The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-18
t@ NEWS OF MINNEAPOLIS t-Ip
LAST CHAPTER OF LOVERS TRAGIC STORY
MOTIVE OF MURDER
REMAINS A MYSTERY
Funerals of Murderer and His
Victim Will Be Held This
Afternoon

The funeral Of Miss Lima Christian
son, who was shot and killed by Fred
erick B. Richmond on Friday after
noon, will be held from Hume & Da-
vies' undertaking rooms on Hennepin
avenue at o'clock this afternoon.
The services will be private and the re-
mains viii be taken to Cottonwood,
Mimi, for interment.
The funeral of Frederick B. Rich
mond, who shot and killed Miss Lima
Christianson, will be held under the
auspices of the Ark lodge of Masons
on Lake street and Stevens avenue at
2:30 this afternoon. Rev. G. L. Nor
rill will make a short address and the
remains of the murderer and suicide
will be laid beside the body of his
mother in Lakewood cemetery.
With the burial of the two principals
of the bloody affray of Friday the last
chapter of tragic story will have been
written, and in a few days the sensa-
tional murder and suicide on the
streets of Minneapolis will have been
forgotten.
Motive a Mystery
The motive of the murder and suicide
cannot be determined.
The friends of Miss Christianson as
sert that Richmond killed her because
she had refused to become his wife.
They also intimate that she had refus-
ed to assist him financially, and the
murder and suicide was the result Of a
quarrel between them.
The friends of Richmond assert, and
they have documentary evidence in the
shape of letters written years ago, that
Richmond sought to break off the at
tachment between the two; that he
was In an enfeebled condition, both
physically and mentally, and the trag-
edy was the work of man with a dis
ordered brain.
A search of the effects of Richmond
revealed a will and a copy of a letter
which he had written to a friend. This
letter was dated Aug. "a, 1903, and in it
ne stated he had sought to terminate
his engagement with Miss Christianson
but had been unsuccessful.
At that time he gave a schedule of
his indebtedness and confessed he was
in failing health and his mental, and
physical condition were on the down
grade.
He referred to a number of other
matters, but the men to whom the let
ters were addressed declined to make
them public.
Made Will Two Years Ago
In his will, which was made about
two years ago, he appointed L. A.
Lydiard, Of Minneapolis, his executor.
named the amount he was to be paid;
called for settlement of his debts, and
then bequeathed the remainder of his
estate to the nurse who attended his
mother, who died a few years ago.
His estate consists of an insurance
policy of $4,000 and some personal ef-
fects.
In some quarters it has been as
serted that Riehmonds mind was dis
ordered because of financial worry;
that he had transferred title to prop
erty worth $4,000 to Miss Christian
son and she had refused to return 1t
to him.
This is denied by the men who are
close to Richmond, who say that the
value of the property was far less than
that sum and that it was sold and the
proceeds, amounting to $2.600. paid to
him.
He was interested in a business ven
ture which failed, and prior TO enter
ing upon it he transferred his prop
erty, a farm near Moorhead, to Miss
Christianson, but Judge John II. Steele
says that the farm was sold and the
proceeds paid to Richmond.
insisted upon Engagements
Miss Christiansen, who was some
years older than Richmond, is said to
have insisted upon an engagement of
marriage, and. although it is asserted
Richmond assented, he declined to full
fill the promise, and this is offered as
an explanation of the many visits
which the woman is said to have paid
at the Hotel Brunswick, where he had
been stopping for months. He kept
company with her and accompanied
her to the theater and to dinners up to
the night before the tragedy. and 1t is