The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-07-19
POLICE HAD ENOUGH EVIDENCE
TO PROVE GUILT OF THE
MURDERER.
CHASTITY RELICS IN HOME
TRIED TO DESTROY WOMAN'S
PROPERTY IN FURNACE
LOOT LOCATED.

MluUedpOliS July lr'py hiS Wv
ardly suicide at Elroy, Wis. Nathan
NJ. Riggs, evaded certain conviction Of
the murder of Mile Ellison. Some
nc urs before he news of the suicide
reached Minneapolis. and ven before
the fatal bullet had heen fired, the
Minneapolis police had founG in the
ri'ls5ury avenue home or R,asg1 relics
of the National hotel tragedy sufficient
to prove his guilt beyond question.
A detail Of police officers. acting I'M
der instructions from Srpt. Doyle,
went to the Pillsbury house late We'd
nesday night, and as all Of the mem
bers of the family were away a thor
ough search was possible.
The satchel carried to the National
hotel by Miss Ellison was found in
Riggs own room, and a number of
other articles that are known to have
belonged to the woman Aere found in
other parts of the house.
Tries to Destroy Articles.
An effort had beer made 20 destroy
some of the woman's property in the
furnace, and this fac adds to the i'm
pOrtance of the evidence, since it
shows the desire of Riggs to put it out
of the way.
In the room that was evidently oc-
cupied by Riggs the officers found a
gray suit of clothes, exactly similar to
the one that figured in the descriptions
of the man IN. J.. Wilson" that had
been furnished by the employees of the
National hotel. In this room also was
found the small satchel hat has since
been positively identified as the one
carried by Miss Ellison when she ar
rived at the hotel. No effort had been
made TO conceal the satchel.
Cipher Letter in Rinns' Locker.
Among the most interesting discov-
cries made in Nathan NJ. Riggs rail-
way locker is a "come-on" letter writ
ten by Riggs to Miss Mile Ellison,
outlining their plans and completely
~corroborating the police theory of the
relationship sustained between the
two. The epistle Is in ~cipher-that IS,
a combination of dots, letters, arbitra.
ry signs and figures.
The writer proposes that Miss Eli
son come to meet him in Minneapolis
"AA 'H"N civ lNSic'Si dl liz ANdlloIldI
hotel for Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. J. Wilson.
This the murdered woman evidently
refused to do, and when she did come
she registered only for herself, as
Mrs. II. Johnson
In the letter Riggs tells Of the Mace
they own out West. The beautiful
weather is commented upon, and the
writer ends with sending his love. He
signs himself Nate"
Loot in Safety Deposit eox.
Through the efforts of the newsna-
pers the money stolen from Miss Eli
son by Ter murderer. Nathan M.
Riggs. is thought to have been located
and the police are now waiting for a
Key to a safety deposit vault to make
certain whether or not the money is
actually intact.
The manager of the Guaranty Safety
Deposit vaults admitted that Riggs
mad been to the place on the dav of
the murder. The office records show
that he was there shortly after the
murder was committed. That he de-
posted the money is practically GER
tain.
In the letter which the unhanpy man
wrote to his wife shortly before he
committed suicide he intimates that
h would know where to Law her
hands on whatever cash he left. It is.
therefore, to be presumed that his
wife knew of his being a subscriber to
the Guaranty Safe Deposit vaults. and
would therefore claim whatever he left
In that place.
Holds Inquest 1t Elrov.
Elroy. Wis, July 14.-"N. NJ. Riggs
came to his death by a gun or revolver
shot wound in the right side Of his
head. administered by his own hand.
with suicidal intent, on the 10Th dav
OF July at the hour of 1910 a. m. in
the north end of the second floor OF
the railroad eating house. in he CITY
or Elroy, Juneau county, Wis"
Such was the verdict returned yes.
terday as the result of the inquest
held on the body of the murderer of
Mile Ellison.