The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-02

unknown and we recommen that the
| proper authorities make further in
vestigatlon.
Such was the verdict of the cor
onoer's jury impaneled today in St
Paul to investigate the death Of
Ruth Teachout, the Minneapolis
girl, whose body was taken from the
Mississippi, near the st. Paul boom
last Tuesday night.
Not single clue has yet been found
to connect any person with her death.
the almost irrelevant connec-
ton Of the name Of Howard Taylor, as
brought out in the inquest to-day, not
q single shred of evidence has been
found to connect any one with her.
Coroner A. w. Miller presided at the
toned by County Attorney Thomas r.
Kane.
Detective James Howard was
present in the interests Of the Mime
apolis police department, while Kid
der, a fellow clerk in the Hennepin
county auditors office and a close
friend of Howard Taylor, was an in
terested spectator.
How Body Was Found.
w. Delaney Richardson, keeper Of
the Ramsey county morgue, told Of
going to the river for the body. 1t
was directly opposite the Crosby
house, near the st. Paul boom. and
when he arrived it was tied by a rope
about the waist placed there by the
riverman who found it.
When he had removed the body to
the morgue, he took off the clothing
and found the ribbon tied about the
neck. At that time the body was not
badly swollen, but the ribbon was tied
very tightly. He was certain that 1t
was tight enough to shut off the
breath. He exhibited the ribbon, a
piece about yard and a half long and
about four inches broad, and showed
how 1T was tied.
DR.. j. M. F'innell, one of the sur
geons who performed the autopsy,
said that the girl had undoubtedly
died from strangulation caused by the
structure Of the ribbon. There was
no external injury. The lungs were
congested, no blood exuded in the seo-
filled with air. The lungs contained
no water and there was no froth In
the larynx, bronchial tubes or lungs
The stomacfs ard intestines were
| empty and all the other organs nor
NAL.
DIR. Finnell described an interesting
condition which he found in the
/
place where the ribbon was drawn
tightly, the muscles and flesh were
soft and fabby, while above they
were more nearly normal. He thought
that this was due to the strangulation
DR.. Finnen said that the girl was un.
doubtedly dead when her bory en-
tered the river.
DR.. Judd Goodrich, who assisted DR.
Finnell, corroborated his testimony
| and concurred in the belief that she
was not drowned.
Murdered Girls Father Called.
Charles M. Teachout, 1902 Third
avenue s, father Of the murdered
! girl, said;
when returned, home Saturday
evening between and 8 o'clock,
found John Nordstrom at the house
with Ruth's parasol and purse. HI
said he had found them on the rivel
bank half mile below the Soldiers
home. I at once said that they hac
been put there to mislead us and
suspected Howard Taylor. I knew
that he had taken the girl to Chicago
over year ago and I thought that HI
must have had something to do witt
her disappearance. The next day
| hunted UP Nordstrom and he took m,
to the place where he found the arti
cles.
"a year ago last April Ruth ant
Taylor went to Chicago together. Sh,
went on to Michigan and he returned
to the city. While they were gone
Mrs Teachout went to Taylor'g hom'
to see If Howard was home. He wa
not, and later Mrs. Taylor came to m.
house. There was no one at HON,
but my little girl and she had received
a telegram for me. Mrs. Taylo
/ opened and read it: It said: ..Rutl
has arrived In Battle Creek and wa
~ CONFUSION and Tragedy.
s.she at once thought 1t had beel
sent by her husband, but it had beer
sent by my son-in-law, Howard Bur
Taylor there and explained matters
She said she would do some thin,
desperate and I was not surprise,
when she committed suicide.
Taylor has been at our house thre
times within the past three months
I always thought he came to see tn
older girl, as she had been away from
home. did not know anything 9
the relations between them. Rutl
correspondent with a young man IL
Battle Creek Mich, but I don't re
member his name. I heard he
mother and the girls speak about he
getting letters.
Ruth was a good girl ard wa
never subject to fits Of melancholy O
depression"
Mother Knew of Meetings.
Strangely enough, Mrs. Anna Teach
out, mothe of the girl, could not hel
thinking Of Howard Taylor as 500
as her daughter was missed. Her ter
timony, however, showed more groun
for such thoughts than did her hus
bands, for she knew Howard Tayle
had met the girl several times sine
she had returned from Michigan. Rut
had told her that Taylor wanted I
take her somewhere the Fourth.
when that young man broug1
Ruth.s things back, I did not kno
what to think. I was dumbfounde,
at once said, TIL bet that Howar
Taylor had something to do with II
I don't know why thought 1t, bl
ever since he took Ruth to Chicae
the other time have been susp
cious.
when she disappeared June %
thought Taylor had taken a place o
fered him In Chicago and that 81
had gone with him. I did not thir
then that she had been drowned.
'.No, Ruth did not have any troub
at home, she was happy and was an:
|ious to finish school SO that she cou
go to Washington to work with h
Oldest sister. She was not Of a sulle