The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-08
An Unknown Man Was Found
Dead In North Mankato


/ --
From rriday's 5sIiv.
Bearing all the evidencc 81
suicide. the body of an unknown
man was found last evening in the
deserted windowless dwelling known
las . the Martin Johnson house.
on Belgrade avenue near the west.
erly limits of North Mankato. The
corpse was frozen stiff. The body
my In a half-sitting posture in the
corner. the head leaning to the right
against the wall. In the right hand
was revolver. OF twenty-five cali
bre, with on shell exploded. On the
right side OF the head near the tenn
pie was a bullet wound. The wall
was splashed with little blood
and so was the right hand
The man appeared to be about
sixty years OF age. He had gray
hair, gray mustaehe and gray
whiskers. He was dressed like a
mechanic or laboring man. lie wore
an oyercoat of cloth, with coat
under that and lighter coat under
that. He had on two shirts and
two pairs OF overalls. but no under
clothing. lie wore q gray felt Ora,
COON hat with a broad brim and
pillow shoes. There was snow over
part of the overcoat. indicating that
the body must have been there for
some days.
| Had Money on Person.
| In the pockets were found paper
money to the amount of just S100,
s299 in smaller change. several
boxes of safety matches, folding
cup. pocket knife, an extra pair
/ of socks, some twenty-five cart
ridges and little medicine bottle.
marked Outright" There seemed 70
be absolutely nothing on the body
to give any clue to the mans iden-
tity. q. e.
As far as. known. the body was
first seen last evening by Tony
Blow, thirteen year old boy, WHO,
with his father ana mother Mr.
! and Mrs. John Hdw. and several
other children, were walking froia
their home In the country TO Man
kate 10 attend one OF tho shows.
The Blow family make their home
on the Rist place. about. two. miles
west of North Mankato.
. Tony Blow called his fathers at
tention to the body Both could see
| the human form lying In the corner
as they gnzed through the open
/ door into the cold dwelling. Mr..
Blow could not make out, from the
place where he stood, whether the
man was dead or alive. II flashed
across his mind that the man might
be insane. He decided 10 report the
matter TO the Mankato police sta
ton This was done.
| Authorities Were. Notified.
Soon afterwards Mr. Blow, to.
gether with Henry Robcl. .Ir., vii
lage Marshall John Williams and
Humane Officer Charles SMITH were
on their way to the deserted house
in an automobile. They went into
the house and laoke al The pros
trate body with flashlights. Ascer-
f, tanning that the man was dead and
! frozen, they went back to the police
station. In the meantime, the news
had reached the Nicollet county au-
! thorities at ST. Peter and Sheriff
/ August Olson. County Attorney
George T. Olson and Coroner G. F.
Merritt were soon in Mankato with
an automobile. Then both automo-
biles went over TO the deserted
house, where quite number of the
village citizens soon gathered. A
search was made OF the body By
/! the county officials under the d.
rection of the coroner.
Body Taken to ST. Peter.
The county officials after max.
' ing the examination and search OF
the body and taking possession of
what was found in the pockets,
went back to st. Peter. Then the
coroner notified the undertaking es.
adjustment of Martin Klein & Co,
OF St Peter. directing that the body
should be sent for and brought to
ST. Peter. ....
Coroner Merritt today stated that
be had not yet been able to do
anything IN the way OF making n
thorough examination OF the body.
as II was so badly frozen. He would
have to wait for it to thaw out. He
| intended to hold an autopsy on Sat.
urday. and would pay particular at,
tention 10 the head. which would be,
opened, so he conld ascertain the
course OF the bullet. lie said he
would take no chance or neglecting
anything that might throw light on
possible murder. He said he did
not think an Inquest would disclose
anything. but he would not say def:
nately until after the autopsy wheth-
err an inquest would be held or not.
From fridays Daily.