St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-16
WERE they KILLED :?
Walter Horizons Strange
Story of the Death Of His
Wife and Daughter.
The Trio Take a Boat Ride on
the Mississippi Thursday
Evening.
In the Blaekness Of Night the
Boat Mysteriously Over
turns.
Horton Escapes and There
after Acts in a Most Unac-
countable Manner.

A terrible tragedy was enacted on the
Mississippi near st. Paul Park late on
Thursday evening. The only witness
of the tragedy was W. H. Horton, an
inspector of the Northern Pacific rail-
road. and the victims were his wife and
little daughter. Horton says his wife
and daughter were accidentally
drowned, but the circumstances sur
rounding the case look very suspicious,
so much so that Horton is to-day under
arrest. Why? The details of the drown
ing are sufficient answer:
1t was verging upon midnight, Thurs
day. when man walked with dripping
clothes into the. South st. Paul police
station. Calmly and quietly he an
nounced that his wife and daughter had
just been drowned in the river. He ex-
pressed less emotion than one would
expect in the announcement of the
death of pet dog. He was told by the
police that it would be impossible to
find the bodies that night. He asked
for and received dry clothes aud walked
away.
Four years ago W. II. Horton was liv-
ing with his wife and two children in
Trempeleau, Wis. He claimed to have
proofs that his wife had broken her
marriage vows. A violent quarrel en-
sued. The man and wife agreed to sep
arate. Mr.. Horton went to Brainerd,
leaving wife and children with her
parents. This was the beginning. The
end was the tragedy on the river Thurs
day night,a criminal tragedy the author
ties think.
When Horton went to Brainerd he
secured position as timber inspector
for the Northern Pacific Land company,
and he has held it since. Three months
ago he came to st. Paul, and engaged
rooms on Thirteenth street. He l0nged,
he saiu, to see his children. and so wrote
to his wife asking that 1.-The past
be obliterated, and, for the sake
of their children's honor, that they be
reunited" In answer to this the wife
came to st. Paul last Monday, bringing
with her their daughter. Their little
son was left with his grandparents.
Dreaded Each Other.
The reunited family engaged rooms
at the residence of Basil Sandroche, 157
Eaton avenue. They were far from
happy. An underlined dread and suspi-
cion seemed to separate them. On Fri
day evening Mr.. Horton started out
with his wife and child, saying that
they were going for a boat ride.
They went to the boat house
of James Miller, and Horton insisted on
taking a heavy skiff large enough to
hold dozen people. 1t was finally
given him. and he rowed down the
river just as the sun was setting. What
followed no one knows, and, perhaps,
never will.
According to Horizons story, at about
9:30, when they were opposite riff-raff
dam, about half mile from st. Paul
Park, little Mabel saw something float
ing near the boat which attracted her.
'Oh, mamma" she cried, II want that
pretty" but before she finished the
sentence she plunged in the water.
Her mother was almost craZed.
In her frantic efforts to reach her
child she overturned the boat, and both
she and her husband were thrown into
the dark river.
They both went down twice.
Finally Horton struggled to sand
bar, from which he was taken by two
men in boat. They took him to South
st. Paul, and then occurred the scene at
he police station.
From South st. Paul Horton went to
his rooms in Landroche's house. quietly
went to bed and ''slept soundly." At
about z o'clock Yesterday morning he
entered the kitchen with a new satchel
in his hand. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Lam
droche were there. He told them in the
same
BloOd.FreeZing Way
of the nights adventure, and said he
was going back to search for the bodies.
His manner. the inconsistencies of his
story and the evident ill-feeling that
had been noticed between his wife and
himself aroused the suspicious of Mr..
and Mrs. LandrOche, and they reported
the matter to the police, who at once
began an investigation. At about 9:30
a telephone message from South St.
Paul informed the police that Horton
had come back there. He was at once
put under arrest and taken to DucaS
street station, where he now is.
Sergeant Sullivan and Coroner Quinn
in the meantime had gone down the
river and made thorough investiga-
ton. At the point where Horton claims
the drowning took place, and for some
distance in both directions, the water
WAS HUI IuOIC tlJdll lOuI lGSI III uOpII dL
any point.
It is impossible that the woman. and
improbable that the child drowned
here. The other most inconsistent
point in Horizons story is that three
persons, one of them child, could have
overturned so heavy boat, even by
trying.
Horton was interviewed by County
Attorney Eagen yesterday afternoon.
He seemed as cool and emotionless as
before, but several times he contradicted
himself in history.
Jailor Joe Anstett, of the central
station, lives within about three blocks
of the tragedy. He says that at about
9:3O in the evening he heard woman
a woman's screams on the river.
They lasted for a few moments, as
though she were having violent strug-
CLEAN then all became quiet He cor
roborates the other testimony as to the
depth of the river and says that his
boys, while in swimming, frequently
wade across.
During the afternoon a little fisher
boy came to central station, who said
he had heard the struggle. He says he
first heard the oars. then woman's
screams for help and then splash. No
mans voice was heard at all.