The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-06-07

q OAND IOO1.
rying on drug store and Durtnal
general variety store. DR.. Finn, who
has since obtained a State reputation,
and who is residing with you now,
struck Redwood Falls about this time
and made his headquarters at Ran
dalPs drug store. The drug store at
that time was one-story frame build
ing on the ste where the Dunnington-
Ojai building now stands. The build
ing had basement with one window
on the north side of it. Add, who
would go without food or drink for "a
hours to get off a good "sell," or prac-
tical joke, hustled around one day and
fixed up dummy" corpse. 1t was
placed in the basement just in front
of the north window. A calf's heart
and liver we're quietly secured, and
bathed in blood, were laid down on
side of the corpse. The dummy"
would have done credit to the best
worker in wax figures, and had real
corpse been placed on side of it one
could hardly have picked out the real
from the artificial. All being in readi-
ness several of the boys, who had
previously been let in on the ground
floor, viewed the corpse and agreed
that there was chance for some fun.
Accordingly, Matt Offerman and my
self took seats in front of my Office on
Second street, and in plain view of the
basement window through which could
be seen the corpse" Pretty soon
Judge Truesdell came along,sat down
and began chatting. Matt remarked
to Truesdell: "What have they got
in the basement at Durtnaps, that
makes people 60 peeking in at the
window and return in such Mortified
manner?" Truesdell, of course, had
not been put on, and replied that he
did not know, but suspicioned some
thing wrong. Matt suggested that
he and Truesdell go and investigate
the matter, but I thought (!) it better
for Truesdell to go alone, so that it
would not look SO suspicious. We in
structed Truesdell to go to the black
smith shop across the street and then
pass down near Matt Offerman's resi-
dence, and as he returned just halt q
moment at the window, peep in, and
come back and report. He carried
out the instructions. "There is dead
person in that cellar" were his first
words as he got near US and recovered
his breath which had evidently been
taken away in the fright he received.
We appeared to doubt it, but Trues-
dell declared it to be true. We eau
toned Truesdell to say nothing to any
one about the matter, but he soon left
us and went to Sam Stickle's drug
store (of course he did not mention
the matter) and soon Sam passed down
Second street, went by the blacksmith
shop, down near Oferman's house, re-
turned and passed by the window, but
said nothing, suffice to say. Oferman
and I sat there until some twenty-five
persons had viewed the "corpse," ," when
we signalled Add, and he came up and
seated himself with us. Then the
crowd began to go in twos, and finally
two ladies passed and viewed the re-
mains. About 4 o'clock in the after
noon message came for me to go i'm
mediately to my room in Oak Grove,
as there were some ladies that wished
to see me Immediately. We stepped
into Offerman's, took dose of Dutch
courage, told Matt to put it on the
slate, and I started home, but just as
I left I heard Matt say to Add: "He
thinks my slate is as big as a bed
blanket"
Upon arriving at the house I found
four ladies seated as upright as ducks
on a rat house. After formal greet
ing I inquired as to what lucky star I
was indebted for this honored call,
when the principal spokeswoman
asked plain out: care you Free
mason?"
l admitted that had fraternized
with that class. They then asked if
DR.. Finn was one. To this answered