The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-24
LOOKS LIKE MURDER
Alfred Johnson's Lifeless Body Is
Found in the Old Hedderly
Quarries.
Many Features Of the Case Seem to
Indicate Strongly Foul
Play.

Was Alfred Johnson, who was found
dead in the rHedderly quarries at
the foot of Nineteenth avenue s, yester-
day afternoon, murdered, or did he acct
dentally fall from the cliffs, did he
commit suicide by jumping into the quar-
ry? These are questions which Superin-
tendent Of Police Waite and Detectives
Rhoades and Smith are trying to answer.
Johnson's body was discovered late yes
terday afternoon, lying partly submerged
in a pool of water, at the foot Of the
cliff near Nineteenth avenue S and Bluff
street. A bad wound directly over the
right eye showed that the skull had been
crushed and that death had been instan-
taneous. Another wound on the shin Of
the left leg was the only mark on the
body.
Detective Rhoades, after an investiga-
ton. declared that the man had not fallen
over the bluff. In support Of that theory,
the officer pointed out that had he fallen
from the south cliff, he would have
struck against some jagged rocks which
would have borne marks Of the fall Had
. he fallen from the west cliff, the body
would likely have lain nearer the foot Of
the bluff than it did. This was not en-
tirely borne out by experiments made to-
day, for a stone dropped from the cliff
struck boulder and, glancing off, lit on
the Identical spot where the mans head
had lain.
Another thing which the officers con-
slider important is the fact that the mans
hat could not be found. A thorough
search was made of the vicinity, but the
missing headpiece could not be found.
The officers say this confirms the theory
that the man was killed at some other
place and the body taken there to cause
the police to believe that he had met his
death by falling from the bluff
Significant Blood Trail.
renOrter for II r n ~ want
over the ground carefully this morning
and discovered trail Of blood leading
from the place where the body was
found to the wheel tracks Of a light
vehicle, which had been stopped about
seventy-five feet away. Stones lying
along the trail were badly stained, but
the trace could not be followed beyond
the wheel tracks. This would seem to
bear out the theory that the man was
murdered and taken to the quarry in a,
buggy. the body being carried to the
place where it was found by the officers.
Detective Rhoades says that. the body
when found, was lying on its back with
the left side Of the head against, a rock
which was stained with blood. The wound
was on the right side Of the head away
from the stone and no other blood stains
could be found there. The amount. of
blood found on the rock near the body
does not look as though the man was
killed there, for the stains are not deep.
Wounded After Death.
Another important circumstance is the
fact that the wound in the shin did not
bleed. The wound Is deep, reaching to
the bone and the edges are jagged, show
ing that it was caused by blunt in
strument, such as a rock, and yet the
edges of the wound showed no blood
stains. Coroner Williams says that if the
wound was received at the time the fatal
injury was received, the skin surround
ing the cut would have been covered with
blood. AS this was not the case, it would
indicate that the wound was made after
death.
When the body was discovered, a COM
mon white bone collar button was found
in the right hand while another like it was
found on a rock about six feet from the
body. A careful examination of the man S
clothing showed that these articles were
not his. and the police think Their were
lost by the men who took the body to the
foot of the cliffs.
Johnson was identified this morning by a
man with whom he boarded at 1909 Frank
lin avenue E. According to his statement
Johnson was a single man about 35. He
had brother in st. Paul. one sister at
Monticello, Mimi, and another in Wiscon-
sin. When he left his boarding house
Saturday afternoon, he had over SIG but
when the body was found he had only one
dollar.
A Drunken Mans Story
A saloonkeeper at 1907 Washington ave-
nue. says that Johnson was in his place
shortly after 1 o'clock Saturday night and
bought glass of beer. At that time he
was badly intoxicated.
A post mortem examination will be made
late this afternoon and it is likely that an
inquest will be held. The police will work
upon the murder theory until convinced
that the man either accidentally fell over
the bluff or committed suicide
An incident, which it is thought NAV
have some bearing is the statement of a
drunken man arrested yesterday morning
by Patrolman Buck The man had the
dellr1um tremenS and in his rawlings he
told Patrolman Buck that man tried to
hold him up, but that he hit him in the
head with a rock and left him lying near
the lake. He was SO delirious that the Of
fcers could get nothing more from him and
believing that his utterances were but
pigments of imagination. Since johnson
was found dead by pool Of water, the
officers think it possible that the man