recovered. The
charred remains of little Maud
and the housekeepeer were found next
morning in room of the house apart
from that which they had occupied.
whittier they had wandered hand in
hand, and died before aid could reach
them. Melvin Dixon, a relative of the
Burmaster family who resides at Is
Eaton avenue on the West side, while
assisting in the removal of the remnant
of furniture left by the flames, found
the dress worn by Mrs. Lee on
the day previous to the holo-
caust. 1t contained large old
fashioned buckskin wallet, inside of
which were two smaller purses. These
being opened were found to contain
money to the amount of $3.50. all of
which was in gold, with the exception
of one S. bill. Dixon at once turned
the money over to Coroner Quinn, who
deposited it in the bank to await the
appointment Of an administrator. Mrs.
Lees trunk, which contained among
other things a quantity OF
siverware, was afterwards sold
by Attorney E. f. Chapman
as administrator of the estate, and the
proceeds held in trust for the %
HEIRS OF THE DECEASED.
Mrs. Melvin Dixon, who was at the time
of Mrs. Lees residence in the Burnas-
ter family constant visitor there. tells
the following story of her acquaintance
with the deceased.
Il am all aunt of little Maude, who was
burned to death. She was my pet, and
[ was at the house almost all the time
when my husband was at work. Mrs.
Lee was houSekeeper, and a
nicer old lady l never met.
In the. course of our somewhat brief
acquaintance she told me that she had
a married daughter in Racine. and
another daughter, as we'll as son, also
married, residing somewhere in Wis
consin. Mrs. Lee wore half mourning,
and when l questioned her as to the
cause, she said it was for her husband,
who had been a raft foreman, and was
drowned in the river near Chippewa
Falls short time previously. The old
lady seemed to feel her, bereavement
deeply, and often cried over her hns-
bands DEATH"
When the remains of Mrs. Lee were
recovered from the ruins Of the burned
building they were conveyed to the
murgue, and afterwards inferred in the
potter's field. Deputy Coroner Lewis,
who issued the permit for the inter
ment. said yesterday, 81 remember
the affair very distinctly. The woman
was not buried in the potter's field, but
in Oakland cemetery. l, as coroner,
applied to the probate court for the
appointment Of an administrator
of the estate of the dead woman, which
resulted in the appointment of E. F.
Chapman to that Office. The contents
of the trunk were, l believe, sold to de-
fray the expenses of burial. l have had
frequent requests from the relatives of
the woman in Wisconsin that her prop
erty be handed over to them, and have
in each case referred the applicants to