The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-10-06
STABBINC MYSTERY.
Amos WOOdman is Found at S. p.
Woodman's Barn With Knife
Wound in Head.
Says Little About the Case and the
Question is Was it Attempt at
Murder or Suicide.

Amos Woodman, son of Joseph
Woodman, and nephew of S. P. Wood
man is lying in a critical condition at
the Northwestern hospital, as the re-
suit of knife wound either inflicted
by himself or by some party to the
authorities unknown. The chances
Of the injured mans recovery are
very slim and unless he feels disposed
to tell how he was injured no. one will
ever know whether he intended to
commit suicide or whether he was the
victim of an attempt at foul murder,
and should he die, the murderer, if
there was one in the case, may go
UNPUBLISHED.
The young man whose life is hang
ing in the balance, was found late last
Saturday night in S. P. Woodlands
barn south of Princeton, with an ugly
cash three inches deep just above his
nose. When found he had been lying
on some hay in the barn all Friday
night and all day Saturday. His
uncle, S. P. Woodman, and the two
hired men on the farm knew he was in
the barn early Saturday morning but
they supposed that he had been under
the influence of liquor the night before
and would come out of the barn when
he had slept off his stupor.
S. P. Woodman was at the farm
Saturday morning and when he came
up town to attend the sale he told his
hired men to be sure and get Amos up
and see that he had something to eat,
but they did not do so, as it is said
they knew that he carried revolver
and they did not care to arouse him,
fearing he might be in an ugly mood
and shoot.
Erick Highlander was at the barn
early in the evening and went in and
called him and caught hold of his leg.
The man responded with grunt and
Mr.. Highlander supposed that it was
a case of>sleeping Oft a spree and left
him. After supper Mr.. Woodman
sent Guy Larson, his hired man, down
to the barn and told him to go in and
get Amos up. Larson went to the
barn and called to the man to get up,
but he never moved, and moaned
feebly. Larson, who had a lantern,
noticed Woodman was lying on
horse blanket, with his face down, his
head just over the edge of the blanket.
He turned him over and as he did so
he found the mans face covered with
blood, and his nose and mouth filled
with great clots of blood. It was
horrible sight and startled Larson,
who Immediately notified S. P. Wood
man, who went to the barn, washed
the blood from the injured man and
had him taken to the hospital at once
where Drs. Cooney and Galley attended
to the injury. They probed the, wound
which they found extended through
the frontal bones and found that the
instrument, which must have been a
knife blade, that inflicted the injury,
had penetrated the BRAIN -s.y. =:
The man was nearly dead from loss
of blood, and from the nature of his
wound, was in rational mood; only
at brief intervals. He was questioned
many times by the doctors, his uncle
and Mr.. Highlander, as to how he re-
ceived the wound, but could not or
would not give any information that
would throw light on the mystery.
Some of his remarks would indicate
that he committed the deed himself,
while in other statements he would
mention the names of parties unknown
to his questioners.
On his person was found nearly $40
in change, most of which was in his
wallet. and his jackknife all shut was
found in the same pocket with his
wallet. DR.. Cooney says that the
knife and wallet showed traces of
blood, but strange to say there was
no olOOd on the MANS, clothing,
neither was there blood on the horse
blanket on which the man was found
lying.
County Attorney Wheaton and
Sheriff Ward were notified and came
up Monday to try and secure some
clew to the mystery, but so far they
are in the dark. The Woodman bow
would make no statements to them
that would indicate any motive either
for suicide or murder. Both the
county attorney and sheriff. however,
think that the young man received the
blow at the hands of some one who in-
tended to commit murder. On the
front of the mans left shoulder are
marks that would indicate that either
Woodman fell and hit himself son his
shoulder or else that some person had
struck him a hard blow.