St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-05
DEATH HIS cATCH.
JOSEPH ". WHEELER IS RE-
PORTED DROWNED AT
FOREST LAKE,
FISHING SATURDAY,
AND ON SUNDAY MORNING THE
BOAT WAS FOUND WITH
HIS CLOTHES IN.
PROBABLY TAKEN WITH CRAMp
Mr.. Wheeler Was Alone MT tho
Time, and Could Not Reach
His Boat.

Joseph V. Wheeler, bookkeeper for
Field, Mailer & Co., was doubtless
accidentally drowned while bathing
Saturday night in Forest lake, Just
above White Bear on the st. Paul e.
Duluth road. The body has not been
recovered. The sad news was first
learned in st. Paul yesterday morn
ing, when telegram was received
by the chief of police from Walker
q Lynch, proprietors of the Hotel
Leon at Forest lake, announcing
that Mr.. Wheeler was missing, and
that his clothes had been found in
his boat. Rondo station was notified,
and Capt. Lowell dispatched an Off
Ger to Mrs. Wheeler, who lives at
6S5 Carroll street, and also to Charles
f. Mailer, of 125 Virginia avenue.
With characteristic kindliness the
latter at once sent for Frank SchIick.
the junior partner in the firm. To-
gether with G. III. Vorck, an old
friend of Mr.. Wheeler, the two gen.
tlemen at once started for Forest
lake on the 2:15 train. Arriving there
they ascertained that the missing
man had come out to the lake on
the same train last Saturday.
Mr.. Wheeler, it appears, was very
fond of fishing, and was accustomed
to spend Saturday afternoons alone
upon the lake. Recently he has also
exhibited a renewed interest in
swimming, in which are he was most
nrnfloInnf is COZ IL
arranged to enter a swimming con-
test at White Bear in the near fut-
ure, and had been practicing to that
end. AT any rate, he went to the
lake provided with a bathing suit.
He ordered lunch at the Hotel Leon
to carry with him, procured a boat,
and started out upon the water about
7:S0 p. M, saying that he would do
a little fishing and swimming. Sat-
urday night he did not return. Yes-
terday morning his boat was. found
where it had drifted ashore on Gov.
Merriam's farm. In the boat were
all Of Mr. Wheeler's clothes, his
watch, pocketbook, money and pri-
vate papers. The lunch had been
partially eaten. 1t was evident that
he had first caught few fish, and
then started in to swim about the
boat. The bathing suit was abb
sent. 1t is presumed that he was
either taken suddenly with cramp, or
that he was unexpectedly disabled
through a recent injury to one of his
knees. This injury was incurred
about a month ago, when he was
run down, while bicycling, by
careless driver. The knee has re-
covered but slowly, and has been
constantly bandaged since the acci-
dent.
WHEN 1T OCCURRED.
Mr.. Mailer was informed, while in
vestigating the discovery of the boat,
that farmers boy had seen a man
fishing in that vicinity Saturday night
in boat about 800 feet from shore.
Shortly afterwards the boy looked
again. The boat was in the same
place. The man was gone. The boy,
however, did not arrive at any conclu-
sions from this rather unusual sight.
Mr.. Wheeler's friends lost no time,
after their arrival at Forest lake, in
securing the services of a blacksmith
to make them a kind of rude drag,
with which they patiently searched
the bottom of the lake in the vicinity
of the point where the boat was found
and where the man fishing was re-
ported to have been seen. They did
not cease their labors until compelled
by darkness. They then left Mr..
Vorck at the lake to await develop
ments and returned to the city, arriv-
ing here at 9:10 last evening. This
morning they will dispatch immediate
assistance to Mr.. Vorck, who will re-
sumo the search as soon as possible.
Mr.. Wheeler was twenty-seven years
old. He came to st. Paul from New
York city about five years ago. Soon
after his arrival he was engaged by
Field, Mailer & Co.. and has con-
tinued in their employ. He was highly
esteemed by his employers and his
friends. His young wife, to whom he
was married some four years ago, is
the mother of a babe but thirteen
months old. Mr.. Wheeler enjoyed the
best of health and the happiest domes-
tic relations, as well as possessing the
entire confidence of his employers.
There is, therefore, no explanation Of
the grave misfortune that has prob
ably befallen him except that it was
undoubtedly accidental.
DEEE,ER uAS SnNIE SENSE