St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-03

Erickson. The police do not put much
stock in the story told by Fitzgerald or
the description of the murderer given
by him.
Fred Wagner. proprietor of the
express company, who lives at 701
Bedford street. seen last evening, said
he was certain that the story related by
Martinson was true. He had accom-
panied Martinson to the shop yesterday,
and the young man had explained in
detail all the movements of the muir
dered man and the murderer, as already
outlined. Wagner, who was an intimate
acquaintance of Erickson, left the shop
twenty minutes before the murder was
committed. He stated that he had fire.
quently remained at the shop until
Erickson closed up at night, and
the fact that all the gas had been extin-
guished and the lamp which Is left
burning all night had been lighted
would indicate that Erickson was Just
about to leave the shop when the strug-
gle with the assassin began. His theory
of the murder is that the murderer had
been talking to Erickson for several
minutes, and just as Erickson started
for the door the murderer drew his
revolver and fired. There could have
been no clinch OF struggle before the
shot was fired, he thinks, owing TO
Erickson being such a powerful man
that he could have readily disposed OF
his assallant If once in his grasp. The
door to the shop, he states, is fastened
with latch, but on the inside there is
also knob, which was formerly used.
After firing the shots, Wagner'S theory
IS that the murderer tried to open the
door by tugging at the knob. The door
could not be opened, and, as Erickson
had fallen in front of the half of the
door which opened, the murderer, fear
ing Erickson would grab and hold him,
kicked out the pane of glass OH the
other side of the door and made his es-
cape. The statements of Martinson
that the murderer came back after
leaving the shop, and looked in the
broken pane at the body of his victim,
would, Wagner claims, show the crime
was not committed by thief, for. if so,
the thief, after shooting Erickson and
getting out OF the shop, would have
kept going.
In spite of these theories and reports.
which are given for what they are
worth, 1t seems more probable that the
man seen by MarClnS0n LOOKING III the
door was Erlckson's brother, and that
the murderer was attempting to commit
a robbery, which the murdered man re-
sisted.
An autopsy was held on the body of
Erickson at the undertaking rooms of
GuthunZ & Rockstroh yesterday after
noon by Coroner Whitromb, Drs. Fin
nell, Xanten and Whitney. The wound
which caused death was made by 32-
caliber bullet, which entered the right
breast and passed through the lung and
liver. The other bullet fired entered
the back OF the neck, came out within
three inches of where it entered. and
was found on the inside of the shirt
when the body was carried into the un-
dertaking rooms. The opinion of the
coroner is that the second shot was
fired after the victim had fallen to the
floor. 1t has not been decided when the
inquest will be held, but. the jury will
probably be empaneled today, and,
after viewing the remains. gill adjourn
to some future date in order to allow
the police to obtain additional evidence
and capture the murderer.
EriskSon'S remains were taken to the
residence of his sister. Mrs. Beckstrom,
544 Decatur street, yesterday afternoon,
and the funeral will be held from that
place Sunday afternoon at o'clock.
The deceased was a member of Triple
Link lodge, l. Q. o. F., and also mem-
ber of the butchers association.