The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-26
Dead Body Of a Man
Lured To His Death
from Tuesdays Daily.

IN the Gays OF prehistoric, man,
when one of the male gender fell by
the club of his enemy, his body was
disposed of in three ways: 1t was
eaten, either by the enemy or the
wild beasts. or else it was given a
decent burial by his friends. Yet
times have changed, the world has
progressed and in most things, has
reached a high degree of perfection,
yet in spite of. civilization, culture,
and education, barbarities are
possible, that could not have been
possible in days of old.
A man was found near the head
of A street, between the Omaha ice
house and the river yesterday after
noon whose body had the appear
ance. of having been mutilated, and
Coroner A. G.. Liedloff, and others
think that it has lain where it was
found for ten days or two weeks.
Civilization had prevented. disposal
of the man by the first two ways
mentioned, and the craftinessN of his
adversary prevented the third dis
pensation:2 a
Discovered BY Health Inspector.
1t hac- been covered by cut twigs,
and Health Inspector w. A. Corbin's
attention was first. drawn to the
spot by place in the brush which
showed that several branches had re-
Gently been cut. The officer was
standing on a big boulder peering
around at the time, and when he no.
ticed where the twigs had been cut
off, he investigated. A step farther
into the brush showed a pile of
twigs, heaped up as if to cover some
thing. Then mans shoe was seen
protruding from the pile of brush,
and upon lifting the covering, the
officer was Mortified and sickened
by the spectacle before him. Dead
men are not pleasant to look at,
especially after they have lain on
the ground unattended for two
weeks. The mans jaw was broken
and his skull crushed. Near him
was found knuckle pin from the
coupling of a freight car. The
knuckle pin is about twelve inches
long and two inches in diameter,
and it is believed that this heavy
bar of iron dealt death to the man
in the brush pile. Scattered about
him were a briar pipe, one bag of
smoking tobacco which was partly
used, one package unopened, a tooth
brush, spectacles in a case, bar
of soap, handkerchief, about 'two
fingers" of whiskey in a pint bottle,
set of false teeth and red COW
cred pamphlet entitled, six Years
in. a Prison Cell, But Freedom at
Last"
3& Head Dropped Off.
. The body was lying face down
ward, and when it was turned over,
the head dropped off. The face was
entirely unrecognizable The body
had every appearance of having been
dragged to the spot where he was
found. The hair was straight and
black, streaked with gray. He may
have been fifty years old, and weigh
ed in the neighborhood of one hun
dred seventy-five pounds. His heighth
was about five feet ten inches. He
wore a gray suit, but the trousers
were little darker gray than the
coat and vest. Over the trousers
was pair of cveralls with the Hugo
Shirt company's label on them. The
size tag of the overalls had not been
torn off, and the measure was thirty
eight inch waist and thirty-two inch
length. In the right hand trousers
pocket was discolored penny. and
a. cheap gold plated signet ring, but
there was no engraving in the place
for the initials. The left hand trou-
sers pocket was hanging out, giving
the impression that a hand had been
pulled out of it hurriedly. Circum-
stantial evidence indicates that the
man had been robbed and murdered.
Possible Clue to Identity.
Under the body was found the
only possible clue to the identity of
the man. 1t was a little brown
leather memorandum book. On the
inside of the front cover was written
a name which, although nearly obli-
terated, under a microscope is prob
ably; Silas S. SHE. Under the name
were the words, "Pryt,o Ces~H, Fort
Sn. no phone, Anthony Fort This
was interpreted to mean, private,