The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-24
DEATH is A MYSTERY
JOSHUA PARKHoUsE's BODY FOUND
cHARRED AFTER STRANGE
FIRE
CLOTHES SATURATED WITH OH
Fire Found blazing In Three Places
ON Second story = Explosion
or Incendiarism Is
Suspected
'L0THEs SATURATED WITH OIL

Joshua Farmhouse, sixty years of age,
who conducts a grocery store at 300 Rice
street. came to his death yesterday morn
ing in a mysterious manner, which leaves
room for all sorts of theories. The
cause of his death was fire, but how the
FIRE originated, or how he was unable to
make his escape is a problem. that is puz-
zing the police and fire departments.
Some boys passing the grocery store
yesterday morning noticed smoke issuing
from the windows and an alarm was
turned in at once When the fremen ar
rived on the scene they found Parkhouse
lying dead six feet from the door, with
his face burned to a crisp and the flames
still burning on his vest and coar
The fire appeared to be up stairs and
upon going there the firemen discov-
cred lnree distinct biazes These having
been extiuguisheu they returned to the
ground flo3r, and discovered smoke com
ing up through the cracks. They found
another blaze in the basement, and a
strong odor of coal oil was evident on
all sides
A second examination of the body of
Farmhouse disclosed the fact that he was
soaked with coal oil from head to foot
on the right side of his body i Aere were
no marks of violence to his person, ex-
cept his burned face, which was beyond
recognition.
That the fire was the result of either an
explosion or an incendiary the fremen
are certain, from the fact tnat it had
started in four different places, but they
are at a loss to understand how it could
start in the basement and then get up to
thp
the meantime on the ground floor ard
saturating one-half of him with coal
OIL. The damage to the building was
comparatively slight.
His wife, Mrs. Susan NJ Farmhouse, the
proprietor of the grocery store, also runs
a boarding house at the corner of Central
and Cedar. When she heard of the death
of her husband she tainted and has been
in a precarious condition ever since.
Three doctors are attending her. There
are many theories as to the cause of the
affair in the surrounding neighborhood
Suicide is advanced by some, with de-
spondency as the cause, robbery and
murder by o--iers and still others rely
upon the explosion possibility, although
there are many things about the latter
which they co not pretend to explain.
Saicide Theory Doubted.
There is no evidence at present to show
that Farmhouse made an attempt at tax
ing his life. 1t is said that he has been
in the habit Of making glass signs fer
the store, which necessitated the use of
a large lamp in the process and by some
i is thought likely that this lamp may
have exploded while he was working,
and that in his efforts to extinguish thu
flames he was overcome by them The
explosion, they maintain, caused him to
be saturated with the oil. The francn
and policemen think that possibly that,
while in a state of mental alteration.
Farmhouse may have attempted 20 set
fire to the place and in doing so split oil
on himself, which became ignited ana
caused his death.
1t is known that he has been subject
to attacks Of heart failure for many
years past, and his friends maintain that
this is the primary cause of his death.
All the windows and the doors in the
place were securely locked and it was
necessary for the f1rement to batter down
an entrance. Farmhouse was born in
England and came to this country when
five. years o,d He lived for a. time in
North Dakota, and is an old resident of
this city. He has two sons. One, Hiram, |
is a chief clerk in the Great Northern
Office. The other lives in the state Of
Washington.
Coroner Miller will hold an inquest over
the remains today and endeavor to come
to some conclusion as to the cause Of |
his death. The body was removed from |
the grocery store to Dampier's under
taking establishment He has always |
borne a good character in the neighbor-
hood where he lived, and never was I
known to be of a particularly despondent |
nature.