The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-11-04
Skull Detached From the Body
and Rolled Away.
Coroner Kennedy Starts Inves-
tigation Immediately.
Evidently Remains Had Been in
Brush Long Time.
From Tuesdays Daily.


August Rausch, section laborer on
the Chicago & Northwestern, was walk
ing through clump OF brush by the
two and a half miles west of the Man
kato junction, near Fuller's crossing,
about four o'clock yesterday afternoon,
when he noticed a pair of shoes and
the legs of a pair of trousers, IN such
position as to give the impression that
a dummy was lying there. He stepped
UP and took hold of one trouser leg,
which he shook, and heard the rattle of
dried bones. He then perceived that he
had come upon the remains of dead
man. He called to his foreman, Peter
Miller, who came and took glance at
the gruesome find, and then turned
away. The body was lying with the
feet uppermost on the hillslope. The
decaying of the flesh had detached the
skull and it had rolled a few feet away
from the rest of the body, The men did
not make any careful investigation.
Mr.. Miller telegraphed the news to Road
master George S. Brigham at Mankato,
Coroner Kennedy was notified. The cor
oner, with Merle Hupp, one of the
Northwestern clerks, drove out last
evening to the junction and took look
at the remains. BY the light of a Ian
tern, he could find out very little, and
preferred to wait until daylight before
making full investigation.
It did not seem likely that the man
could have been killed on the railroad
track, as the body lay about fifteen feet
away The body could not have fallen
from the track or from passing train
to the spot where the bones were found.
1t seemed like bare possibility that
the man might have been struck by
some passing train, and then crawled
away from the track to the position
where the bones were found. TO all APP
pearances the remains must have lain
unsupported among the brush for four
or five months.
Coroner Kennedy and Chief Donahue
this morning went out to the spot where
the body lay and examined the prem
Uses with care. The bones were careful
ly examined and not one of them was
found to have been broken, with the eX
ception of the skull, which was crack
ed at the base and showed evidence of
having been struck violent blows on both
sides. A piece of oak tie, two feet long
lay near the body. Another piece, some
thing like this, had been placed in
tree a few feet from the body, as if to
mark the spot. The bark of the tree
had grown somewhat around this piece.
The clothes of the dead man were almost
rotted away but there was enough left
to show that he had been tolerably well
dressed. The shoes would cost about
four dollars. Near by were found an
old cob pipe, harness ring and short
strap with buckle. Police officials are
of the opinion that a murder had been
committed but when and under what
circumstances could only be conjectured.
So HOPELESS seemed to be the detection
of the criminals, that the coroner decid-
ed to hold no inquest. There was moth
ing to establish the mans identity. 1t is
thought that the deed was committed
year or so ago, when bad odor was no
ticed by railroad men near the spot, but
they did not look into the cause, suppos-
ing it to be some dead dog or other ami
NAL The body was buried this morning
at the county's expense. I,