St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-10
THE ROTTIER MYSTERY
IT CROWS DECIDEDLY DEEPER WITH
AGE.
THE WIFE is SUSPICIOUS

That the Fire Was of Incendiary
Origin = Mysterious Hints in
Regard to People Who Did
Not Pay Their Board Bills -
An Autopsy Held and an In
quest Decided On.
The mystery of Alexander Rottier's
death, which occurred Monday in his
burning house, has not yet been solved,
but. in fact. it has grown deeper.
Fire Marshal Pierce puzzled his brains
and is still at work, but is not making
much Roadway. The fire may have
| started from accident or have been set.
There is nothing, however. to give over
whelmiDg proof in support of either
| theory. Mrs. Rottier is sure that the
origin was lncendiary, and believes that
| the parties who committed the deed are
one or more of four former boarders,
who left without paying their board
| bills, and against whom her husband
had brought suit to recover the money
alleged to be due. Their motive in that
case was revenge. She is unable to give
any names. however.
Since the fire the bereaved woman has
| been staying with friends in fiat at
| 1906 Washington avenue north, short
| distance from her ruined home.
According to her story. she retired
about o'clock Monday evening. Her
husband did not reach home until II,
when she awoke and the two had some
conversation. Shortly before 2 o'clock
IN the morning she was awakened by
loud pounding somewhere, and thought
it was on rear door. At the same mo-
ment she was startled to see the room
in flames. Almost suffocated. she seized
her child and satchel containing valu-
ableS and hurried out. She could not
| give very clear account of the occur
rences, but stated that her husband
! spoke to her and said: Hurry up and
get out" She also believes that he
stopped to get some articles of clothing.
| She passed out through the rear door,
where she was met by a policeman who
| had awakened them. She tried to run
around to the front, but was stopped by
| the officer, as she had nothing on except
| her nIghtclothes.
Among the first who saw RottIer after
! his death was Ed Stewart, a fireman on
Chemical No. 4. This company was
quickly on the ground after the alarm
was turned in, as it is located only
about three blocks from the fire. When
| he first saw the body it was living dag
onally across the bed, the head being
raised, as it was resting against the par
titiOn. The right hand was raised from
the elbow, while the left lay Oh the
breast. The partition was quickly torn
down, but the head maintained its up
right position 1t appears as if Rottier
| had attempted to get up, in fact, was
already i'll an upright position, bat had
fallen PROSTATE on his back. The fire
| marshal is firmly of the belief that the
| fire started in the bedroom in which the
two slept, for if it had origin on the
other side of the partitions it must have
| spread in all directions. whereas 1t was
confined almost entirely to the bed, the
commode and the wall of the partition.
The life of Rottier was insured tOr
| 81 600, in two policies, both for accident
insurance. One policy was for $4,000 in
the Farmers Accident and Mutual In
surance company, of Montevideo. Mimi,
! and was issued in May, 1892. The other
was for s., 900 in the Northwestern Ac-
cident association, and bore the date of
June IL, 1891. Mrs. Rottier had saved
both from the flames.
Mrs. ROttier and her son. boy of
three wears, both escaped without being
singed.
II has been stated that Rottier was in
toxicated Monday evening, but this his
wife denies. When he retired, she saws.
he was to all intents and purposes
sober.
Officer Custer, who was but a short
distance from the store, and was the
first to see the fire. said he noticed the
sound Of light explosion, as of a kerO-
sene lamp, and the flash of flames
through the windows Immediately fol-
lowed.
An autopsy was held on the remains
of Rottier at the county morgue this
morning by Drs. Nippert and Donald
son. They found all the organs in a
normal condition, and so reported to
Coroner Spring. The stomach has been
kept and its contents will he analysed.
The coroner has no theory to advance,
but has decided to hold an inquest. He
had conference with County Attorney
Nye, and the latter advises that all in
quest be held. Accordingly a jury was
impaneled and a short session held.
but after the remains mad been identified
an adjournment was taken until this
morning.