St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-03
A C0NvICT'S COTTAGE
Skulls and Femur Bones
Found in the Oven Of a
Stove.
The Mystery of the Domicile
Of Simon Neill, a
Burglar.
A Prison Birds Suit Now at
the Central Police
Station.
For "Mart" Williams Monu-
ment--Mistaken Identity

place, especially at this time OF the
year, when the air is heavy with the
aroma of dying wild flowers and the
woods resplendent in their varying
shades of green and yellow. Some por-
tons of the surrounding country are SO
densely wooded that it would be almost
impossible 10 push through the under
growth and overhanging branches. 1t
would be meet to locate a romance
within the barricade of the copse. 1t is
within the barricade of the copse that a
romance in real life did occur-a ro-
nance both strange and mysterious. In
every twig and every blade of grass the
truiSm, Facts are stranger than fic-
tion," is eXemplifed. The details of a
story which had its beginning within
the shadow of the wood and on the sandy
shores of Powder Horn lake were re-
counted yesterday by Inspector of Po-
lice Hankinson, and verified by Inspect
or Hoy, to GLOBE reporter.
Some time ago store in Duluth,
kept by a MI. Pearson, was burglar
lied and a number of valuable articles
| stolen, among other things. an intri-
| cately made telescope which, the prop
| rietOr of the establishment laid high
| store upon for some reason or other. A
| pamphlet was issued by the chief of
police OF the Zenith City, giving the de-
scriptiOn of tue telescope and the sup
posed burglar. Inspectors Hawkinsop
and Hoy were given the case to look up
in the Flour city. They did look the
case up and arrested the man, as sub
sequents events will show. Hankinson in
some way-the system is known only to
sleuthS-discovered that the Duluth
hurfrlar was lOoatpd soupWharn in tho
vicinity of Powder Horn lake. He
made trip to the lake and found his
man snugly ensconsed in cottage
whose matched roof sloped toward the
lake and whose sides were painted a
dark red, evidently to symbolic the
| nature of the occupant. The mans
name was Simon Neill, although he
was sent to the state prison under a
different name, an alias which Inspector
Hankinson has forgotten.
A GreWsOme Find.
Simon was the man who had stolen
the telescope. He was living all alone
in the little cottage and claimed to own
it, also the plot of ground OH which it
stood. This is no doubt true, for the
cottage at present is unOccupled, and
the little plot of ground is overrun with
tall, rank weeds, the result of inatten-
Maine. and had the physique of Maine
farmer. When the detective made his
appearance he showed fight, and vowed
he would never be taken alive. The
pressure of the cold muZZle of a re-
volver against his forehead, however,
had the effect las the detective puts it,
of bringing him to his milk. The miss
ing aud valuable telescope was found
concealed under a lot of old story
papers lying on dusty shelf in the
main room of the cottage. Simon
confessed to the theft, and when
about to be taken away he carefully
locked the doors OF his cottage. But
HankinSon is curious, inquiSltive fell
low, and concluded he wanted to look
through the cottage before he went
away. Under the bed he found full
suit of convict's clothing. 1t had evil
IDENTIFY been worn by Simon Neill at
some period of his life, though he de-
clIned positively to say where he got the
striped suit. In the kitchen of the cot
tage was au old, rusty cooking stove.
1t was relic of past ages, and had a
large CRATE in front and an obese, boiler
like oven in the rear. HankinSOn opened
the door of the oven. He gasped for
breath when he saw the contents, and
rubbed his eyes to see if his senses were
not playing him some scurvy trick. He
was wike awake, however. In the oven
were SIX human skulls and various other
| portions of human skeletons.
The skulls and bones we're nicely
cleaned, and the fire which had been
kept in the crate had given them rich
brown tinge, suggestive of burnt coffee.
Neill was equally as cloSe-mouthed
about the skulls and bones as he was
| about the convict'S suit. He declined
| positively to tell how he came by the
grueSome things. Hankinson took the
suit of clothes with him to the city, and
| at present it can be Seeu in the store
| room of the central station. Neill was
| taken to Duluth. and OH the evidence of
| HankinSon and Hoy was sent to Still
| water to serve term of fifteen months.
| Although the whole affair occurred but
| a short time ago, nothing was given out
| to the newspaper reporters until yester-
! day. The inspectors had hoped to find
| owners for the skulls and some one to
claim the well-scraped human bones.
A Visit to the Cottage.
Both the skulls and bones were left
| in the obese and bOller-llke oven. A
| GLOBE reporter, accompanied by In
spectors Hankinson and Hoy, made a
| visit to the cottage yesterday afternoon.
The spot where the cottage stands was
more picturesque than ever. The dark
! green shade hung in heavy clusters, and
purplipg vines ran up from the ground
across the single door and over the slop-
| ing roof. The door was still locked, but
| the windows were opened. not in a
natural and dignified way, but in a
manner showing that the irrepressible
young boy had been there with sling
shots and stones. Every pane of glass
| had been punctured, and the wind
| WhiStled through the holes after the
manner of the wind when long whiskers
| are displayed. The inspectors and the
reporter made their way into the cot
| tage. not by way of the holes in the
| windows, but through the door, one of
| the inspectors having in his pocket a
key which ''happened'' to fit the key
| hole exactly.
The stove, With its old-fashioned CRATE
and its obese and boiler-like oven, stood
| in one corner of the kitchen, as cold and
| unfeeling as ever, but trifle ruStier. 1t
was but the work Of an instant'' to
| open the door Of the oven. The skulls
were gone-the nicely polished and rich
| brown skulls were gone. There was a
| piece of human leg, however, but it was
poor consolation to find only piece of
leg when fuil-tiedged skull was
wanted. The bone was a symmetrical
one, ana every iHulCdtloH poiHteu 10 tuo
| fact that the leg to which the bone had
once formed a part must have been a
large one. The inspectors examined it,
and then the reporter examined it. All
three were unanimous in the opinion
that the bone was part of woman'S
| leg. But there was no skull.
Near the stove Oh the floor and min
Cling with the dust of weeks lay
'horse tail brush" For the sake of the
uninitiatee it will be explained that
'horse tail BRUSH is brush or buster
made from a horses tail and is used for
brushing flies from horses during the
fly season. This brush lay on the floor,
and the strands looked forlorn. 1t was
at first thought by the reporter that the
brush had once adorned DanDy's tail,
but it was learned last night that Danny
still had his appendage.
Taking it all through, it was case of