The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-20

can be deducted from any events in
the woman's previous history. Rob
berry could not have been motive for
foul play, it is said, as little of value
was found on Larson's body, and he
was a man never known to have pos
sessed any great sum of money. There
was no money in his pockets, but an
unindorsed check on the First National
bank for S24 was found. 1t was made
payable to Charles E. Brown, name
Larson was generally known by to the
police or others, and purported to
have been drawn by S. e. Baldwin &
Co. The date was Sept. Is. the dag
of the drowning, and it is believed that
when Larson met Minehart at South
Wabasha street and Fairfield avenue,
he had come to the city for the pur-
pose of passing this check. The hand
writing is said by the police to be iden-
tiCal with that of number of forged
checks passed here last spring, and
from this fact, together with Larson's
having been known as professional
fcrger, having served term in Still :
water for that offense, he is believed
TO have passed these instruments. On
the body was also found a watch and
chain, the latter doubtless of gold, but
the former a cheap affair. That the
watch was found undisturbed in the
vest pocket, is considered another evil
donce of lack of an attempt to injure
the dead man for the purpose of rob-
5ery. Several letters and a memoran-
dunn book bore the name of Charles E.
Brown, and while the body had been
identified by relatives and the police,
Coroner Nelson was under the impress
sion until last evening, that the dead
man was some one else than Larson.
Mime Smith makes the following
statement concerning Larson'S death:
Il was at the house Of Nancy Davis, on
the upper flats, with Mrs. Russell, and had
started to so across the river to Mrs. Coles,
where | lived for several weeks, to get some
articles Of clothing. intended going over the
and we had some beer. together. Larson then
proposed that l go across the river with he
and Minehart in boat. | agreed, and he
said we would get keg of beer and go to
his house at Lilydale and have a good time
Then we went to a house boat kept by JOS
eph Kinney, where we met Ryan and Memo.
The men got the keg OF beer, and Larson
called across the river for boat. Some one
answered that the beat was out and Larson
said he could get one on this side. He did
so, and we got in. All of the men had been
drinking, but none of them were staggering
drunk, and all were in the best of spirits.
Ryan and Memo got in first occupying the
two seats in the bow then Minehart took the
center seat with the oars, and Larson and |
sat together on the stern seat The boat had
gone but a short way from shore when
felt water about my feet and exclaimed that
but Minehart said to never mind that it was
all right and that he was a good oarsman.
From where Larson and | sat | could Sc. see
ahead, and soon 1 that the boat was
near the bridge pier, and cried out to Mine
hart that it would strike The next moment
there was grating sound and we we're all
thrown into the water. Larson and L went
down together. l think l sank twice, and
when 1 came up again Ryan caught me by
the hair and pulled me to the. boat where
he Minehart and Memo were clinging. Then
We ealled for help until rescued. We saw
nothing of Larson and at that time thought
he must have swan to the shore There
| nor anything done which would have tipped
us over unless we struck the pier.
Under questioning, Mrs, Smith re-
asserted that the capsizing was purely
accidental, but admitted that Mine
hart's actions were peculiar, though
attributing them to excitement. She
said Minehart grabbed at the boat
and apparently shook it until size
begged him to stop, saying: For
Gods sake, keep still and we will get
help from the shore Then she says
Minehart swan a little way from the
boat and came back, when Ryan cried
to him not to roll the boat over again,
saying: You act as though you We're
trying to drown the whole lot of us. y
Minehart made no response, but clung
more quietly to the bow.
Ryan and Memo substantiate Mrs.
| Smiths story almost in detail. Ryan
corroborates her story Of Minehart's s
peculiar actions, and says that he did
make the remark about the latter's
acting as if he wanted to drown
! the entire party, though he would
! make no direct charge, and, like. Mrs.
! Smith, said he thought Minehart's be-
! havior was due to his excitement.
| Coroner Nelson stated that he had
examined the body and found no
/ marks of violence. He said an inquest
I would be held to satisfy the relatives
| Of the dead man, but that in his op1n-
| ion, the drowning was wholly acciden-