Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-18

with no flesh upon it, all in heap on
top Of sack only half burned and
the finding Of no buttons, t1inkets or
watch, which naturally aroused sus-
picion. The coroner's jury brought in
a verdict that Thl1In came to his death
in the fire and the remains of the
skeleton We're buried with all the
had the real Thrun been in the coffin
instead of hiding in Kaudy's barn at
Colby.
Il was on the Wisconsin Central
train the night of December % en-
route for Chicago" said Mr.. Pether-
bridge. In the morning / arose just
before arriving in the city limits.
After making my toilet I sat down in
ia seat nearly opposite a fine looking
man. In fact he was a strikingly hand
some young fellow, and / sat studying
his face when a man in full attire
emerged from a closed berth just opnO-
site the fellow I was studying. He had
an ulster with cape.wore large hat
and had a somewhat shaggy appear
long. He sat down beside the young
fellow and looked out Of the window
My first thought was that the young
man was an officer and had the other
fellow in charge. Just then we We're
entering the depot and a few minutes
afterWard we were outside the car
| then got a better look at the elder
Of the two and the thought flashed
across my mind that he looked very
much like the man I had insured q
few months previous at Colby. But
before [ had a chance to take q second
look a friend of mine from Englewood
who was at the train to meet me slap
ped me ON the shoulder and before
[ could look again the two had vanish
ed.
Il would have thought nothing of
the matter if it had not been for an
incident which appened a few days
later While in the Chicago office of
our company.
while talking with the general
agent, Mr.. illness, the handsome man
I had seen on the car came in and asked
for Mr.. illness and was shown into a
private office where he consulted with
Mr. Liness for some time. When they
emerged from the Office and the fell
low had taken his departure [ was i'll
formed that he was Hansen, a detec-
tive in the employ of the Wisconsin
Central, and that he said he could
produce Thrrm for $4,000. | there
upon told MIR. Liness of seeing him in
company with a man whom | took for
Thrun coming in on the Central train
Il few mornings before. He asked me
to make an affidavit to that effect,
but | said l was not sure enough to
do SO and was not certain that it was
Thrm until after his capture at New
Orleans and be related the story of
his sojourn in the barn at Colby for
two months and of leaving on the
same train l had seen him on i'll the
company of Hansen"
Are you likely to become a witness
in the case? was asked Of Mr. PetIl-
erblfdge
Il have not been asked to do so
and will ut be asked by our company"
There are people who will argue
from this point that the theory that
Thrun was the victim of Il great con-
spiracy which seemed to have deeper
motives than that Of swindling the
insurance companies. Hansen's offer
to deliver Thrun for $1,000 would indi-
cate a desire to see him in the tolls of
the law. Had there been only a de-
sire to obtain money by fraud, Hansen,
who is shrewd fellow, would no
doubt have played for higher money
than a reward for the capture of
Thrun. The coroner's jury placed the
burden Of proof that Thrun was not
dead upon the insurance companies by
declaring in their verdict that he was
dead and that he had met his death
in the fire at Romeo. If Th1un could
not have been found there was pretty
good ground upon which to base suits
for the collection Of the insurance.