The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-23
John Baxter, Thought
Dead. Shows Up Lively.
BODY BURIED FOR HIS OWN
Ten Years Ago Wan Left Minneapolis.
Having Bean Lured on BY
The Gold Fever.


dead for ten years following the inter
ment of body supposed to be his, John
Baxter, formerly engineer at the Cen
neapolis to tell of strange quest fer
gold that led him across the seas and
made him forget everything but tie
happiness a lucky find might bring him.
Gold fever was not a myth with Blx-
ter, for he is not yet completely cured
of it, and says he will one day make
himself rich as he has many Others.
Baxter's return has cleared up a mys-
terry that for decade has puzzled the
members OF his family, the police and
| the officials of an Insurance company.
| He was proven legally dead and a body
thought TO be his was buried with the
usual rites. An insurance company
failed just in time to avoid paying for
| the policy on his life
But his return has developed another
mystery. Whose was the body buried
as Baxter's ten years ago? What tale
OF privation, of hunger, of msery--even
it may be, of murder-was covered over
by the earth that hid that body in the
grave?
Pow
neer at the Central high school, and
was well known in the city. He had
been a sufferer from sciatic rheumatism
for years and one day desire came over
him to get away from his confines, and
to gain health and riches at the same
time.
Telling his family he was going to
leave the city for a few days, lie
boarded Il train for the Black Hills,
in South Dakota, little thinking of the
effect the gold country would have on
him. Once in the hills he was
| changed man. He forgot home, forgot
his pain, forgot everything. He joined
in the wild search for wealth and never
wrote home
''You don't know what the gold fever
is said Baxter. at drives everything
else from your mind and YOU will go on
and on until You strike right or become
exhausted from hard work. Anyone
that has felt it would hardly wonder
that | neglected to write home"
As TIME went on Mrs. Baxter became
worried. Finally, in her distraction, she
went to the police. kilograms were
sent throughout the northwest, but aft
er a search lasting for months the case
was dropped.
Then came a report that BaXter's
body had been found in the woods in
northern Minnesota. The police teie
graphed for a full description of the
body and received a reply that seemed
to prove beyond doubt that Baxter
was dead. The body was that of a man
nearly six feet four inches tall. The
description of features, hair and cloth
ing corresponded exactly with that Of
Baxter, and as he is one of the tallest
men in Minneapolis the proof was con-
sidered conclusive a few trinkets, such
as a knife, pocketbook, and rings, were
found on his person and these were for
warded to Mrs. Baxter, who identified
them as belonging to her husband.
The body was buried in the woods
without an autopsy, though the facts, if
they were known, might point to muir
der.
Upon the evidence thus gained Mrs
Baxter applied to the insurance com
pany to collect $500 insurance carried
by her husband. The company refused
to pay, saying that no conclusive proof
of death had been offered. She then
began suit to collect the amount, re-
tanning Frank Larrabee as her attorney.
| The case was hard fought, but the
plaintiff won in the district court. Then
the insurance company appealed to the
supreme court, but the decision of the
lower was sustained.
Following the decision came the crash
which at the time seemed hard blow
to Mrs. Baxter, but which undoubtedly
saved much annoyance for everyone con-
cerned. The insurance company failed
and the money could not be colectei.
Then the case was forgotten, tn I9h
Baxter was often the subject C. con
versation among his friends, wi.o had
tried to solve the mystery. Thrown up
or her own resources, Mrs. Baxter went
out as travelling agent for a statuary
firm and was unusually successful.
The only son, prabably inheriting GER
tain instincts from his father, also fell
prey to the gold fever and went west,
passing through the Black Hills iand stop
ping in the Rocky mountains. But his
father had at this time left America.
Baxter, during his years of search,
had become an expert prospector, and
when agents of an English syndicate
went to the Black Hills to look for men
to 90 over the South African fields, lie
was one of those chosen. Hoping to
g 4 IL