The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-16
NO INQUEST NEEDED
Coroner Kennedy Returns From
Good Thunder.
More Details Conserving the Horrible
Death of a Stranger, Supposed to be
Fred ReII of Minneapolis.

| Fred Rsll OF minneapolis
The name of the man who started a
fire in his cell in the village lookup at
Good Thunder Tuesday and persisted
in the flames was possibly Fred Rell
This is the name which he gave to
several parties, including the village
marshal, who had gotten him the job
in the harvest field which he had been
filling for several weeks past. He also
gave two or three other names to
other parties.
Rell was about twenty-five years of
age and was born in Germany. He
was small man, only about FIVE feet,
six inches tall, and weighing from
40 to $50 pounds. He had light
complexion, light blue eyes, light
hair, and his face was smooth. He
wore pair of light gray trousers, blue
shirt and light gray felt hat. His
parents are supposed to live in Mime
apolis, as Rell told several parties that
his father runs bakery there. He said
that he had not been heme for six or
eight years, and it is suspected that he
was hobo when not employed.
Coroner Kennedy returned from
Good Thunder last night, not deeming
an inquest necessary, as the facts were
manifest. He has telephoned to the
chief of police of Minneapolis, asking
him to make inquiries in regard to
Rell's parents.
Rell had been working for farmer
near Good Thunder and was paid OFF
and discharged Monday. He received
q check for $37. 90, and had it cashed
at the village bank that day. He fell
in with two hobes who had been loiter-
ing about the village and making a
nuisance of themselves He bought
liquor for the three. One of the tramps
tried to purchase a bottle of whisky
yesterday forenoon of a saloon, but
was refused as he had no money, al
though he said that he would pay for
it later. The tramp returned to his
companion and Rell and soon went
| back to the saloon with $40 bill and
! got the whisky. From this and other
. circumstances it is thought that the
two tramps got most of Rell' money,
the latter being much intoxicated. In
the ashes in the cell was found So. O3
in coin. If Rell had any paper money
it was burned up.
Some people are inclined to blame
the marshal for not searching Rell
| when he locked him up, but the ma
jority of the Good Thunder residents
believe that he acted as he should.
Rell and the two tramps were max
ing disturbance and as they would
not leave town, the marshal under
, took TO lock them up. He took Rell to
the lookup, which is an iron clad
frame structure about IL by a. feet,
with an iron cell inside. The marshal
intended to leave Rell in the main
room, but he resisted so much that it
was necessary to put him into the cell.
He then ran back to get the two
tramps, intending to search all Of them
when he returned.
There was a large straw filled bed
tick in the cell. and Rell set fire to
this as soon as the marshal had gone.
Bystanders say that smoke began to
issue from the building within a
minute after the marshal had gone.
The longest that anybody says that the
marshal was gone is five minutes.
Some say that it was three minutes
When he returned, he looked into the
building under the smoke and saw
Rell on the bottom of the cell still
alive. He then went ia through the
flames and smoke and unlocked the
cell and pulled Rell out. Reu was then
dead. The marshal received several
severe burns. The fire department ar
rived quickly and put out the flames,
which had destroyed everything in the
cell and had CHARGED the woodwork of
the lookup.
When Bell set FIRE to the tick, the
dry straw must have burst out into a
flame that would have proved fatal had
he been released the next minute and
had he escaped suEocation from the
dense smoke. Rell's death was due to
nobody's fault but his own.
The body was horribly burned and
was beyond recognition. The clothing
was all burned off ard the skin peeled
off. The face was swollen and dis
torte6, and the entire body was
blackened The remains were ordered
held until one o'clock this afternoon,
to ascertain whether Rell's parents
can be found
Coroner Kennedy has hea rd nothing
from Minneapolis regarding Rel,
and this afternoon telephoned permits
sion to the Good Thunder officials to
bury the remains.