The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-17
JOHN FREMARK, AN OLD SOLDIER,
MEETS DEATH NEAR FORT
SMELLING.
BODY is FOUND IN A RAVINE
BY PATROLMAN HEATING WHILE
SEARCHING FOR A MISSING
MAN.
HE HAD BEEN GONE THREE DAYS.
Fremont, Who Was an Inmate of the
Soldiers Home, Left There
Last Thursday.

John Fremark, an inmate Of the SOL
diers' home, was found dead in a ra-
vine on the river bank. half mile east
of the Fort Smelling street car terrni-
nus, yesterday afternoon. All indica-
lions point to accidental death The
body was found by officer Joseph
Heating. 1t lay at the base of an al
most perpendicular cliff face down
wards, with both arms close to the
trunk, the palms Of the hands I'D. and
with long cash in the head over the
left ear. The distance to the top of
the ravine is nearly twenty-five feet,
and large jagged rock, close to the
dead mans head, showed that he
doubtless fell head foremost upon the
boulder and was probably instantly
killed by a fracture of the skull One
OF the hands, however, was clinched,
and one leg drawn up, as though the
old man may have lived for a short
time. Deputy Coroner Hesselgrave
viewed the body and while an inquest
may be held, stated that, in his opinion.
F'remark's death was purely accidental.
The finding of the dead veteran re-
suited from a search for an irrespon-
sible cripple living near the end Of the
car line who had wandered away from
home. officer Heating and John
O'Toole, a member of Company D, at
Fort Smelling, were looking for this
man at the request of his relatives,
when the policeman made the CHASTITY
discovery at the bottom of the ravine.
The officer had made a detour of the
ravine to get view of the river bot
tom lands, and in turning to retrace his
steps saw what he concluded to be
either an disappearing log or a hui
man body, lying at the head Of the hOl-
low. The perpendicular walls of the
raVine and its narrow confines made
1t difficult to reach the spot where the
uncertain form was, but when Officer
Heating reached the object he saw that
1T was that Of human being. He
called to O'Toole, and, both failing to
recognize the dead man, officer Keat-
ing at once notified Deputy Coroner
HeSselgrave.
While waiting for the arrival of the
coroner, Officer Heating searched the
vicinity of the ravine and found the
dead mans hat lying on the brink
somewhat to the left of where the body
lay beneath. Further examination
showed that earth and pieces of rock
had been freshly broken from the ledge
and the dead leaves were dragged
away from the ground. as though by
the passage Of a heavy body over the
surface, showing beyond doubt the
place where Fremark had slipped when
he fell. There Is a short incline from
the brink Of the raVine to the top Of
the river bank proper, where a road
way known as the boulevard runs, and
1t is believed that Fremark wandered
from the Travelled path and, slipping
on this declivity, could not save him
self from falling over the ravine. There
was one chance for him to have saved
himself, Of which, however, he was
probably unaware, as a strong young
tree grows almost on the edge Of the
ravine wall, and the marks on the
ground show that the old soldier prob
ably passed within a few inches Of this
support, or may have even been thrown
against it before dropping over the
ledge, but he was doubtless too fright
ened or unable for some other reason
to save himself by this means.
F'remark left the soldiers home
Thursday afternoon. In the winter
time 1T is said to be a practice Of the
old soldiers desiring to visit Fort Smell
ing or to come to st. Paul to walk
down the river on the ice to a point
some distance below the ravine, climb
the bank, and thus reach the street
car line. 1t is believed that this was
the course pursued by the dead man.
The boulevard is intersected some dis
tance by the ravine, and the roadway
has taken the form of a half loop
around the breach. Instead Of follow
ing the road 1t is thought that Ere
mark, either at night or thoughtlessly,
followed the edge of the river bank and
walked to his death. Another eXplana-
ton, however, of his presence in the
vicinity Of the ravine is that he went
from the city to the end of the car
line and instead Of going across the
bridge, walked along the river bank,
mistaking the lights of Mendoza for
those of Fort Smelling and thinking to
cross the bridge further down the
river.
A rumor that the old man was killed
and his body thrown into the ravine
seems to be without foundation. It Is
believed that he would not have been
killed without an object, and it is said
that he had no money when he left the
home, with the exception Of twenty
five cents, which he borrowed. Five
cents were found on the body There
were no marks of violence except the
wound in the head, and DR.. HesseI-
grave says this was beyond a doubt
caused by the large rock near the old
mans head. Furthermore, it is said
that Fremark was not the recipient Of
a pension, and it is argued that he
could not have been waylaid and kill
ed by robbers who hoped to find him
in possession of money.
Fremark was a private in Company
G, Of the Fifth Wisconsin infantry, and
was sixty-six years of age. He had
been an inmate Of the home since
April, 1895, coming there from Waba-
sha, which had been his home He
was a lumbermar by occupation I'M
til his health failed. He was a ma
tive Of Prussia, but is thought to have
relatives in Wisconsin. The remains
were taken to the undertaking rooms
Of O'Halloran & Murphy.