The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-11-22
SLAsHEU IHROAT;lIFE
ENDED IN A CORY ACT

Fairmont, November 2O.-A. NJ
Larson, section foreman for the Min
neapolis and st. Louis railway at
Dunnell. committed suicide some time
last Friday night by cutting his
throat. The body was not found un.
til after noon the following day.
Larson, who was a widower, lived
with the family of Nels j. Bloom.
quist, who conducts a pool hall and
bowling alley at Dunnell. With the
exception of about five months he
had lived at the Bloomquist home
for the past four years.
Deceased was last seen alive about
seven o'clock Friday evening. He
came home from his work on the
section about the usual time, had
his supper with the family and moth.
ing peculiar or unusual was noticed
about his manner of appearance.
After supper Mr.. Bloomquist went
to his place of business as usual.
There was an entertainment in the
village hall which was attended by
the family. Before leaving the house
they asked Larson to accompany
them but he answered that he pre-,
ferred to remain at home
Larson Was Gone.
When the family returned about
half past nine they noticed that Lar
son was gone and a light was burn
ing in his room. Some investigation
was made and it was found that his
working coat and boots were in the
room and his trunk was unlocked,
something that he had never done
before. Opening the trunk. Mr..
Bloomquist discovered that Larson S
razor was also missing.
Some search was made that night
without success and early the next
morning a party began hunting for
the missing man. The entire rail.
road section was patroled as far as
Huntington, Ia. and search made
about town. Shortly after noon Sat
urday John Demuth and Arthur Pc
terson found his dead body about
ten rods from the Bloomuuist house.
Gashed Arm and Throat.
Larson had proceeded to a small
gravel pit just back of the Swedish
Lutheran church to end his life He
had on no coat and only a pair of
rubbers on his feet. He had rolled
up his left shirt sleeve and cut six
gaShes across his arm with razor
None of these cuts were deep enough
to sever large blood vessels He
had then gashed his throat low
down, cutting just into the trachea
Then by a superhuman effort he
had drawn the keen blade clear
across the throat from left to right
half severing the head. He could
have lived but a very few moments
after inhictiDg this awful wound.
No one was allowed to step into
the gravel pit where the body lay
before the arrival of the coroner A
guard was placed over the spot and
Coroner Brodt notified. He arrived
at the place accompanied by Sen,
tinel reporter, about half past four
Investigation showed it to be a clear
case of suicide, and after question.
ing all persons who could throw any
light on the matter. he decided nc
inquest necessary The bloody razor
was picked up close to the body
where it had fallen from the mans
hand after his final, desperate eff.
fort
Larson Sober and Industrious
Larson had lived at Dunnell about
five years, being employed all OF
that time as foreman by the railway
company. He was a good workman,
frugal and temperate. He was pos
sessed of considerable means, the
coroner finding money and securities
in his room amounting to nearly
$3.50. He also has property inter
ests in Winthrop, Mimi, where he
resided before coming to Dunnell, and
has relatives. 1t is supposed that
he possessed in all about $4,000
which he had saved out of his earn.
inss. His bank book showed that
out of his pay check of $55 he reg
ularly deposited $50 each month
with the First National Bank OF
SIS a month for his board and
room. He had drawn his last
months pay check the day of the
tragedy and, contrary to his usua
custom, had not deposited the money
He paid Mrs. Bloomquist his board
money to date Friday evening, and
the other forty dollars in bills was
found in his trunk.
Motive Is Unknown.
No reason can be assigned for the
rdSn ueeu, out 1t seems prODaDle
that he became worried over money
matters, wholly without cause. He
had also complained that the work
on the section was becoming toe
hard for him as his age advanced
and he doubtless lived in dread O
the time when he would no longe
be able to work
The dead man was born in Swed
en- fifty-eight years ago. He had beer
married while a young man but hi:
wife died many years ago. He has f;
son, grown to manhood, who is sur
posed to be somewhere in the Pa
cific coast states. The last letter
from him was written from Oregon
and dated over four years ago. Sub
seuuent letters addressed him by hi:
father had been returned unclaimed
The sons name is Ed Larson.
The body was brought to FairmOn
and held at BrOdt's undertaken;
rooms pending the arrival of sis
ter from Minneapolis.
Christ Hovland, young man whc
works on Roy Himmelman's farm
on Belgrade hill, was brutally at
tackled and robbed Saturday nigh
between twelve and one o'clock a
he was on his way home. He wa
going through the Milwaukee rail
road yards and when near the NAH