St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-26
A TRAP OF DEATH.
1t Instantly Kills WOuId-Be
Chicken Thief

1t Instantly Kills a WouId-Be
Chicken Thief.
Kansas City Evening Times.
A trap set to catch a chicken thief
did very effective work last night on
the farm of ). S. HOgue, located Oh the
WestpOrt road, about mile south OF
Rosedale.
The trap was a double-barreled shot
gun tied to a rail and discharged by
means of bent twig and string tied
to the door of the chicken house. The
chOre boy about the farm. whose duty
it is every morning to detatch the string
from the triggers of the gun so that
none of the farmers family, who might
be going in search of eggs, might be
shot, at daylight this morning was hOr-
ritied to find the body of an unknown
white man lying in the doorway of the
chicken house.
The figure was face downward, the
head and shoulders inside of the coop,
ana the remainder of the body outside,
the arms above the head and the hands
tightly cluJched, while from a great
ragged hole in the dead mans side
Oozed coagulated blood. A large pool
of blood was also under the body.
A glance suficed to show the boy that
the trap had performed its duty only
too well.
So true had been the aim that heart,
lungs and apparently every intestine in
the mans body was pierced and torn
with the shot. The hole torn in the
side of the body was so large that the
entrailS were all exposed, while the
clothing over the hole looked as though
it had gone through sausage grinder.
The chOre boy gave the alarm. and a
messenger was sent for Deputy Coroner
Ii. w. Yates, of Kansas City, Kan,
whose livery stable is situated at the
southwest boulevard and the state
line, and about 7:30 o'clock the body
was removed To the livery stable. where
Coroner Hill Will hold and inquest this
afternoon.
No one has yet been able to identify
the dea0 man, though the police officers
in the southern portion of the city say
that they have seen him frequently on
the Southwest boulevard. He is be-
tween thirty-five and forty years of age.
and was evidently of German eXtrac-
ton. The hair is of d dark brown, as is
also a gOOd-siZed mustache. His face is
Clearly Shayen with the exception of
the upper lip, and looks as though he
had Just left barber shop. The man
was roughly dressed, and a haSty search
of his pockets showed beyond doubt
that he was proving around the farm
er's premises for TO legitimate purpose.
In the right-hand pocket of the over
coat we're two large gunny sacks. 1t
was the evident intention of their
owner 10 use them for carrying fowls
in. In one pocket of the trousers was
a knife, while in the other pockets were
found an assortment of keys that could
scarcely be duplicated in a hardware
store. There were little keys and big
keys, KEYS of curious device and plain
keys. barn keys. store keys and keys to
unlock the doors of dwellings, skeleton
keys and instruments to pick locks
with. In the left breast-pOcket of the
coat was found long, finely tempered
chisel, or Jimmy" of excellent finish
that was probably used to pry open
windows and doors. In one OF the vest
pockets was found a lead-Dencil, but
nowhere was there any thing that
would throw any light on the mans
identity.
The stranger was about five feet eight
inches in height and of rather StOcky
build. He wore black felt SLOUGH hat.
Jeans trousers. heavy shoes aud an old
brown overc0at. 'rhe other garments
we're old and much worn. As the body
lay on a pine table in the rear of the
livery stable this morning a curious
crowd surrounded it. and many were
the opinions that were expressed on the
awful and IgnOminiOus death the man
had met. 1t appeared TO be the Senti-
ment of nearly every one who viewed
the remains that he had met his just
deserts.
Hogue says he has suffered very much
of late from chicken thieves, and the
laying of the trap was done for self pro-
lection.
This trap is probably the most in
genlOus affair of the kind that could
be devised. The chicken house on the
farm is separated from the granary by
a pine board partition that is built close
to the chicken-h0use door Inside of
the. granary a rail was placed about
three feet from the floor. The shotgun
was securely tied to the rail. and the
muZZle of it pointed through hole in
the partition to the door on the other
side.
Fastened to the other end of the rail
was a stout twig. one end of which was
bent over and tied to the triggers of the
gun. From the twig a string was fas-
tened along the rail and through the
partition until it reached the chicken
house door. where it was secured. When
this door was closed the bent twig was
loosened, but when it was opened the
tension was increased so much that
both the triggers of the gun would be
forced back and the hammers would fall
on the caps.
The gun was discharged early in the
night. No one about the premises
heard it, but when found this morning
the body was cold and stiff. Death
must nave been instantaneous, for
when the man fell his face was buried
in the mud, and he never made another
movement. The chicken house door
was not locked. but was kept closed by
a small stick placed against it. This
stick this morning was found at one
side of the coop.