St. Paul daily globe., 1892-04-28
PROBABLY A SUICIDE.
Body OF a Woman Found
Floating Among Logs in
the River.
1t Was So Badly Decomposed
That 1t Could Not Be
Identified
Cleveland Club Members Be-
come Restive Under Crit
icisms Of the Times.
Why Three Struggling Souls
Seek Freedom--NeWs OF
the Courts.

A riYerman made CHASTITY find yes
terday. He was at work in the boom
near the Bassett lumber mill on First
street north, rafting the logs down the
stream. He struck with his pike into a
log and piece Of bark Clipped off,
causing the iron Of the pike TO 20 with
considerable force into the water. AS
result the riVerman nearly lost his
balance and his pole as well. lie pulled
it toward him again, but found that the
pike had become imbedded in some
thing underneath the logs. A heavy
weight was attached TO II,
and when bringing 1t 10 the
surface he was Mortified upon seeing
the something to be the body OF
woman. lie called another riverman 10
his aid, and together they brought the
horrible thing to the top Of the logs.
The sight which presented Itself TO the
riyermen was enough 10 startle almost
any one. The body was horribly de-
composed and bloated, and the face and
head were covered with thick mask Of
mud aud refuse. When dragged upon
the logs the mask fell off, revealing
blOated blush face and eyeless sockets.
Between the white and swollen lips
was a dirty oyster she'll, aud around
the neck bunch OF weeds 50 tightly
wound that it resembled a shiny wooden
scarf. The rivermen notified Coroner
Byrnes. who ordered the gruesome OBJ
ject taken TO the bank OF the river.
This was accomplished with the great
0st difficulty, for rope had to be
fastened under the arms. 1t was then
dragged over the logs 10 the shore,
pieces Of flesh dropping OIL at every
Jolt.
The coroner, after an examination,
came TO the conclusion that the body
had been in the water tor some months,
and subsequent development demon
strated that it was no doubt a case Of
suicide. The body was dressed In
heavy woolen dress. and the feet en-
cased i'm top boots. On the hands were
heavy leather gloves. or rather what re-
NAMED OF them, for the water had rot
ted them considerably. The clothes in
dicaIed that the wearer had belonged to
the lower classes In life. There Is moth
ing TO indentify her. She died and Will
be buried alone, for the face is so dis
torted and bloated that it Is impossible
even to conjecture who she might have
been.
The remains were dumped into
wagon and carted 10 Gleason * Meal
listers nOrgue, where an autopsy was
held This brought out the fact that at
the time the woman had thrown herself
into the water she was pregnant. and
probably committed the rash act to hide
her shame from the world. She was
young, not over twenty-six or twenty
seven years of age, and, in spite Of the
Tavages OF the watery element, there
were evidences that she had been re-
markably finely formed woman. The
coroner is Of the opinion that the drown
ing occurred before winter set in and
covered the river with lee. The body
had no doubt become entangled in the
weeds at the bottom Of the river, and
was only brought to the surface when
the rolling of the heavy logs caused q
commotion in the water and disIodged
it. The police do not remember of any
sudden disappearance corresponding
with the case, and it is probable that
the identity Of the woman will forever
remain "A mystery,