The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-18
CHARLES LARSON, SUPPOSED TO BE
DROWNED-MINNIE SMITH ALSO
LOST.
RIVER MYSTERY DEEPENS.
SERGT. RYAN HAS BEEN UNABLE
TO FIND SAMUEL MEINHART'S
COMPANIONS
OR TO LOCATE THE ROW BOAT
In Which the Robbery and Attempt
ed Drowning Is Alleged to
Have Occurred.

Officers at the Dueas street police
station ON the West side believe that
Charles Larson certainly was drowned
in the river Wednesday night. Con-
flicting theories about how the boat
containing the missing mans party
was overturned, and the claim of Sam
uel Meinhart that Larson and his COM
panions robbed him OF S35 and a gold
watch after he got into the skiff, have
cast an air of mystery about the case,
which the authorities are now
trying to solve. This mystery is deep
ened by the futile efforts of the police
to locate Minnie Smith, the woman
who was with the party, and the sud
den disappearance from his usual
haunts yesterday of Meinhart.
Sergeant Ryan is working on the
case. He believes that Larson's body
is in the river and that Meinhart was
not robbed Yet the boat which caus-
ed the accident, if such it was cannot
be found and the sergeant admits that
there is a possibility robbery was
committed and that Larson is fugi-
tive. But he is working on the theory
that the missing man was drowned,
and he hopes that by tonight he will
have located the body, or the boat, or
both The sergeant made an effort to
find the woman last night, but again
she could not be found. He has learn
ed on good authority that she was the
sweetheart of Larson. When the lat
ter became acquainted with her the
woman lived on the Bohemian flats.
He took her away from there, and af-
or tn no
lived together in Liydale. She has
disappeared and the natural conclusion
would be that she has joined her lover
But Sergeant Ryan thinks not, and
the police theory of Larson's death is
thus credited
When Meinhart reported the sup
posed drowning to the West side po-
lice he could not tell a very clear
story about the incident and was held.
The chief of police and County Attor-
hey Anderson questioned him yester-
day morning. He chung to the story
that he had been robbed in the boat
He said that when he went into the
boat with the three men and the Smith
woman he had the money and the
watch. After the alleged robbery the
boat had been purposely overturned,
he said. He was certain that Lar
son caught the boat after the rescuers
left fer shore and with it swan to the
other side of the river.
After hearing this statement Chief
Goss released Meinhart and that is the
last that has been seen of him, al
though Sergeant Ryan made several
efforts during the day to find him.
Meinhart is railroad man and boards
at 10S South Wabasha street, but SO
far as the police could learn last night,
he had not been seen at his boarding
! L. -,,1
discredit his story about the robbery,
because they claim that he never
owned a gold watch and they have the
statement of a number of. his friends
that he never had $35 in money at one
time.
The disappearance of the Smith
woman is something, however, that
has set the police to guessing. Ser
geant Ryan admits himself that this
looks as if Menhart's story has color
to it. He knows that Larson had the
reputation in police circles of being q
desperate character, and that the most
natural thing in the world would be
for the Smith woman to join him if
he got out of the river alive and really
did get from Meinhart the money and
watch he claims to have lost. The
sergeant went to Lilydale yesterday
afternoon to arrest the Smith woman,
| but only to learn that she had crossed
the river. He followed, but the most
dilligent inquiry failed to reveal her
whereabouts. He knows positively
that she had not returned to her
| friends at Iilydale up to late hour
last night, and vet he is not ready to
! believe that Larson is alive and that
she is with him.
The boat which Larsons party oc-
eupied was borrowed from Amelia
Richter, who resides on the upper flats
near the Omaha pump house. She told
Sergeant Ryan that about $3.50 O'Clock
Wednesday night some unknown par
ties took her skiff and that they had
not returned it. The officer searched
everywhere for the boat, but could not
find it, and he says that if he cannot
locate it within a reasonable length of
time he will be forced to the conclusion
that Larson did rob Meinhart and es-
cape with the boat and that his lover,
the Smith woman, is with the fugitive.
That there were five persons in the
skiff the sergeant is now positive. al
though Meinhart is the only one who
has been found Even the rescuers are
unknown to the police