The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-17
POLICE TO PROBE
A DEATH By FIRE
EVIDENTLY SUSPECT PRISONER
WHO HAS FIRE RECORD.
Body Of Miss Alta Hutchins Will Be
Exhumed on Suspicion that She Was
Fatally Hurt Before tho Flames
Reached Her Body-A Minneapolis
Case.

Sensational developments in the case
of j. j. Hoffman and August Griffin
dorf, now under Indictment for the al
legged burning of a house at 3245 Stew
ems avenue, have aroused the st. Paul
and Minneapolis police and the mys-
st. Paul lodging house fire early in
the year is to be probed by the st. Paul
authorities.
Hoffman, Griffndorf and Otto and
Leo Griffndorf, the latter IS sons, are all
under indictment for the Minneapolis
fire as the result Of an investigation by
Charles Ringer, fire marshal.
Hoffman was proprietor Of lodging
house at Tenth and Kennedy streets,
st. Paul, which was burned Jan. 80,
causing the death Of the Hutchins girl,
who lived there. The victim was in
her room when the fire broke out early
on the first floor by fremen who en-
tered the place. -
The fire was of suspicious origin,
and the day following, relatives OF the
victim appealed to the police to find
two diamond rings and a sealskin
| jacket said to have been in the room
before the fire. The police and in
surance companies took up the case,
but as no direct evidence of incendia-
| rism could be found the matter was
| dropped. The police also dropped their
| end Of the case being unable to find
the diamonds OF the sealskin.
- Hoffman's Story Of It. .,., =.
When Hoffman was confronted by
Ringer with these. facts, he admitted
he was the proprietor of the place at
the time, but said he knew nothing Of
the fire. He stated further that he
did all in his. power to save Miss
Hutchins. She was in her room, he
said, and when the fire started she came
| downstairs in a dazed condition. He
tried to drag her from the building
but she wrenched loose from him and
the flames becoming too hot for him he
was compelled to save his own life, and
leave the girl to her fate. She says
she jerked loose from him and fell tc
the floor. She was found at the foot
Of the stairs by the firemen, Hoffman
the girl may have had. snssg ~
r.. The case will probably be taken W
r by Coroner A. W. Miller Of Ramsey
county, and the relatives of the cir
and Mr.. Ringer have asked to have the
body exhumed, and examined with E
view to an inquest.
."'~ 0Ilu1uUOI1 < OCIuoI Ease. Z,
| -Giffindorf also has a fire record il
st. Paul. On July IS, 1896, he was al
legged to have been caught in the act
Of burning his house by the !. Rondc
street police. They watched him fol
several days and met him as he came
from the burning house. He was Striee
but not convicted, the jury deciding
that he was the victim Of police in
trigue. 49, 49,. ,.-.-, ~, "A =
I Hoffman and the Griffindorfs moved
to the Stevens avenue house May 80
this year, They had purchased furni
ture worth 500 in st. Paul and the
l following Wednesday, they took out
! policy for $1,000. The next day tn,
house burned and traces Of kerosen.
were found in all parts Of the house
Their bill Of loss on two articles O
furniture amounted to more than tn
cost Of the entire lot. This starte,
the investigation and resulted in tn
arrests. .. .e,c~ -
Hoffman has been released on bal
and the Griffindorfs are still locked III
in the county jail. .-.3f- -:
/ j. Hutchins, brother. of the gil
burned in the St.. Paul fire, has arrive
in Minneapolis and will assist Mr.. Ring
/ er and the police in the, investigation
of her death. r...'-