The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-11-22

other mystery. In this box was $35
in currency and SIS in silver, aside
from the certificates of deposit, amount
ing to $42O. While the latter were
worthless to a robber, why didn't he,
if he was taking money, take the cash
in the box after he had opened it? The
belief is that he was frightened when
he started to rob the box, and made
his escape, or he secured sufficient
''swag" before he got to the bottom Of
the chest,where this money was found.
There was some difficulty in fixing
upon just how Otto's arms lay when
he was found. Thos. Knighton in
sisted that they were folded as if pre-
pared for deaths shroud, while DIR.
Penhall and Chas. Buerry believed
that they were lying at his sides when
they arrived at the spot, and they
were the first. The latter theory was
adopted.
So deep became the mystery that
County Attorney Miller was sent for,
and arrived shortly after dinner to
conduct the examination from that
time on to the finish. He caused a
strict search to be made of the prem
ises, with the hopes of finding the re-
volver, or something that would lead
to clue of the mystery. Up at the
top of the ravine, on the plowing,were
found foot tracks, one pair going and
one coming. The attorney himself
discovered the small parcel in the
vault, and after ordering it taken up,
the party discovered that it was bot
/ tie of strychnine. Here then was an
other theory. Might not some one
have attempted to kill both Mr.. and
Mrs. Otto, the first by shooting and
the latter by poison, or might not
there be a collusion on the part of
certain parties interested in the pro-
batting on the estate, in having the old
man shuffled off this mortal coil? AS
a result of this discovery the afternoon
investigation commenced on the line
of poison.
Now, as to the body, as revealed by
the post mortem examination. Otto
was lying on the bed, with his vest,
woolen shirt, pants and drawers on.
The bullet which had passed into his
left side,passed below top of the pants,
yet the only garment in which there
was hole was the woolen shirt, so
that after the shot was fired the pants
must have been pulled up. This is
S, corroborated by the fact that there
was some burnt powder on the draw
ers next to the wound. The bullet
was found to have passed clear
through the body, and was lying be-
tween the body and shirt on the other
side. 1t must have been fired last, as
the flow of blood from the wound was
but little if any at all, the blood hav-
ing rushed out of the wound in the
head, before the latter was fired. The
doctors are of the opinion that this
was shot after Otto was really dead.
The bullet, which entered the right
ear, passed just back of the ear canal,
and back to the base of the brain. The
canal of the wound is about two inch
es deep, the bullet crushing the mast
old portion of the temporal bone. The
ball was found at the bottom of the
wound, resting against the membrane
at the base of the brain.
! DR.. Finn gave testimony to the
fact that Otto was probably lying on
his left side when the first shot was
fred, and the course of the bullet in
Otto's ear was pointed to as confirm
alton of his statement He declared
that it could not have been case of
suicide, owing to the range of the
bullets.
| Henry Otto, son of the deceased, re-
siding in Sherman township, this
county, was called. He was the per-
son who discovered the strychnine in
the cup. This was about / o'clock in
the morning after the murder. He
had gone to the cupboard for the pur-
lpose of getting cups to pour coffee in