St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-02
KILLED AT HIS DOOR,
Meat Market Proprietor MUIR
dered by a Robber.
DARING AND BLOODY DEED
The Murderer a Stranger and
Not Captured.
JUMPED THROUGH A WINDOW
Another Man in the Way of
Escape.
DETEG TjNES nm THE HIHT
DETECTIVES ON THE HUNT

Martin P. Erickson, proprietor of a
butcher shop at $40 Decatur street, was
murdered in his place of business last
evening shortly after O'Clock. The
murder undoubtedly grew out of an at
tempt at robbery. and the murderer,
after firing the fatal shot. escaped.
Erickson conducts butcher shop at
the number mentioned, and usually re-
mains in the shop until 10 O'Clock. Last
evening he told his brother Edward
that he was going to close I'D
early, as he intended to spend
the evening with Miss johnson, to
whom he was to be married in two
weeks. At five minutes to 9 o'clock
Edward Erickson locked the side door
of the shop, aud, after watching his
brother count up the cash and place a
small amount of money in the safe, left
the shop. Edward Erickson lives
with his wife and family at 696
Decatur street, about block from the
butcher shop, and went directly home.
He remained there about twenty
minutes, and then started out for pail
of beer. On the way to the saloon he
heard a slight disturbance, SEEM
ingly from the shop. and a second
after the soand of two pistol shots.
At the sound CT the shots he started on
run. shouting police as he ran. When
within about 100 feet of the butcher
shop there was sound of crashing
glass, and he saw the figure OF man
step out of the lower sash in
the front door. The. man seemed
to be at a loss which way to turn
and 'aas Erickson was eoinitig directly
toward him, the fellow met him few
feet from the door of the shop and,
pointing revolver at him, said: ''Shut
up, you -- or FL shoot you, toO.''
Erickson dropped his pail and for q
moment stood still, while the murderer,
passing him, ran TO an alley few feet
farther up the street, and disappeared
in the direction of the Duluth tracks.
Erickson, OIL reaching his shop. was
unable to open the door owing to his
brother having, after the shots were
fired.- fallen directly in front OF the
door. He stepped through the broken
pane by which the murderer escaped
from the building. and STOPPING over
his brother said: Are you shot?" The
dying man nodded his head, and when
asked where, replied in whisper, IN
my stomach" and in a few moments
breathed his last.
By this time the shop was filled with
people who had been attracted to the
scene, aud the police having been tele-
phoned for sent at once for Coroner
Whitcomb. The remains were, at the
request Of the brother, taken to the I'M
dertaking rooms of Guthunz IL Rock
stroh, on Wacouta street.
The murder was undoubtedly COM
mltted by person who entered the
place with the intention of holding up
Erickson. The theory is that the mur-
derer waited until Erickson was ready
to leave the shop and then stepping
in presented revolver and or
dered him to hand over his money.
This theory is we'll substantIated from
the fact that all lights in the place ex-
cept-one were extinghlshed when the
brother of the murdered man entered
the place, On the floor of the shop
were scattered the contents of two
bundles of clothes, which were left
by the laundryman yesterday after
noon, and which the murdered man
was to take home with him. The keys
we're also on the floor near the door.
Two shots were fired by the murderer,
but the body only shows the marks of
one bullet, that being the one which
went in the left breast. The
murdered mans face, however,
showed the signs of powder marks as if
the first shot fired had been when the
revolver was held close to his face.
Edward Erickson. in speaking of the
murder, said he had often cautioned his
brother about the danger of being
robbed, but the murdered man laughed
at his fears. and said he was not the
least afraid of any one even if they
had gun. Being powerful
man it is supposed when the murderer
ordered him to give up his money, he
not only refused, buG grappled with his
assailant. The fellow finding he was
getting the worst of the encounter,
fired two shots in order to escape cap
ture.
Ole Nelson, employed at the Wagner
Express barn, directly opposite the
scene of the murder, heard the shots,
and running to the front door, saw the
murderer just after he stepped from the
door. He describes the man as about
five feet nine, slender build, wear
ing sack coat, and no overcoat, and
small cap. Erickson's brother said the
fellow kept his face partly turned from
him. and he was so excited at the time
that he could not tell how he was
dressed or how he looked.
j. w. Fitzgerald, living at SS4 Pine
street, who was coming down Bedford
street at the time, heard the shots and
saw the murderer leave the shop. He
gives the same general description as
Nelson. but was not near enough 10
distinguish the clothing or features OF
the murderer.
The murdered man was thirty-four
years old, and has lived in st. Paul for
the past eight years. He was formerly
in business with Charles johnson, at
the corner of Seventh and Bradley