The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-07

Brown, Fred Mertesdorf
Vernon Center Villagc-A. c. Will
bur, Martin Halvorson, Duncan Slater.
the committee as well as chairman.
The committee will meet next Tues
day at two o'clock at the city hail.
The executive committee is COM
posed of Peter Lloyd, Gust Peterson
and y. G. Lack.
From Tuesdays Daily.
Detective Fielding returned yesterday
afternoon from his trip to Webster City
vestigating the murder of Joseph
Wheeler. He became convinced that the
swipes in charge of the horse car in
which Wheeler rode to this city knew
nothing of the death of Wheeler. He
looked up their records and had talks
with them separately at different places,
and is convinced of their absolute in
! noccnce.
Robbery Was Not the Motive.
Mr.. Fielding established the fact that
robbery could not have been the mo.
tive for the shooting. When Wheeler
left Webster City the last time he had
about 500 with him. He went to
Clarion City, and the detective was able
to account for all of the money
Wheeler was an inveterate better on
horse races, and while in Clarion he
bet his last money on q race and lost
After the first heat, the party with
whom he bet offered to bet 50 more
on the race, and Wheeler took him up,
but search of his pockets revealed
but SLIGO, and he put up $50 and lost
it. He did well with his Hamburg
steak stand and probably cleared up
$40 above expenses during the remain
ing day or two of the fair While on
his way to Mankato, sleeping in the
car, he awoke one morning and found
some silver in the bedding. He sat
up and took his money from his hip
pocket and counted about 50. and said
that he had not lost any and that the
silver was not his. When found under
the Culvert Wheeler still had something
over Sc in his hip pocket.
Mr.. Fielding ascertained that Wheeler
did not carry watch He had a
pocketbook, but this cannot be found,
but his wife said that she had not
seen him have it for a couple of weeks
previous to his leaving home the last
time.
Was Fond of Women.
al
tigatiOn that Wheeler was very de-
cidedly Il woman's man, and one who
might be expected to make appoint
mcnts with strange women in strange
, towns. In spite of this failing. how
/ ever, Wheeler was so well thought Of at
Webster City that the merchants went
out and raised $500 in three hours and
paid off a balance of $3.50 due on the
home and presented Mrs. Wheeler with
the balance. Mr.. Wheeler had bought
the home on the installment plan for
$500, and had paid all but $3.50.
( Mr.. Fielding has eliminated all prob
/ able causes of the murder now except
two. One is that the shooting may have
been accidental. while at the home of
! some woman in this city and the
other is that Wheeler was, surprised
I by the husband or lover of some
woman to whose home he had gone
When Wheeler returned to his car
at midnight and asked one OF the
swipes to accompany him, as he had
made an appointment TO meet WON
an, he described the woman by saying
that she was "a peach. well formed
and wore long black cloak and fasci
nator.' Two or three women answer
ing this description, have been inter
viewed by Mr.. Fielding, but all have
been able to clear themselves of sus.
( picion. Mr.. Fielding went to Redwood
Falls today to continue his work along
! this line of investigation. Ii he fails
to develop anything there, his work will
! probably be ended.