The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-10-29
Dead Body Is Found
With Marks
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily. .\
Some mothers son met a shocking
death last night and from some heart
the light OF young manhood was
quenched, leaving nothing but a cold
and mutilated form beneath the calm
all-seeing stars. Undoubtedly the vic
tim of foul play the body lay when
found at the side of the railroad track
where Il had rolled down the enbank-
ment, after being thrown from swift
~ moving train, and being dragged
some distance along the track by be-
ing caught on some projection OF the
cars. The name Tom Booth" to-
gether with numerous other tattoo
marks on the young mans forearm
may lead to his identification, but up
10 a late hour this afternoon, no
clew had been obtained to the guilty
wretches who perpetrated the awful
deed. their motives. or the young
mans identity.
Sheriff Osten had a phone converse
ton with William A. Cameron, st.
Paul, late thiss afternoon. He Is an
uncle of the dead man, who he said
has been In the cities and departed
yesterday for his home In Sioux City.
Mr. Cameron will reach Mankato to-
night.
Conductor Houcx Of a special Oma-
Ia freight train coming into Mankato
from Lake Crystal at $3.50 o'clock this
morning. reported to Operator Tenney
at the passenger station that a dead
man had been seen lying a few feet
from the track at Cray station. Mr..
Tenney at once notified the division
office at st. James, and No. pas
senger train, which arrives at Mankato
at 1925 a. m. received notice on ar
irving at Lake Crystal to investigate
the affair. II was found that the
head OF the man had been struck, so
that the skull was smashed. The upper
part of two suits Of good clothes and
an overcoat was on the body, but the
trousers and shoes were gone. II was
thought by the train crew Of No.
that the man had been thrown from
one OF the passing freights during the
night. II was believed the man had
been robbed and murdered.
Sheriff 10 Notified.
Sheriff Anton Osten was notified
and together with Coroner A. G. Lied
left motored out to the scene Of the
tragedy. They found the dead man
lying about twenty rods east OF the
platform. as though he had rolled
down the embankment. ID was ap-
parent that after the man was thrown
from the train he had caught on the
side OF the car and been dragged
some distance before becoming free
of the train. The remains were
brought to Mankato by Mr.. o. A.
Scott in the Landkamer hearse. and
taken to the Landksmer Undertaking
parlors, where they will remain while
inquiries are being made as to the
mans identity. DR.. Liedloff called
DIR. G.. A. Dahl and DIR. c. c. Pratt and
held a post norton examination this
afternoon at two o'clock. II was
found that death was caused by a
blow be some heavy instrument which
smashd i'm an oval shaped area oil
bone on the side of the head back
OF the right ear about three and
three fourths inches in diameter. The
Zone was smashed into the base OF
the skull and hemmorhage In both
sides of the brain had resulted. The
mans left hip was also broken, but
Il was decided that this had happened
after death had occurred. presumably
as the man hung from the train be-
fore rolling down the embankment.
Recently Purchased Clothes.
II was evident that the man had
recently purchased new suit of
clothes, which bore the mark Of Dunn
& Johnson. 95 East Seventh street,
ST. Paul. Over this new suit, he wore
his old blue serge suit. and over that
a good gray overcoat. His clothes
were good. and he wore light shirt.
and a brown necktie. bearing the
mark of Martin Lukman & Company.
Storm Lake, Iowa. In his left vest
pocket was found a druggists pre-
scription from the pharmacy OF j. p.
Jelinek, st. Paul. dated October %.
1915, made out to w. A. Cameron,
cost Of the medicine fifty cents. the
slip bearing the numbers 1859 in
printed figures. and A12559 in pencil.
A box of calomel tablets were also
found in the pocket.
The man had no doubt been quite
good looking. He was FIVE feet. ten
and a half inches tall. dark brown
hair, grey eyes, smooth face, fair
complexion, Roman nose, and about
twenty eight or thirty years OF age.
When found. both pairs OF trousers,
which he had evidently been wearing,
were missing. and his shoes we're also
gone. His arms were tatooed in many
designs. On the feshy part of his
right forearm the name OF Tom Booth
was tatooed, horses head, bride
andhand. holding a bunch of roses. On
40 other forearm was a heart and
dagger, an American flag, and under
that clasped hands, and the ini-
tials ct. B."
Sheriff Osten has called up Storm
Lake, Ia. where the brown necktie
was purchased, and st. Paul. wherc
the new suit was purchased, to gain
some clew as to the identity OF the
man.
From Monoay's 0aiis.
Judge and Mrs. w. l.. Comstock
have received the sad news of the
death Of the formers mother. Mrs.