The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-25

Chastity Find of Mrs. GEORGE bohH
mt Her Home, Near Post Siding,
Reveals n Tragedy That 1t Seems
- Revolver Found Was Empty at
the Time.
The body of an unknown man was
found in a clump of bushes on the
premises of George Bohn, market
gardener living at $40 Atlantic street.
yesterday afternoon, under circum-
stances which point strongly to foul
play. The body was completely COW
cred with hay, and back OF the right
ear is a bullet wound, showing the
nature Of the mans death. Near the
body a thirty-two-calioer revolver was
found, but the weapon was empty
There was no empty shell in the cham
Der. as must have been the case had
the man killed himself. The body is
that of young man, apparently pc
tween the age of twenty-four and
tWenty-eight years. From the condl-
tion of the hands it would appear that
the dead man was either laborer or a
machinist. The body was clothed COM
fCrtably in n black suit. The man
is believed to have been dead not mo. e
than forty-eight hours when found,
The indications point to the fact that
the man was probably murdered and
his body concealed in the bushes.
Close by where the revolver was pick
ed up was found a black leather purse
and yellow bone-handled knife,
doubtless the property of the dead
man. The purse was empty, and noth-
ing of value was found about the body.
Caught in the bushes just above the
body was a blue white-dotted cotton
handkerchief A handful of cartridges
which fit the revolver were found in
the mans left-hand trousers pocket.
No letters or other means of identi1ca-
ton were about his person. Twenty
five feet away from the body under
tree was found a new black leather
lurch basket. The basket contained
nothing but clean napkin. upon which
there were no marks of Identification.
Near where the lunch box lay were
several pieces of bread, as though the
owner had eaten under the tree.
The murder theory is based princi-
pally upon the unmiSt taxable conceal
ment of the body, and that the revolver
did not contain an empty shell. The
nature of the wound shows that death
was probably instantaneous, thus pre-
Guiding the possibility of the man him
self having removed the shell after
the shot, while it is believed no one
preparing for suicide could so thor
oughly and completely have covered
his body with the hay.
The hay with which the body was
covered was carried from a cut beside
the Omaha railroad tracks This is
readily seen from the break in the
swaths and from punches Of hay
strewn from the tracks to the spot
where the body was hidden. The clump
of bushes in which the body lay is at
the bottom of a small ravine to which
there is easy access from the railroad
tracks. The hay had evidently been
carried in armfulS and carefully spread
over the body, and then packed down.
The face and feet were completely COW
cred, while the left arm, which lay
away from the bushes. was also COW
cred with hay. The man lay fiat upon
his back with the right hand extend
ed among the bushes.
Tie manner in which the revolver
and other articles were found
strengthens the suspicion of murder
The empty purse near the body and the
knife seem to indicate that the body
was searched in the bushes, or more
likely that the articles were carried
along with the body to the hiding place,
ard hurredly thrown beside it, The
fact that the mans hat was crushed
down over his face by the hay and was
not on his head corrCborateS the theory
that his belongings were carried to the
bushes TO be concealed with the body
The presence of the handful of cart
ridges in his pocket. together with the
finding of the revolver, is believed hy
Coroner Nelson to be the result of a
sudden inspiration on the part of the
supposed murderer or murderers to at
tempt to create the idea of suicide. The
handkerchief found caught on the
bushes is believed to have belonged to
the dead man, or possibly to one of tbs
supposed murderers who might have
lost it in pushing through the bushes
after hiding the body. The ownership
of the lunch box is uncertain If it be-
longed to the dead man it will prove a
means of Identification, and otherwise
1t may be clue to the guilty parties
lie hcdy was found by Mrs. Bohn
fhCl tly before o'clock, while S. arching
Tor places where the hens might have
laid eggs. Seeing the hay along the
outer edge of the bushes, Mrs. Bohn
thought this a likely spot for a nest
a. ntestis ated. Tn lay was so COM
pactly over the body that she found it
necessary to procure a stick to lift it
up. When she raised the hay she was
hcrrilied to see the face of the dead
man. Almost overcome with fright
Mrs. BONN ran to the house and in
formed her husband, who Immediately
Eotiiied the Margaret street police.
Deputy Coroner L. A. Nelson was call
ed and made careful examination of
the pOuS anu the lOcailty. He says the
indications show almost beyond a doubt
that the man was murdered.
According to DR.. Nelson, the body
had been in the bushes not more than
fOTty-eight hours. 1t was in a bad con-
G!tion, but DR.. Nelson says decomposi-
ton would develop quickly in the pres
ent hot weather. Coroner Nelson and
Deputy Coroner l.. A. Nelson made A.
careful examination of the body at the
mcrgue last evening, to ascertain if
there were any wounds beside the bul.
LEI hole in the head. but found no other
mark of violence. Coroner Nelson con-
firms the theory of his deputy, saying
that he is of the opinion that the man
was murdered
The dead man is believed to have
been an employe OF some of the railroad
shops or manufactures in East ST.
Paul. Coroner Nelson believes the man
was going home from work when he
was killed by tramps bent on robbery.
The vicinity of the Bohn place is over
run with tramps, and frequently thew
have been seen in groups, resting under
the tree where the lunch box was
found. Recently, too, shots have been
heard in the neighborhood on two oc-
casionS.
Mr.. Bohn says he heard shot fred
seemingly in the direction of the or
chard, last Friday morning, about IN
o'clock There was but one shot. and
Mr.. Bohn attached no Importance to