The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-22
From Fridav's Daily.

llNeu Ill STERLING TOWNSHIP IoT ihole
than forty years, has disappeared and
there are fears that he has been
murdered or taken his own life. Evil
dences of crime having been COM
mitted OH his premises were made
visible about eight o'clock this morn
ing when neighbors discovered the
Wheeler house to be- on fire. A ham,
mer and blood-stains and pools of
blood lead the officers to believe that
the old gentleman was killed by per-
sons who were bent on robbery, and
his body spirited away, as no trace
of it can be found, although thor
ough search of the premises was made
by neighbors prior to the arrival OF
Deputy Sheriff Gates Phillips, who
was sent to the scene. The attempt
to burn the old mans home adds
mystery to the affair.
Was an Old Bachelor.
Wheeler is siXty-five years old, and
a bachelor. He lived the life of a
recluse. had little to do with his
neighbors, but was an upright and
honest man. He had lately made ar
rangements to have H. L. Cotton, a
near by neighbor, and his family,
move into his house, and they were
to have made the change shortly.
Wheeler was at the Cotton home last
evening about eight o'clock and that
was the last seen of him, so far as
can be learned.
About eight o'clock this morning
George Alderman, neighbor, was re-
pairing a fence on his farm and OBJ
served fire and smoke issuing from
Wheeler's house, eighty rods away.
Mr. Alderman fastened to the scene
and was surprised not to find Mr..
Wheeler there. He quickly searched
the barn thinking that Mr.. Wheeler
was engaged in his morning chores,
and was unable to find him. Mean
while Mr.. Alderman sent his little
daughter to arouse the neighbors. A
number responded and they organized
bucket brigade After a few min
utes of dexterous labor they sue
ceeded in extinguishing the flames.
Then they began an investigation of
the premises. They found that the
fire originated in Mr.. Wheeler's bed
room on the second floor directly
above the kitchen, and that a strip
two and a half feet wide had been
burned through the floor the entire
width of the house. Burning brands
had fallen to the floor below and
burned an opening clear across.
Fire Near the Bed.
1t is suspected that the fire start
ed in the bed as the bedclothing was
badly burned when the searching
party entered the room. Looking
about the room, the searchers dis
covered five gallon can almost filled
with kerosene. They Thought this was
strange as this can was always kept
down stairs in the kitchen. The bed
was so badly burned that the search
ers tore it down and nothing remains
but the debris. 1t is not known wheth-
er Wheeler slept in the bed last
night.
Found a Hammer and Blood Stains
further search revealed a ham
mer which had been lying under the
bed. And blood stains were discov-
cred on the floor close to where the
bed had stood. Drops of blood led
the party across the room, down
the stairway to a small bedroom and
into the parlor adjoining. Here was
pool of blood occupying sur
face two feet and half in length
and ten inches wide, and in this small
pond of bright red gore was big
red handkerchief The stains OF
blood were traced to the kitchen and
there lost because of the great
amount of water that had beer
thrown on the floor to quench the
fire. But on the back porch the
trail was again taken up and fol
lowed into the yard and down the
path that leads to the corncrib. Thi:
is double corn-crib with machine
shed between. Inside of this shed
was another pool of blood, and here
the trail of red stains ended abruptly
1nere were no eNlQenceS OF struggle
and no intentions in the ground
showing that more than one person
- had been traversing the route.
Searched for Wheeler.
The party naturally was mystitiet
and at once made systematic searcl
of the barns and out buildings anC
looked everywhere that it would b.
possible for person to hide himsel
or for dead body to be con
cealed Not the slightest trace wa
found of Wheeler.
Neighbors Are All at Sea.
The neighbors are all at sea. The.
do not know whether Wheeler ha
been murdered or whether he ha
wandered off to some secluded spo
and committed suicide. He was not {
man to mingle much with people ant
was considered rather eccentric. Tn
handkerchief that was found in poo
of blood on the parlor floor is one tina
Wheeler usually wore around hi
neck
Carried Money on Person.
If is known that Mr. Wheeler fire.