The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-26
The Free Press the Leader, Only 500 a Year.

and seven o'clock he was with Andrew
Nelson, who lives ON Third avenue,
and appeared to be feeling WELL He
went home and had sapper, and had
talk with his mother, leaving her at
eight O'Clock to come up town. 1t is
known that he was along Front street
as late as eleven O'Clock.
Elsberry CASTOR, who occupies the
rear rooms in the second floor of the
building at AT South Front street,
states that he has lived in the city two
or three years and has had his present
rooms for nearly two years. He was
not personally acquainted with Mr..
Widell, but knew him by sight. Mr..
CASTOR was in his rooms part of the
time last evening and went to bed at
II 80 p. m. in the middle room, or the
second one from the rear. The hall
door was shut, but the door to the rear
room was open, as was also the rear
window overlooking, the area where
the dead body was found this morning.
Mr.. CASTOR states that he went to
sleep and did not awaken until five
o clock this morning. He heard no
noise during the night. On going
down the back steps this morning he
discovered the body, but did not at
first recognize whose it was. He did
not see Mr.. Widell at any time last
evening, and never saw him in the
building and never knew of his coming
there.
Miss Carrie Ellefson states that she
knew nothing of the affair until in
formed at few moments before five
o'clock by Mr.. CASTOR. She heard no
noise in the building last night and
had never known of Mr.. Widell visit
ing the building. She did not see him
at any time last evening.
VIM. Weckworth, former clerk in
the Minneopa House, has front room
in the building and was undisturbed
by any noise during last night.
Warren Fuller slept in Masters &
McLauren's plumbing shop last night,
few doors south of the place where
the body of Mr.. Widell was found. He
states that he was awakened at three
O clock this morning by sound as
though some one was trying to get into
the back door of the shop. He got up
to see who it was. but could not see
anyone.
Mr.. Widell was born in Sweden in
1866 and was the youngest son. He
was christened Carl August Widell,
bat on coming to America in 1887 took
the name of John Ee was the last
of the boys to come over. and worked
for his brothers in the stone quarry.
He is survived by two brothers, Gus
a nd Claus. He was well built man,
weighing 165 pounds, healthy and
would have given good account of
himself in a mixup, had he ever been
called upon to defend himself. He
was popular with the workmen in the
quarries, and was we'll liked by all
who knew him. His sudden taking off
is severe blow to his aged parents
and to the brothers and sisters.
Coroner Kennedysshas decided to hold
an inquest, and has summoned as a
jury j. H. Moore, Isaac FELTON,, o. A.
Eberhart, John Nyquist, o. Nickel
son and G. P. Williams. The jury
viewed the remains, but will probably
not be called together to hear evidence
until Tuesday, as the authorities want
time to look into the matter.
Drs. Holbrook and Bielland held a
postmortem examination of the re-
mains this forenoon, and found a cut
at the right of the right eye, an inch
long, to the bone; cut under the
chin, an inch and half long, to the
bone; a bruise on the right side of the
face, and bruise near the right knee.
There were several other scratches on
the face. The neck was not broken,
but there was severe conclusion of
the brain and evidences of rupture of
the arteries. Nearly quart of veinous
blood was found in the brain cover
ings
The doctors were of the opinion that
death resulted from conclusion of the
brain. They found no evidences of
foul play, and say that they are con-
WINGED that Mr.. Widell could not have
been struck upon the head. The con-
cussion might have resulted FROM fall
from the balcony or from fall from
the steps leading into the area, which
is about thirty inches deep.
Two theories as to an accidental
death are now advanced. One is that
Mr. Widell fell from the balcony, but
the circumstantial evidence does not
point to this. In fact, nearly every
thing goes to show that this was not
the case. The other is that the unfor-
tunate man fell down the area steps in
the darkness, while intending to reach
the rear door of the barber shop under
the impression, perhaps, that it was a
saloon. 1t is said that such fall
could cause conclusion of the brain.
This might account for all of the
marks except the cut under the chin
If this theory is correct, the man
whom Warren Fuller heard trying the
rear door of Masters & McLauren' s.
shop might also have been Mr.. Widell.
John o. Parry passed along that
part of Front street at two O'clock