St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-30
WAS IT A CADAVER?
Mysterious Actions of Two
Men With a Bulky
Package,
Who Wanted to Wash Dishes
by Cutting the River
Ice.
Retail Clerks Coalesce and
Join the Federation Of
Labor.
Colorado Will Make a Fine
Exhibit at the Coming
N. E. A.

In the bosom of West st. Paul there
broods what seems to be criminal
mystery. Yesterday afternoon, shortly
before dusk, team was driven over the
Smith avenue bridge from the south.
The occupants of the wagon were bound
for the rivers edge, and, leaving the
bridge, a sudden turn was made into the
street which leads from Smith avenue
across the short line tracks, down to
where Eagle street intersects the river
bank. Behind the warehouse of G. B.
ThurStOn the horse was tied in the
midst of many piles of lumber. Every
action of the two men was nervous and
suspicious, and the railroad men and yard
employees were instinctively concerned
in the work of the strange men and
oddly laden wagon. AfteESecuring the
horse close to the edge of the ice, yet
still out of sight of casual passer, the
two men proceeded out upon the river.
About a dozen men and horses have
broken through the ice within the last
week, especially at this point where
Eagle street interSectS it, and a number
of danger signals had been placed by
those suffering these calamities. Just
as the men were about to venture out
they seemed perpleXed at the numerous
posts of warning, and turned to a gang
of lab0rerS engaged on the tracks and
inquired where the ice was safe to about
the middle of the stream. They were
west of their position. To this
they replied that they had in
the wagon large basket of
''dishes''-dishes, mind you-which
they were going to wash. and for the
success of that absurd work they
wanted to go out on the ice, where they
could cut hole and cleanse their ware.
" lille one of the men talked to the
gang the other hurried up the rlvcr and
clambered out on the ice. He was soon
Joined by his partner, and together they
had gone out considerable distance,
when the ice gave out and down they
went, as cry after cry for help went up
and hung itself on the ears of every
body for blocks around. Three railroad
men who
HEARD THE FEARFUL SCREAMING
went as near to the struggling batherS
as became good Judgment, and lending
every device and help possible, sue
ceeded in rescuing the anxious pair.
No sooner had the strange men reached
safe footing on the ice than they made a
wild rush for the shore, jumped into
the wagon and whipped up the horse
into speedy retreat toward Smith ave-
nue.. Some of the men about the tracks
who had eyed the visiting pair with
suspicion and diStruSt now took after
the whirling wagon. The race was un-
even, however: the wagon and its occu-
pants made good their escape by gallop-
ing the horse over the Smith avenue
IN,~;J rraa RI ChoroIyon Hho
men who witnessed the incident are
loud in expressing their belief that
the ''basket' contained bulk
for deposit under the ice and
not dishes to be washed at
such an unreasonable distance from
kitchen. The "basket' was larger
than very large family wash basket,
and for the covering of sack and cloth
which was wound and tied about it, it
could not be determined whether the
package was basket or box. At any
rate, it was the only thing in the wagon
besides two poles and an axe. People
who, when rescued as these men were,
leave their heroes on a run without
even thanking them, and who employ
poles and an axe to wash dishes in the
unsuspecting bosom of the Mississippi,
are at least singular class.
The men in Thurston's warehouse,
the laborers employed anout the
tracks and timber yard, and the railroad
men all declare that this mysterious
pair of men had something on the
''shoye," the nature of which warrants
the Investigation of the police. The
theories of the heads and clerks of the
manufacturing establishments, who
saw the actions of the men, all tend to
strengthen a concerted belief that had
the men succeeded in disposlng of their
basket" the finale of some hidden
| crime would have been accomplished.
The description given of the men
from the various points of view of a
dozen witnesses all account one of the
men to be tall and stout, with dark hair
and beard, and wearing SLOUGH hat,
and the other a short, thin, nervous
man, with smooth-shaven, anxious face
and action. Both wore cheap. dark
cloth overcoats. The horse vas bay
color, long. lean and lank, and the vehi-
Gle was light farmers wagon.