The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-29

had taken 1T inside to dress as was
his habit. The back door was not
locked. Mr. Howieson and he went
into the house when the fire was
nearly out and found a POOL of blood
on the floor.
He then suspected that something
had happened to Wheeler.
Mr.. James Howieson testified that
he lives three fourths of a mile from
the Wheeler place. He received a
phone message from Mr. Alderman
saying the Wheeler house was
on fire. He ran to the house and as
sisted Mr.. Alderman in putting water
on the fire. He said the smoke was
too dense to see the flames but
could hear the fire cracking. He no.
ticed smoke coming from the up
stairs windows and got ladder and
attempted to enter one of them. He
found a blanket nailed over the win
dow and tore the blanket off and
threw water on fire as nearly as he
could locate it. He finally succeeded
in putting the fire out. His brother,
who in the meantime had arrived on
the scene, assisted him in pulling
the bed down. The mattress which was
smouldering caught fire. Up to this
time he hadn't suspected that any
thing had happened to Wheeler He
sent several parties to search for
Wheeler while he searched the house.
He found blood stains on knob of
door leading into the bedroom and
several on the door. He found blood
on stairs leading from here to the
bannister in the hallway. He found
spots of blood on banister and on
stairs. The blood on floor looked as if
a man had crawled on his hands
and knees as he could see the i'm
print of fingers. Both door knobs
of door leading into bedroom were
covered with blood On going down
stairs he found blood on both knobs
of door leading into parlor. In the
center of parlor floor was a large
pool of blood. This pool was about
two and one-half feet long and six
inches wide and was about quarter
of an inch deep. o none end of the
pool he found a dirty red handker-
chief and this was partially covered
with blood. He thought this hand
kerchief belonged to Wheeler. East of
the pool was a chair with an i'm
print of bloody hand on the seat.
Wheeler's lantern was standing back
of the stove, it was out and had no
oil in it. There were several other
pools of blood on the floor Mr..
Howieson found blood on door cas-
ing that looked as if bloody hand
had been rubbed up and down the
casing in search of the knob. He
found blood on the back porch and
on the path leading from the house
to the corn crib. He found large
spool of blood in the shed between
the corn cribs. This shed has slid
ing doors and on the south side of
the door was found. the bloody i'm
preston of mans hand. This is
as far as he could trace Wheeler
on his way to the river. After
he came back to the house Mr..
Alderman and he found the papers
reproduced a few days ago in The
Free Press in a wagon box with
dish on top of them.
Story of Andrew Howieson.
Mr.. Andrew Howieson's testimony
about the fire and blood stains was
about the same as that of his broth
ers. Mr. Howieson said he went over
to see Wheeler the Sunday before
Wheeler's death, in company with
Mr.. Burr. Wheeler told Burr that he
wished he would 90 home as he
wanted to speak to Howieson alone.
After Mr. Burr had left Wheeler
told Howieson about the deal he had
made with the Cottons Wheeler ask
ed Howieson's opinion of the deal.
Howieson told Wheeler that he
thought he had done a good thing.
Wheeler said he thought so, too; and
he was going to "toast his shins by
the fire all winter" Wheeler told
/ him that he didn't think he would
live month. Howieson ridiculed this
and said that he would live for ten
wears. Wheeler said: "You wouldn't
say that if you knew how bad a
! condition | am in" He said he had
two shocks that morning and could
hardly get out of bed. He also said:
Don't be surprised if you come down
some morning and find Old Ike dead
on the floor"
Eugene Roberts was called but his
testimony was unimportant.
About the Insurance.
C. f. Decker's testimony was unim-
portant with the exception that ne
had met Wheeler the day prior to
his death and Wheeler had asked
about Mr. Decker's insurance. They
carried insurance in the same COM
! panv. Wheeler was considerably
worried because he had not received a
notice for this years assessment
Wheeler also told Mr. Decker he
wasn't going to live much longer.
DR.. T. j. Bomberger testified that
80, ON Al