Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-14
a SECOND CRONIN.
The Mutilated Body of Man Found in a
Tar Barrel

The vi utIIated BODY OF a NAN round IN a
Tar Barrel.
ST. PAUL, Nov. 9.-The mutilated body
of a man who had evidently been murder
ed was found yesterday near Lake Johanna
Beneath the body was a common tar bar
rel. The body had been cut and the trunk
was doubled up together. Upon the head
of the barrel was nailed cleat upon which
had been carved "a Traitor. The cor
oner thinks the body was not buried more
than two months. The mystery is being
investigated but no solution has been ar
rived at yet.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Nov. 9.-Relating to
the finding of the mutilated body near
Lake Johanna yesterday, Sheriff Bean,
Coroner Quinn and County Attorney Egan
met this morning in secret to discuss what
is best to be done. After meeting, Sheriff
Bean stated that he was confident that the
affair was a hoax perpetrated by medical
students and that nothing further would
be done about the matter further than an
attempt to identify the remains. Quinn
was also of the same opinion. The body
was brought to the morgue today and
efforts will be made this afternoon to as
certain, if possible, who the man was.
There is considerable feeling against the
county officials for not pushing a thorough
investigation of the affair which is wrap
ped in a mantle of mystery that some peo-
pie think cover more than the work of
medical students.
Theodore Blaney discovered the hand
protruding from the earth on the banks of
Lake Johanna The soil for several feet
about the hand was disturbed and after
removing about foot of it the badly de-
composed trunk of a man was unearthed.
The cap of the skull had been en-
tirely sawed eff by a person well
acquainted with surgery. while the flesh
over the eyes had two holes, evidently cut
by the hatchet found near by The trunk
was severed from the legs Just above the
hips. The left arm was badly fractured at
the shoulder as if mauled by the head of
the hatchet. Two ribs on the right side
of the body were broken and the liver was
cut of place. The lungs had collapsed,
but the heart was In the right
position. The legs were lying under the
trunk on piece of ragged ingram car
pet. Both trunk and limbs were nude
After Coroner Quinn raised the carpet a
tar barrel was discovered, four or FIVE of
the top slaves Of which were loose. After
removing the earth from around it, one
end was knocked out by the coroner. On
this cover was found cut in rude letters
about one inch and a half high the words,
"a traitor" The bottom of the barrel
was about three feet from the surface of
the earth. On a tree near by was cut,
with the hatchet found near the
hand, two or three marks,
as if In token of remembrance. None OF
the barrel slaves were marked in any man.
ner. The body had been lying there
for two or three months. The flesh of
the trunk was clinging to the bone in
very close manner The body was evil
IDENTIFY removed to his grave in the barrel
and then taken out and buried The hair
of the murdered man is of a sandy color.
He had good teeth and was about 5 feet
and 8 inches in height. Theodore Blaney,
who discovered the hand, is hunter and
trapper by profession. The hand was
about 200 feet from the shore of the west
side of the lake. and block and half
from the north side of Perrys house. The
Ratchet was a foot and half from the
hands.