The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-08
WAS JUST AN IDEA He HAD
THAT THE BODY WAS PUT THERE
FOR A HOAX BY SOME
ONE.
coRoNER,s JURY SAYS "mURDER,'
No Doubt the Lambert's Lake Find
Was the First Discovery of a
Foul Crime.
Murder!


jury, which, yesterday afternoon, con-
Quoted an inquest over the remains OF
the unknown woman whose d1smem-
bered body was found on the dreary
slope of Hog Back pass. Thus one
phase of the mystery is solved. Who
committed the dark deed, What was the
motive and the victims identity, are
questions which may be answered by
the grand jury, or, as is believed more
likely, will forever remain unSolVed
problems Little new evidence develop
ed at the inquest, but the hoax theory
as championed by Supt. Weber, of the
PinkeTtOn agency, was completely shat
tered, and the attitude Of the county
officials in prosecuting their investiga-
items along the lines of murder was
thoroughly indicated. After vain
attempt as a witness before the jury to
suhstantiate his hoax story, Supt.
Weber dissipated his elaborate theory
by admitting that he knew absolutely
10 facts about the case.
At first Supt. Weber affected a
mysterious air, impressfng the jury
with the idea that he was holding
something back. Then he went into
lengthy review of hypothetical muir
der CASES, waved the blood stained gar
ments of the dead woman before the
jury expostulated upon probabilities,
and finally when it had been shown by
the testimony of physicians and other
witnesses that he had been arguing and
theorizing from false premises, and had
criticised the county authorities with
out a knowledge of the case, Supt.
Weber punctured his own beautifully
colored bubble under a fire of eXami-
nation at the hands of the jurors.
"As. matter of actual facts" said
he, 81 know absolutely nothing about
the case. 1 was asked for my theory
and state it simply as such"
you are reputed to have said in sup
port of the hoax theory" remarked
Ccroner Nelson, that you could lay
your hand on the perpetrator within
thirty minutes. Will you tell the jury
who is the guilty person."
81 decline to do So"
did you not swear to tell the whole
truth in this matter?" asked Juror
Mcdonald.
Yes, I did"
Then why don't you do SOP"
Because my information is only
hearsay and L am expressing merely an
opinion. / have said that as to actual
facts in the case, L know nothing. ]
will, however tell what 1 know before
the grand jury, if called upon"
At this juncture DR.. Ohage startled
the jury by the most sensational pro-
ceeding of the inquest. He had given
his testimony as an expert witness, de-
failing his repeated examinations of the
body, the blood spots and the holes in
the clothing, and testified that every
indication pointed to foul murder. Fac
ing the jury he said:
This investigation has reached q
point where I desire to define my posi-
ton ] am here as the official assis-
tant of the coroner and as a citizen. In
beth capacities I think everything Of
possible bearing in this matter should
be disclosed. The ends of justice de-
| mand this and the public is entitled to
know the real facts. l am firmly con-
WINGED that this woman was foully
murdered. Every evidence in the case
points to this fact, and 1 believe that
there are those in this very room who
know more about the case than they
care to tell. The attempt has been
made to establish that the affair is a
hoax by the claim that the body was
not fully clad, that the woman wore
a mans undershirt, and that the flesh
tissue found was garbage. The body
was fully ard properly clothed with the
exception of one appointment, such as
Ii is known many women discard in
warm weather. The statement that the
undershirt is a mans garment is alb
solutely false and a scientific exami-
nation pronounces the flesh to have
| been that of human being. The claim
that the clothing would have been de-
stroyed had the body been exposed
long enough for the flesh to almost en-
| tirely disintegrate, is also unfounded
Flesh will rot long before cloth. This
body was never taken from a grave
yard. 1t was never inside a grave.
| There has been foul murder. Justice
demands that the murderer be found.
| But there are some present here who,
| in my opinion, are seeking to forestall
this end. Let all of the acts be known.
If there was murder, let the guilty per
son be found; if the affair is a hoax
| likewise let this be known"
Supt Weber explained that if there
had been a murder that it would be
folly for him to advance the fake
| theory, because, he said, if there were
| grounds to believe that the woman
was killed, his agency would likely be
employed to unravel the mystery.
The verdict of the jury read:
1--WE, the jury, do find that deceased came
! to the jury unknown, and we believe all the
parties conducting the investigation and
search have done all in their power to OBJ
tain all facts, although Detective Weber
| stated he would not tell all he knew to this
| jury but would be brought before the grand
| jury.
Up. R. Mcdonald
| -"J. X. Bacon,
| William Brown,
| &C. A. Rose,
&C. P. Haupers,
Peter Martini
The inquest was held at the under
taking rooms where the remains have
| been kept since found by John De
Lenais, the afternoon Of Nov. IA. De
| Lonais was the first witness. He de-
tailed the finding of the body. He said
he was hunting rabbits and came upon
the remains in crossing the Hog Back.
He knew it was body by the clothing,
and when going close to the remains
detected an obnoxious odor.
Had any one told you to go to the
| Hog Back in search of game, or that,
if you went to the spot you would
find anything?" asked Coroner Nelson.
mo, SIR"
| Willis Williams, the reporter who
| found the head, was next called.
| Coroner Nelson had been informed that
Supt. Weber's theory was based upon
the foundation Of a newspaper sensa-
| ton.
''Mr. De Lonais. did you ever see Mr.
| Williams before?" asked the coroner.
Witness looked Mr.. Williams over
and answers positively in the negative
County Commissioner Ref testified
| that De Lonais had informed him OF
the finding of the body, and that he in
turn notified the coroner. Coroner Mel
son reached White Bear lake the same
evening at $50 and Mr.. Ref accom-
| panied him to where the body lay. He
said the body lay on the south side