The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-02
ANDREW JOHNSON or HoLusTER
KILLED BY BLOW ON HEAD
AT A MANSFIELD SALOON
Skull Was Fractured by BIow-Can't
Identity the Murderer After Long
Inquiry.


brutal murder last Saturday night
when Andrew johnson. shift boss mt
the Hollister mine. lost his life by being
nit on the head with a blunt instru-
ment. thought 10 be a billiard cue
Although searching inquiry. lasting
nearly three days. was made the officials
have yet no definite information point
ing to the exact man who struck the
blow that killed Johnson and II may
never be known just who did ii.
The story. as closely as reporter
could CLEAN from mass of testimony
offered in the inquest, is about as fol-
lows:
On Saturday afternoon number o.
Firms from the Hollister location went
to the Mansfield mine 20 visit the sal
oons at that place. They went first TO
the saloon kept by Sam Jacobs. About
five o clock the Firms became quarrel
some and started fight between them
selves Mf Jacobs wouldn't stand
for any such condition Of affairs and
he put the whole lot out Of doors and
FORBID them entering his place again
AS 10 who was In the Jacobs place at
the time there is conflict of testi-
mony. BY some IL is reported that a
number OF English speaking young
men from the Mansfield mine were in
the place. among them the Richards
boys Others claim that the Richards
boys were not there.
AT any rate the crowd then went to
the other saloon kept by John Anesi
and stayed there the balance of the
evening. About seven clock the
aforementioned English speaking
young men from the location entered
the Anesi saloon one playing banjo
another harmonica and others dane
ing and singing.
The two "bunches were in the
saloon at the same time and during
the progress OF the affairs in both CHI
cles il Is claimed that Finn named
Isaac Seppala drew knife and struck
at one of the English speaking boys
named Baker, whether Intentional or
not il not quite clear but the prepon.
derance Of testimony is that he struck
him in the shoulder and cut a sit
down the back OF his coat. This is
said TO be the act that melted the riot
that followed.
It is impossible to get AN unbiased,
intelligent report Of the melee. One
side tells one tale the other another,
each painting the scene to favor him
self. One thing is certain and that is
that battle ensued between the Firms
and the English boys and each party
armed themselves with the first in.
strument that came to hand chairs,
posl cues and stove pokers figure most
prominently in the affair.
This happened inside the saloon at
about 80 O'Clock. johnson was found
dead outside the saloon at distance Of
about so feet from the door and 10
have gone that distance he must have
descended a flight Of four steps outside
the door
An autopsy made Sunday showed
that the man was struck Mt the base Of
the brain and his skull smashed all the
way around. The doctors are unan.
imous and positive in the statement
that the man never moved OF his own
volition after he received that blow
The light was inside the saloon. Was
he killed thereg Was no killed ontside
Was no carried from the saloon to the
point at which he was .foundr IL 20
who placed him therey Who killed
nims Those are all questions to which
no intelligent anwser can be dednced
from the testimony
Ont of 22 witnesses examined almost
every one Of them saw billiard cues
used but no one could name man
nsing one nor could anyone be found
who acknowledged using one.
The man was takon into q neighoor'
ing honse after being found and was
there when the physicians arrived.
No report OF the affair was made
until about Il 90 o'clock when word
came that man was hurt The fact
that he Rs killed was not communi'
Gated 90 Ae coroner He was told that
man was found dead out there and
upon Inquiry was told that he had
been placed In a house The coroner
SUPP osed that he had died from some
! natural or accidental causp and made
! arrangements TO viow the body ths
following day No one at Mansfield
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