The Mankato free press., 1906-04-06

dence of Wendell Hodapp, not far away,
and informed him of her discovery. Mr..
Hodapp Immediately telephoned the au-
thorities in st. Peter and notified the
Mankato police also. Word was sent
to North Mankato and soon a number
of people was on the scene. The first
contingent to reach the house was A.
/. Wheeler, Dennis Donahue and w. III.
Whitcomb, who entered the death
chambers by a door on the north side
of the house, which was unlocked. Soon
afterward Chief of Police John Dona
hue, Officer Joe Robb, Sheriff Mcmillan
of Nicollet county and Sheriff Williams
of Blue Earth county were on the
ground. Sheriff McMillan came to the
city on the Northwestern train which
arrives here shortly after five o'clock.
He went to the Rotus home at once
and took charge of the premises in the
absence of Coroner G. II. Merritt
House Looked Like Slaughter Pen.
The Kitchen and bejlroom had the APP
pearance of slaughtsa pca.A The floor
was plastered with blood and the cur
tains between the two apartments were
spattered with gore. Mrs. Rotus, as
stated above, was lying on her back
on the kitchen floor, her head toward
the east wall and directly under the win
dow. A chair in which She had evident
ly been seated had fallen over and part
of the back rested on her right arm
She must have been seated at the table
and hadd rank some coffee as a cup on
that side of the table showed evidences
of having had coffee in it. On the table
was some friend meat, some bread and
butter, raspberry sauce and other eat
ables, besides pot almost filled with
coffee. There was no fire in the cook
stove. Rotus had not eaten anything
for the dishes on the side of the table
he is known to have always occupied
were clean. The cup beside his plate
had not been used. At the east end of
the table, which was close to the wall
stood the sewing machine and it show
ed evidences of having been operated
shortly before the death of the husband
and wife as it was uncovered and sew
ing materials were lying on top of the
stand Both husband and wife wore
false teeth. The woman's were in a cup
which stood in sink at the west end
of the room and those belonging to
Rotus were lying on top of the bread
box in the bedroom.
Rotus shot himself three times. twice
in thefbreast, in the region of the heart,
both bullets striking the fourth rib and
DETECTING downward. The other shot
took effect in the right temple and this
caused his DEATH The first shot was
fired while he was still wearing his vest
as but one bullet hole can be found
in that garment and it was STEPPED
in blood
The first shot not having the desired
effect the desperate and determined man
shot himself a second time, but before
doing so he had~removed his coat and
vest and threw them down on the floor
near the bed. Burnt powder can be de-
cerned on the dry blood over one of the
breast wounds and this is sufficient
evidence that he had taken off his vest
before he fired the second time From
the amount of blood on the kitchen and
bedroom floors it is evident that Rotus
had walked around considerably after
shooting himself twice. The curtain
which separates the two rooms was
and the lower walls were
sprinkled somewhat. Determined to
end his life, Rotus made preparations
accordingly. He had taken off his shoes
this fact being established
because they contained no blood, and
they were not muddy, from which the
deduction can be made that he had not
been out in the roadway or barnyard.
He kept on his pants and shirt and his
were left in place. He fired
the fatal shot in bed Grasping the re-
''olyer in his right hand he sent a bull