St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-02
A LARGE CROWD GATHERED
But No One Seemed to Know
Anything About the
Case.
WAS 1T MURDER OR SUICIDE?
Great Excitement Until Cor
cnep Whitcomb Solved
the Mystery.

The body of a man apparently
dead was found lying face down
ward in the gutter, right close to the
sidewalk, on RoSabel street, at the
corner of Seventh, shortly before
noon yesterday. He had on work.
ing clothes, pair of coarse shoes
and a large SLOUGH hat was still on
his head. Beneath the brim of the
hat could be seen the blood, which
had evidently oozed out of wound
in the back Of the head and trickled
down over the long gray hair, COM
pletely saturating the collar of the
coat. The first attention attracted
to the figure from passersby was
when a big, burly fellow, who was
standing over it, called in a very
excited tone to a gentleman who
was crossing the street. The gen.
tleman hurriedly advanced, and
stopped to take hold of the PROSTATE
form.
mo, don't touch him until the
coroner comes" said the burly fell
low, suddenly jerking him back.
gentleman, in amazement
"'Why, of course he's dead" an
swered the burly fellow, nervously.
Run and notify the coroner"
Just then half a dozen more per-
sons came running over to see what
the matter was.
why don't you take him in some
placer asked one.
why. 1 guess he's dead" an
swered another.
rs he dead?" asked a third. stoop-
ing to take hold Of the figure.
Don't you know any better than
DISTURB A DEAD MAN
before the coroner comes?" asked
the burly fellow in voice that trem-
bled, as though he were on the verge
of weeping, at the same time grab
bling the rather frail man who had
attempted to make the examination,
and giving him a push to one side
that must have made him feel like a
paper man in gale of wind.
Where is the coroner's office?"
asked the first gentleman who had
come up, addressing the hurley fell
low.
1.-TWO blocks up, on the other side
of Sibley street." answered three or
four voices in chorus, the burly
mans emotions apparently having
made him Indifferent to what was
being said.
Til show you where it is put
in a street Arab, starting off with
the questioner at a lively gait.
Inside of three minutes no less than
100 people had congregated around
the spot, and an equal number of
rumors were flying from mouth to
mouth as to how the man had been
killed. One report was that he
had been killed in a fight Another
that he had committed suicide. A
third that he had been murdered by
a woman. Then as to the means by
which his life had been snuffed out,
one report was that he had been
stabbed. Another that he had been
struck on the head with a Ratchet.
A third that he had been shot
said one, " for I have been standing
less than block from here the past
half-hour, and 1 am sure no shot
has been fired"
HE was probably
SHOT IN A SALOON
and staggered out here" replied an
other in a tone that indicated he did
most of his drinking at home or
in drug stores. "These hell holes
but it's good enough for a man who
goes into Them" he added in scorn-
full manner.
In the meantime several more at
tenpts were made by the morbidly
curious to ascertain something def
mite regarding the nature of the
wound, but each time the burly
fellow strangled the curiosity by
clutching the intruder and giving
him a shove to one side in a manner
that made him feel as though he had
been guilty of some terrible per-
sonal outrage in his forwardness.
Several women had joined the
crowd, and no less than half a dozen
u
their way right into the center. One
of them put out her foot to kick
the hat off the PROSTATE figure, but
just as she did so the burly fell
low caught her by the shin and pre-
vented the dainty little foot from
reaching its mark The female let
little squeal, and then apologiZed.
after the big fellow had given her
to understand that the body could
not be touched until the coroner
came.
Just see, there's not policeman
anywhere around said one of the
ladies.
That's always the way it. is" re-
turned another. mo matter where
you go about the city you are sure
to run against policeman at every
corner unless there is something go
ing on to make their presence neces-
sary, and then there is never one
TO be found within a radius of half
dozen blocks. But just leave a
LUNCH OR BOTTLE OF BEER
on your back porch at night and
there's no danger but they'll be
around to get it."
"Shtand back here, shtand back"
shouted gruff voice on the outside of
the crowd at this moment, and soon a
copper quite as big and burly as the
big. burly fellow worked his way
through to the spot where the BODY was
lying. Then addressing the bury fell
low. he said in a half stified voice as
though he had run six blocks to get
there in time: "Fwhat happened to
him?"
Hold on there, you cannot disturb
him until the coroner comes" said the
burly fellow. laying hold of the COD
and jerking him back, as the latter at
tempted to examine the figure more
closely.
]. go bout yer business er Oi'lI give We
n biff in the ia returned the voo,,o~