The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-26
FOUNO DEAD.
Body of John Widell Found Back of
Store Building Early Saturday
Morning.
Several Cuts and Bruises About His
Head and His Hat Missing Lead
to Various Theories.
Post MOrtem Examination Shows That
Death Was Due to Conclusion
of the Brain.
Doctors Find no Evidence Of Foul Play,
and the ValuabIes on the Body
Undisturbed.
Officials Trying to Clear Up The Mystery
Which is Surrounding the
Deah.

terry ABOUT III was developed aG CLOCK
Saturday morning, when the dead
body of John Widell was found back of
the old frame building at AT South
Front street, occupied on the first floor
as a barber shop and on the second
floor as living apartments.
The body was found by Elsberry
CASTOR, an employe of the cement
works, who occupies the three rear
rooms on the second floor, at five
o'clock this morning. He at once in
formed Miss Carrie Ellefson, who has
the three front rooms on the same
floor, and who takes table boarders.
When found, the body was lying on
board floor in an area two or three
feet below the surface of the ground,
and some six feet from the rear of
the building. 1t was lying on its face,
extended out north and south, with the
head toward the south. and pool of
blood underneath the head. 1t was
fully clothed except for the absence
of coat and hat.
The authorities were notified and
the remains were removed to the un
dertaking establishment of John Klein
& Co., after Coroner Kennedy had
looked the ground over. They were
viewed by number of people, both
before their removal and afterwards.
The right eye was blackened, there
was deep cut under the chin. and
there were several bruises and abra-
sions upon the face.
Directly over the point where the
body was found is balcony running
out from the hallway on the second
floor, with stairway leading down to
the ground at the rear and railing
around the southerly and easterly
sides and down the stairway. A
table, a couple of garbage pals and a
few other articles are lined around the
railing. Close to the building is a
partial opening, where person could
sit ON the railing or lean over it by
leaning over the garbage pals and a
small box. The railing is inaccessible
at all other points.
The principal theory advanced after
the finding of the body was that Mr..
Widell had been sitting on or leaning
over the balcony railing next to the
building and had lost his balance and
fallen over, striking on his head on the
floor fifteen feet beneath and receiving
injuries that Immediately proved
fatal. How the cut under the chin
was made by such fall furnishes one
of the mysterious features of the affair.
There are no marks of blood anywherein
the vicinity except on the board floor
of the area and within one square foot.
Neither are there signs of any blood
stains having been removed.
The body was not found directly I'M
der the point where it is supposed to
have fallen from the balcony, but four
feet east, and there are no signs that
the body struck the floor directly under
the part of the balcony railing referred
to. There are some parallel marks on
the cIapboards of the building few
feet out from the balcony and extending
downward several feet in curve
These, according to the belief of some,
were made by the fingers of the falling
man as he clutched for something, but
if so, he must have fallen upon the
floor close to the building and could
hardly have moved before the blood
gushed from the wounds that are upon
his head. The tops of two of the lath
Stats that form part of the balcony
railing are broken over little on their
rotten ends, and some pitch on the top
rail is partially rubbed off, showing
that something of some weight must
have rubbed over the railing at that
point.
1t is known that Mr.. Widell did not
wear coat last evening, but his hat
could not be found this morning. This
is another mysterious feature of the
case
Mr.. Widell had until recently, since
the death of his wife year ago. been
living with his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
j. @. Widell. He had no children. He
had recently completed a residence for
himself on Fifth avenue and had
moved in a few days ago, intending
to keep house.
The deceased was general foreman
of the KIondike uuarry and was at