The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-23
MAN WHO SAW THE
ROBBERS IS GONE.
DISAPPEARANCE OF FRANK JOHN
SON A MYSTERY.
He Is the saloonkeeper Who Told the
Police That the Highwaymen Who
Shot Roggatz, the Coachman, Were at
His Place That Night Roggatz Dies.

What has become of Frank Johnson
a saloon at 277 Cedar avenue? He is
a saloon at 227 Cedar avenue9 He is
the man who asserted that the three
men who held up the residence of DR..
Phillip Mueller, 1920 Second avenue S,
Feb. Is, and killed Emil Roggatz, the
coachman, passed thru his saloon on
their way to take an fnterurban car
half an hour after the murder. Now
ing to find him, both because he is
wanted to testify at the inquest and
because several of his creditors want to
see him. -
johnson was last seen at his saloon
last Thursday, after he had told the of.
fcers about seeing the men. On that
day he sold half interest in his saloon
to Chris Olson of Mortified, Mimi, and
half interest in blacksmith shop
which he had purchased, to another
man. That night he and the woman
Who was with him in the saloon and who
claimed to be his wife disappeared, and
no trace of them has been found.
johnson told the police that he was
sitting in his saloon with his wife when
three men entered the front door of the
saloon, walked directly past the bar
and out of the back door. The descrip-
tion of the men tailed exactly with
that given the police by the persons at
DR.. Mueller's home of the hold-up trio,
and also with the description given by
an interurban street car conductor OF
three men who boarded his car at Twen-
tieth avenue just eight minutes after
ward.
AS the hold-up men had gone to Fiji
teenth avenue S and Eighth street in
DIR. Mueller s rig, and johnson s saloon
was in the direct route they would take
if they wanted to board an interurban
car at Twentieth avenue, the police at
tached great Importance to johnson s
story. They thought that if the men
were arrested his testimony, with that
Of the woman, would 20 long ways
toward fixing the crime upon them
Without it, however, even the testimony
of the street car conductor in identify
ing the men would be weak.
The police are at loss to explain
Johnson's disappearance: At first it
was feared that he might have met with
foul play at the hands Of the hold-up
trio, who feared that his testimony
might result in their conviction. An in.
vestigation, however, showed that he
had made preparations for leaving. He
sold half interest in the saloon the
day he disappeared: The, BLACKSMITH
shop, half interest in which he had
sold, was mortgaged to one Mitchell
Furthermore, the police are said to have
learned that johnson has a wife and
two children in St. Cloud, MIMI, and
that the woman with whom he was liv
ing here was not his wife, She dis
appeared with him. =.
Roggatz, the wounded coachman, dice
at the Swedish hospital last night. The
| body was removed to the county
NOR que, where an autopsy. was held this
morning to show that death had re
suited from the bullet wound. The ply
sicians found the bullet lodged in thu
consisting of S. B, Goetz, Charlel
Herms, Al Hahn, M. Kaplan, Ed Rude
and John P. Nash, were sworn, and tn
inquest will be held Saturday alto am z!
The huge St. Bernard dog att thl
Mueller home, which the robbers shot
also died Yesterday. 80. "a VA u u