The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-05-24
Gruesome Discovery WasM Made
Near New Ulm
CLOSE AT HAND
Whose Bones Were They Is the
Question Asked; Mystery In
The Find
From MONDAYS Daily.


New Ulm, May 18.-4 grewsome
discovery was made on what is known
as Fsitsche's island near the Mime
sofa river Thursday afternoon by AID.
Lampl, Charles Janni, Joseph Schu
bert, Johl Zangl and John Lindmeyer.
The boys were fishing and observed
part of a skeleton sticking out of the
ground. They also found four bull
lets nearby. The bullets were the
kind which were used in the old muz-
zle loaded rifles, and were about for
.ty-two calibre in size.
Some of the bones were missing
but the most OF them were found and
were in good state of preservation.
The sandy condition of the soil in
that vicinity would retard decay and
it is not facile to determine with any
degree of accuracy just how long
they had been buried there.
Bones Soon Decay.
Some of the rib bones were hardly
decayed at all. Bones, if inferred in
ordinary ground soon commence to
disintegrate and but few years
pass before the smaller bones entirely
disappear. Sandy soil retards the de-
cay.
What may have been a bullet hole
was discovered in the upper part of
one of the thigh bones. The skull
gave evidence that it had been frac-
tured. What do the bones portend?
Was there murder committed on
Fritsche's Island, or was there a sui
eide years ago? These are questions,
which are being asked by the boys,
who found the bones, and also by the
county officials and others.
Boys Had Heard of Dead Man.
Some of the boys, who found the
bones, had heard that a man had
been buried in the vicinity, where the
find was made, and it is said that ex-
Sheriff George Jacobs at one time told
of man being buried on the island.
The boys, when they found the bullets
and observed some bones sticking out
of the ground because feverishly ac-
tive and soon had the greater part OF
the skeleton unearthed.
Besides the bullets they found four
coins, three quarter dollar pieces and
a half dollar piece All the coins were
old and the dates upon them were
1853, 1855 and 1856. The stub of a
clay pipe was also found with the
bones. Part of the stem had been
broken off. This would indicate the
bones were those of a man of Irish
extraction. Colonel w. H. Dempsey,
nor P. r. McHale have any knowledge
that one of their countrymen had
disappeared in that vicinity, and spec
ulation is still rife.
Boys Spread Tidings.
The boys returned to town, soon
after their find. They visited the
sheriff's office and told Sheriff w. ].
julius concerning their discovery. He
went to the place, and picked up the
brass bow of a pocketbook. He gath
cred up the bones in box and they
are now reposing in the waiting room
at the Jail. The sheriff expected to
make another trip to Fritsche's is
land yesterday and give the place
thorough "once over" to see if some
clue could not be unearthed that
would throw some light upon the find.
Coroner G. F. Reineke examined the
bones Thursday evening and stated it
was his opinion they were those of a
male, who was about six feet tall
and was not over forty years of age.
He was not an Indian.