The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-09-13

Probed and Some Arrests Likely
Kramer's Story.
The village of Madison Lake has
again come to the front with one of
those cases of lawlessness and disorder
which has given it an undesirable no.
toriety on several occasions in the
past. A man is dead, and some I'M
pleasant consequences are likely to
follow for one or more parties, if the
responsibility for the death can be
laid where it belongs.
Saturday afternoon at about three
o'clock o. B. Cole, the village mar
shall, attempted to arrest man
named Cole on the charge of drunken
ness and disorderly conduct. After
having placed him under arrest, the
marshal was attacked by John Kram-
er, who conducts his wife's saloon, and
who is said to have been drunk.
Kramer succeeded in liberating the
prisoner. The marshal then called to
his assistance Lou Pitcher, and to-
gether they arrested Kramer and re-
captured the prisoner, Cole, but this
was not done before Kramer's saloon
was broken into.
Kramer and the other man were
then lodged in the village lookup.
Soon fire broke out in the cell of
Cole, and before the two prisoners
could be gotten out Cole was burned
so badly that he afterwards died.
1t is said that Mrs. Kramer's license
will probably be revoked unless she
can show that she was not to blame
in the matter. Kramer was to be
prosecuted today for resisting the
marshal, and more arrests may fol-
low.
The authorities give it out that
they are determined this time to
clean out this disorderly gang, if pos
sible, and to preserve order in the viii
lage at whatever cost. w. e. Young
has been retained by the village coun-
Gil to look after the interests of the
village.
The deceased was son of Geo. Cole,
who is farmer and lives in the vii
lage. He was about twenty-one years
of age.
Mr.. Kramer was in the city this
forenoon and engaged Hughes, Rice &
Hughes as his attorneys in the saloon
license case. This morning, VIM.
Durrin, as president of the council
served notice on Kramer citing him
to appear Wednesday and show cause
why his license should not be revoked
for violating the law.
Mr.. Kramer states that he did not
attack the marshal or try to liberate
the prisoner. He says that the Off
GERS battered in the rear door Of his
saloon, although the front door was
unlocked, and took him and locked
him up. He did not know that young
Cole was in his saloon, although the
officers went back and found him
there afterwards. He says that after
being locked up, the officers went
back to his saloon and took the keys
and locked it up and tore down his Ii
cenSe and took it with them, but re-
turned it this morning. Kramer also
claims to have been illtreated by the
officers after he was released from the
jail in nearly suffocated condition,
from the smoke that filled his cell.
The fire is supposed to have started
from the mattress, and to have been
set either purposely or by accident by
young Cole. The latter was terribly
burned, his clothing and the hair
from his head being entirely consumed
and pieces of skin and flesh and his
finger nails falling off. He lived in
agony until four o'clock yesterday
afternoon, when he died, twenty-four
hours after the burning. The body
has been packed in ice and an effort
will be made to preserve it until We'd
nesday. The county board will meet
Wednesday, when it will at once ap-
point a coroner, who will doubtless
hold an inquest.
1t is not known whether young Cole
was searched before being placed in
the lookup. The latter is frame
concern, having room in front and
two cells behind, with lattice between
them and the first room. There is no
outside communication with the cells.
The cell doors and the outside door
to the first room were locked. The
fire started few moments after the
prisoners had been locked up, and
while Geo. Cole was still near the
building talking with Mr. Sprague.
The latter notified the marshal of
the fire, and an alarm was soon turned
on. The fire was easily extin-
guished without much damage to the
building. The smoke was so dense
that Kramer had to tie his head in
clothing to escape suffocation.