The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-12
Unknown Man Burned to
Death This Morning.
WAS ASLEEP IN A BARN.
Structure Owned BY Phillip Mueller
On Washington Street Was De-.
s.roYed at an Early Hou".

street at an early hour this morning An
was suifocated and badly burned, but
his body was not found until eight this
morning
The fire was in Philip Muellers barn,
at the corner of Second and Washington
streets, and was discovered just before
one o'clock this morning. An alarm was
sent III from box %, and the fire depart
Incnt responded promptly, but when it
arrived on the scene flames were burst
ing from every part of the building
Although it had the fire under control
within fifteen minutes, the barn was
practically destroyed. The firemen re-
manned for two hours. throwing two
! streams of water into the building, SO
as to get the last vestige of flame out
in order not to be called back. They
in the loft, for no noise was heard, nor
any circumstance noticed to lead them
to think that the barn was occupied
At eight o'clock this morning, James
! Laird the last renter of the barn,
climbed up ladder and peered under
! the roof, that had collapsed and fallen
nearly down TO the second story floor
| There, right in front of him, was the
/ body of man, with the clothing nearly
burned off. Mr. Laird at once notified
the police, and they and Coroner Kenne-
dy visited the place. Undertaken Dav-
idson was summoned with John Klein &
Co.'S ambulance, and by saving away
| a timber the body was taken out. by
means of rope placed under the arms,
and was let down to the ground, and
thence placed in the conveyance and
taken to the firms's undertaking rooms.
Mr. Davidson and Officer Kluohertz
got the remains, down practically unas-
sisted.
! The building was a story and a half
high, the rafters starting two feet above
the second floor The unfortunate man
had evidently climbed up a hay chute
and gone to sleep in the barn on the
second floor, and perhaps in lighting
pipe or falling to sleep with ligted
pipe started fire accidentally that re-
suited in the destruction of the barn
and his own death. He had evidently
tried to grope his way out in the smoke
and darkness, not remembering the
place where he came up, for there were
no windows to the second floor. Near
the west side, twenty feet from the
front of the barn, he had fallen face
down, then struggled to rise, and in that
position had died. When found, he was
resting on his knees and elbows, with
his head close to the floor, where the
last breath of air was to be found. His
right arm was placed across his face,
and his left arm was extended outward.
What few strips of clothing remained
OF the body fell off when the remains
not badly burned, except the fingers and
toes. The flesh retained the natural oil,
and generally was not very much black
ened. When the roof fell in, the side
where the body was found was sup
ported by the studding, and the body
was thus protected, although the space
above il was not over "a foot.
There was nothing by which the body
could be identified. From the appear
ance of the body it was that of a young
man of rather slight build, but of mus
cular develb pment. A piece of q blue
and white checked shirt showed that it
was a new one, worn perhaps not over
two or three days. A piece of soap
wrapped in a cloth, and the frame OF a
comb case pointed to the belief that the
man was hobo, as well as the TACT
that he had gone into the barn for the
night. A piece of a blue checked hand
kerchief was also found.
! The building was an old one, ana
burned like finder. Twenty years ago
it was Nefs feed mill, and since then
had been used as a barn, stalls having
been built in it. Mr.. Cole used 1T Tor
wears as horse traders barn. 1t had
not been occupied since last spring, but
occasionally hobo would sleep there,
as it was handy to the railroad yards,
being only a block and a half away.
Very little hay was in it.
| Philip Mueller carried $500 insurance
on the barn with c. A. Chapman lie
had Just painted his storm windows and
doors and placed them in the barn, and
they were destroyed.
Coroner Kennedy has not decided
whether to hold an inquest, but has Civ
| en- instructions that the body be held
as long AS possible. in the hope that
some information bearing on the case
may come to light.
! The police are working on clew that
the dead man is former employee of
Winston Bros. Yesterday three work
men came in from the camp near Min
neopa. Today but two of them can be
located. These two are searching for
their companion.