Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-02
WAS IT FOUL PLAY?
Frederick Kuschmann's Fate
on the Highway.
SIX FRACTURES IN BIS SKULL

Saturday Evening On B0rseback and II
Toand m Hour Afservard Dead and
Psnnilsss on Country Road.
Frederick Kuschmann met death on
10 country road one-and-one-half
miles southeast of Milan Saturday
evening. There were q half-dozen
fractures in the skull. inflicted. it is
supposed. by being dragged by .
horse which he was riding when his
life was blotted out. There are cir
cumstances which give rise to the
theory Of foul play.
The unfortunate was the 2l-year-
old son of Mr.. and Mrs. William E.
kuschmann, of South Rock Island,
and q nephew of ex-Ald. Robert
Kuschmann. of this city. He had
been employed by Henry Bastian.
farmer residing two-and-one-half
miles southeast of Milan. Three
days ago young Kuschmann notified
his employer Of his intention of quit.
ting farm work and returning to his
South Rock Island home. His years
contract had expired Saturday, when
he arranged to Sunday with his par.
ents in South Rock Island. having
been paid the balance of his wages,
$40. He proposed returning Mon.
day for his personal effects. So sad
ding one of Mr.. Bsstian's horses,
young Kuschmann started homeward
about $50 in the evening.
Riderless Horse Returns.
When three-quarters of an hour
afterward the animal pranced rider.
less into Mr.. Bastian's barn yard,
that getleman suspected something
wrong and Immediately hitched a
horse to a light buggy and started
down the road which young Kusch-
mann had taken. He rode along
about mile until coming to q hol.
low in the roadway. Here he was
attracted by dark object. Closer
examination proved it TO be nothing
less than the dead body of Frederick
Kuschmann, who lay near the saddle
with the blood oozing from several
ugly wounds in his head. The body
was carried to the residence of An.
ton Wiegel, near by, and the coroner
and the dead mans parents notified
Yesterday Coroner Halves with q
jury composed Of DR.. Warren l..
Eddy. Magnus Huber, Gottlieb Beck,
Jr.. Anton Wiegel and William
Wilson, held an inquest over the
remains and returned q verdict oil
accidental death in being dragged by
the horse.
Notwithstanding the jury's yer.
dict there is an impression gaining
currency that murder was possible
and relatives of the deceased say
they can never be convinced that the
young mans fate was accidental up.
til some of the circumstances are
more intelligently explained.
Money and Cap Missing.
The most mysterious circumstance
Of the whole affair is the inability t.
find either the money or cap of thu
unfortunate. Mr.. Bastian testified
that Frederick was SUBJECT to fits
and that he paid him $79 Saturday
This cannot be found; neither can
the deceased's hat. The body anc
saddle were found in one place, t6s
overcoat in another and two silver
dollars down the roadway a little
farther, there being a distance o.
several rods between each. 1t il
said young Kuschmann's left foo
was still fast in the stirrup wher
found, and the iury's theory is tina,
in being thrown from the horse his
head struck on the frozen ground,
inflicting a compound fracture il
the forehead; and that he wa!
dragged about twenty rods further
with the other wounds in his head al
the result. Then. it is supposed the
saddle strap broke. But it seem.
peculiar to some people how tn,
wounds could be confined to tn,
head, for there was not a scratch OF
any other portion of the body
Neither did the clothes have the ap
pearance of having been dragged.
The funeral occurs from the Soutl
Rock Island home tomorrow after
noon at 2 O'Clock.
DRURY SHOOTING RESULTS FATALLY