The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-09-16
Their Tale Is Given an Investi-
CATION BY the Police
Authorities
Iowa Man Was En- Route to ST.
Peter With Car Load
of Stock
During Monday Night He Left
the Train to Go With
Strangers

New light has been turned on the
mysterious assault upon Joseph Wheeler.
the Webster City, Iowa. man who was
found at daylight Yesterday morning
lying unconscious near the trestle over
Mound avenue. with Il severe confusion
on the side of his head and what
seemed to be bullet wound in his right
hip. The affair takes on the appear
ance OF Il murderous assault. with pos
sibly robbery as the motive. The sill
yer money found i'll the hip pocket
may have been overlooked by the
mans assailants. or may have been
placed there as Il blind. to divert the
suspicious of the authorities.
Sheriff Arrives to See Wheeler
Sheriff Brown of Webster City ar
rived in the city last night to see
Wheeler. but the man was still I'M
conscious. He visited the police sta
ton and told Desk Sargent Scoville
that last Saturday Wheeler and two
other men started from Webster City
Will Carload. oi >JOck WHICH MI
Brown was to enter at the Nicollet
county fair at st. Peter which began
yesterday. Mr.. Brown came to st.
Peter Yesterday, and found Wheeler
missing. and the other two men ac-
counted for his absence by saving that
at ten o'clock on Monday night. while
the car of stock was in the Mankato
yards, two men who had another car
came to their car and asked Wheeler
t~7'syo--sit4- then. ...tt.l t4.ss+-4Ak lseeles
went with them, and that this was the
last that they saw of him.
Chief Pond on the Case.
Chief of Police Pond, after study
ing on the matter this morning. be-
came suspicion, of the story told to
Sheriff Brown by Wheeler's two com
panions. and suspected that possibly
they We're trying TO hide the real state
of facts. He consulted with County
Attorney Plymat. and shortly after
wards. accompanied by Deputy Sheriff
klugherz, left for st. Peter in an au-
tomObile. 1t is understood that the
purpose of the trip was to see the two
men who accompanied Wheeler. to en-
quire into their story carefully. and
to search their belongings. and also
to look at the inside of the car that
they were riding in. if it is still in St.
Peter. to see whether there are any
blood stains in it. In case it seemed
advisable, it is understood that they
were prepared to make arrests.
Wheeler Still Unconscious.
Wheeler has not yet regained cou-
seriousness. and was reported today as
not quite as strong as yesterday. Dir.
Sohmer states that the trephining
operation yesterday relieved the com
preston, and the paralysis of the eve
became less marked afterwards. but
that there is still shock and conclusion
i'll the brain. and that it will take sew
eral days to recover consciousness from
the effect of this. The only question
is whether the man will have strength
enough to withstand the shock and
throw off its effects. In most cases OF
this character there is fatal termi-
nation.
Wife Is Heard From.
Chief Pond yesterday telegraphed to
Wheeer's wife at Webster City that
her husband had been injured. and re-
ceived reply late in the afternoon.
as follows: 'W.ire quick condition OF
Joseph Wheeler and how he was hurt
Mrs. Dora Wheeler" 1t is understood
that Mrs. Wheeler will arrive today.
The statement OF Sheriff Brown in
Dictates that Wheeler was shot some
! time during the night, for purposes of
robbery or revenge. Ii he was shot
in the stock car where he was sleeping,
it doubtless occurred after ten o'clock.
and very likely early in the morning.
III he was asleep, he may have had his
outer clothing off, but hardly likely,
for the night was cold, and robbery
would have been easy. II he was
asleep with his clothes OH. his clothing
might have been opened. and the shot
fired. and the clothing replaced. This
might have occurred after lie was
slugged.
Ii Wheeler was not asleep. he NAV
have been struck from behind, rendered
unconscious and then robbed. and while
unconscious his clothing opened and
the shot fired. so as TO make sure of
the job. and then replaced, and the
man then thrown off OF the culvert. SO
as to make it appear that he had been
struck by a train. Possibly he was
placed on the track and thrown off by
the train. "A whole line of SUPPOSE
tions. can be conjured up.
Tramps May Have Assaulted Him.
In case the story told by the cont
panions OF Wheeler is true the men