The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-25
La Crosse Man Relates What
He Knows Of Mystery.
HOUSED THE MURDER VICTIM
Alderman Grover Grows RI miniscent
and Hands An Interesting Story
TO the Reporters.

La Crosse, May lS.-Concerning the
mystery in the finding of gold coin in
a tree near lie Sueur Center, Mimi, Aid.
William Grover relates the following
story to The Chronicle:
Il was well acquainted with the case
at the time and if | remember rightly,
and 1 believe / do, my father entered "a
homestead three and one-half miles
from what is now called Henderson. At
that time Henderson contained only one
house, a one story log dwelling occu-
pied by Joseph B. Brown and wife. Mr..
Browns wife was full blooded Indian.
This was in 1858. Henderson was
then an Indian trading post. Our next
door neighbor was Reinhart, who lived
of the trading post. At that time all
settlers who resided within twelve or
fifteen miles of each other were called
neighbors, as there were few cases
where people lived nearer to each other
than from one to five miles.
I'm the spring of 1858 young Ger
man came to our cabin. His name |
have forgotten. He remained with us
several days. He had a yoke of oxen, a
covered wagon, farm implements, one or
two cows and a small amount of house
hold goods. My father showed him
over considerable government land. 1t
appeared to be too heavily timbered to
suit him, so he went on to the edge
of the prairie, to Remnants place This
young German had about 5000 in gold
with him at the time.
''Reinhart showed the young man some
of the government land. Suddenly the
German stranger dropped out of exist
ence. Reinhart stated that he had gone
back east, and that he (Rheinhart) had
bought the oxen, wagon, cows and other
possessions. 1..-
SIN the fall of 1858 one of the set
tiers was out hunting and in crossing
the Reinhart clearing he found part of
the remains of the young German. 1t
afterward appeared that Remnant had
murdered him and covered his body
with a. pile of brush, with the intention
of burning the remains. But the hogs
of one of the settlers had rooted the
body out and partly eaten it.
''After Reinhart was captured it took
the settlers only a short time to gather
together from radius of fifteen miles.
They took Reinhart to tree and he
confessed the murder. He was given
about five minutes in which to settle
his affairs. Then he was promptly hung.
at is stated that some of those who
took part in the lynching were church
members. That may be, but do know
that where we lived, what is now Sibley
county, there was only one church and
that a Catholic church, located on the
other side of the district, and none of
the members took part in the lynching.
In lie Sueur county there was no church
of any kind until about 1859. This gold
of the young German could not be
found The gold just found in lie
Sueur county at LIE Sueur Center was
where Reinhart lived. | believe it was
the gold the young German had while
at our log cabin.
GAIL of the settlers atHenderson then are
now dead. | was acquainted with them
all. and Mrs NJ A. Bates, of the
north side, are, | believe, the only ones
living who were children at the settle
ment at that time, unless there were
others between there and what is now
lie Sueur Center, Traverse Des Sioux.