The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-31
BODY OF A DEAD MAN
IS FOUND IN RIVER BED
From Mondays Daily.

bore evidence of having fioated from
some point above Mankato, was dis.
covered late Saturday afternoon in
the bed of the Minnesota river
about one mile west of Bradley 3
Crossing in Section 80, Limetown,
by Oscar Anderson, young man,
twenty years of age, who was fish
ing along the stream He immedi-
ately telephoned the information to
Chief OF Police Donahue. The chief,
Deputy Sheriff Ed Ario and Deputy
Coroner John Macbeth Immediately
FASTENED to the scene in the dep
uty coroner's automobile.
Reaching the spot the officers
found the dead body of man lying
face downward, arms stretched for
ward, with his coat or jacket over
his head, and his tongue hanging
out. The body was in a bad state
of decomposition, with myriads of
maggots eating away the face and
exposed parts of the body. The sight
was enough to make any person
turn away with disgust. The face
of the man was bloated and swollen,
and almost as black as colored
person. His nasal bone seemed to
be crushed in and this caused the
officers to believe that the man had
been the victim of foul play.
Nothing to Prove His Identity.
Nothing to prove the identity OF
the man was found on his person.
His pockets were searched and a
pocketbOok containing nickel, a
tobacco pouch and a tin tobacco
box were found. He wore the
clothes of a laborer, had good UNI
derwear, a good pair of black shoes,
black trousers, a blue jacket, light
shirt and horizontal striped neck
tie. His hair was cut short and he
was smooth faced, about five feet
ten inches tall and weighing about
10 pounds. His pockets were NIL
ed with sand and mud, which also
tended to prove that he had lain IN
the river for several days during
high water.
The officers had some difficulty
in finding the place, having been
misdirected. They drove to the
home of Mrs. Ed Anderson, mother
of the boy who found the body, ana
with Oscar Anderson as guide, they
crossed the country with their au-
tomobile driving through fields and
thickets, to the river bank.
Was a Grewsome Sight.
Arriving at the spot where the
dead body was lying, greWsome
sight met the eyes of the oiflcers.
The body was imbedded in mud about
seventy-five feet from the waterline.
There are indications that the BODY
had hoated considerable distance,
having been carried down stream
during the recent high water, and
sweeping into bayou, OF from the
farm owned by M. E. Anderson,
about three-quarters of mile below
Jefferson's bend, was left STRANDED
when the water. receded. 1t was WIN
considerable difficulty that the pody
was turned over on it's right SIDE.
After making an examination OF
the body and the surroundings, the
officers returned to the city. Dep,
uty Coroner Macbeth instructed
Landkamer Bros to take charge OF
the remains. This they did, bring
inc the body to their undertaking
rooms at about 1880 o'clock in the
evening.
Seeking a Clew.
Every effort has been mace ny
the authorities to trace the ldentity
of the dead man. There is not d
mark on his clothing that wouid
aid the officers in their search TOT
a clew to who he was or where
he might have come from. for
time it was thought by some uhat
the man was Pat Masterson, put
there is no evidence to show that
il was he. The body was uresseu
An coat. shirt, pants and SHOES anu
stockings. No hat could be tounu'
There is no one missing In Blue
Earth county, as far as the authori-
ties can discover. Chief OF folice
Donabue today went over his rec
ords of circulars advertising the ols,
onno.rapce of men in the nope OF
ferreting out whose remains nave
hoen found. The man may have Deeh
shot and then thrown into tne TiVel'
and this idea was entertained ny
some.
This afternoon an inquest was heio
ovor The remains of the dead man.
The following jurors were seiecteu.
M Smith, T. B. Sparrow, James
Wilson. James Mullen, ). r. Mere
dith, T. c. Peart. s.or
An inouest was held this after
noon. conducted by Attorney II. L.
schmitt, before jury OF SIX. US,
cor Anderson was the first witness
and he told practically what he toia
tho OFFICIALS last Saturday. Frank
Iandkamer was the second and last
witness. and he testified that the
bodv was badly decomposed When
be belped to pick it up to put IL III
Tho wagon. He said that ne nau
haen told by the officials that the
face was quite white when they
turned him out of the mud, but tnat
tba sun had blackened it by the
time he reached the body. All the
hair had fallen off the head. :,
Asked by the county attorney II
tbera were any evidences on the
body of foul play, Mr. LandKamer
repiied that there were not.
Mo Postmortem Examination. :.
Attorney Schmitt thought that II
voc unnecessary to go into detalis
W. make a postmortem examination
NJ T,andkamer stated that an at
,a,nt had been made to have physi'
oians make an examination, but they
refused. Tho follow
The Jury then returned the lo,iom,
tho nCrSGE WHOSE