The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-06
DISPUTE OVER
DEATH OF GIRL
PHYSICIANS SAY ..MURDER";
POLICE SAY SUICIDE"
Facts Regarding a Quarrel at the
Teachout Home Are Allowed to Out
weigh the Findings of Physicians
Who Performed the Autopsy -
Father Holds Murder Theory.

Most prominent in interest today in
the mystery of the death of Miss Ruth
Teachout is the question-or the con-
troversy, for it has developed into
that-whether the girl committed sui
eide or was murdered. Standing out
in striking contrast are the positions
of the physicians who performed the
autopsy. the coroner's jury which in
ivestigated the circumstances surround
ing the disappearance of the girl, and
the finding of the body, and the theory
of the Minneapolis police.
The physicians, after their thoro and
scientific examination, declare that the
girl was murdered-that it would have
been physically impossible for her to
tie the ribbon about her neck in the
tight double knot and then get into
the river, near. where herr umbrella,
purse and handkerchief were found
Further, there was the certain
evidence of the lungs full of air after
being in the water for at least seven
ty-two hours. The coroner's jury also
declared, upon the evidence adduced
at the inquest, that the girl was MUIR
dered.
On the other hand, is the statement
of the Minneapolis police that Miss
Teachout ended her own life. A week
passed after the finding of the body
and then superintendent Conroy sum-
moned to his office the father and
them. When the long interview was
ended the superintendent announced
that the members of the family had
confessed, reluctantly enough, that
Ruth had quarreled with her sister
Eva on the morning of her disappear
ance. 1t was at the breakfast table
he said, and the subject was pair OF
rubbers and an umbrella.
This quarrel, superintendent Con-
roy said esta blished motive for sui
eide, and suicide it was, unquestion-
ably. The girls father, however, de-
claring that the quarrel was not at all
serious, in fact only a little ''spat,
inquisition of the physicians and the
coroner, refuses to believe that his
daughter ended her life.
There are other circumstances
which appear to support his theory OF
murder. Had the quarrel been seri-
Gus, he said, and had the girl left the
home that morning determined tc
commit suicide, her conduct did not
betray it, Miss Cora Halvorsen. Ruth
| Teachout's fellow student at the bust
ness college, testifes that when Ruth
went to the college after she left
home and before she went to the vi
cinity of Minnehaha Falls, her be-
havior indicated no perturbation OF
mind. There was nothing unusual ir
her actions, says Miss Halvorsen
Further, it is believed that if the CIR
contemplated self-destruction, the let.
ter which she was seen to write a,
the college probably told Of this in
tention. However, from Miss Halvor'
sens testimony it does not appear thai
Miss Teachout's demeanor while en-
gagged in writing the letter would indi.
cate that she had any such awful deco
in mind at the time.
| Carl Schultz Found.
Detective Nick Smith announced
this morning that he had found I
Carl Schultz, who has a sister named
Ravenda Schultz, the name found OF
a card in Ruth Teachout's purse, blu
has been unable to learn what con
nection the dead girl had with tn
Schultz family. He refused to sa.
definitely where Carl Schultz lives
but said that he was in a countr,
town nearly 100 miles from Mime
| apOliS,