The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-25
REVENGE IS THE motive
THAT PROBABLY BEHIND
COMAMA Staying 49,.
ST Paul Police Are Making An
Inquiry Into Death Of
Rochester Man

St Paul March 23.-ReYenge. not
robbery as tho motive that prompt
ed the murder of William Conama
wealthy Rochester, Mimi. billiard
hall owner whose body was found in
a clump OF bushes near the Jefferson
highway. nine miles south of st.
Paul. yesterday morning, police said
last night
A mystsrio telephone call from
ST Paul received at Rochester a few
minutes AFTER Conama left Monday
afternoon. and inquiries by strang-
er at his place Of business about the
same time are clues which authori-
ties beiieye may solve the murder.
Conama, who Is reported to be
worth $4,000. until recently ran a
Friendly gambling game where only
q select few were admitted" police
ak Rochester said. They are inves
tigating the possibility that the MUIR
derer might have been some man
who had lost heavily In this game.
He Was Shot From Behind
That the murdered man was shot
from behind by some one with a .3S
once instead of twice..-as first
thought was the belief expressed by
Coroner j. B. Lewis Of Dakota
county, following a post portem ex
animation at the D. w. Hurley un
dertaking rooms, 40S South Robert
street, last night. t...
! A steel jacket thirty eight caliber
bullet was found, where 1t had fall
en- In the dead mans clothes. Cor
oner Lewis said the bullet entered a
little below and behind the ear,
| glanced, and came out near the TEN
pie then with its force spent dropped
to his clothing, where 1t was found.
An inquest will be held at the Hur-
ley undertaking rooms tomorrow,
Coroner Lewis announced, saying
that he planned to summon wit
nessses from Rochester and else
| where.
Some fifty feet from the road, with
the back Of his trousers torn, his
top coat and other clothing pulled
up about his shoulders, and his arms
stretched out above his head, police
believe Conama was killed when he
got out Of his. car, after being stop
ped on the, road and that the slayer
then dragged the body out of sight.
No Blood Stains
The automobile in which Conam.a
had left Rashesterx found over
turned N Efieid nearly three quar-
ters OF mile nearer to st. Paul and
absence of blood stains or marks of
struggle in 1t, strengthens the
police theory.
four miles from where the body was
| found, told authorities that he had
passed the scene of the murder about
8 P. M. Monday and had noticed
large car at the side of the road,
with the head lig,SEts dark, but the
red light in the re.c burning. He did
not hear shot, nor did he notice
any one near the car. The automo-
bile when found yesterday morning,
was three quarters of a nile away
from this point.
$40 In silver a large diamond ring a
gold watch, and a diamond studded Elk
pin We're found on the body. Dick
onnection with the billiard hall owned
by Conama. said Conoma had several
hundred dollars with him when he left
( Authorities believe, however. that
<eim based his Judgment on the size Of
he roll and did not know that it was
composed entirely of 81 notes.
How keIm Furnished Clue.
1t was keim who furnished the po-
ice with the most important clues on
| winch lney are WORKING.
About twenty minutes after Mr. Con-
anna left. presumably for Shakopee.
where he was 20 take some mud baths.
a stranger entered the, .poolroom, and
Keim says he explained that Conama
was going to Shakopee and not the Twin
Cities. The man then asked what road
le probably would take. and exactly how
ding he lad been gone, Keim says While
name. he said he had f been about abe %f Ros
CHESTER for some time and that he could
1t was just after this man left that
long distance telephone call was re
ceived from St; Paul. asking whether
The person at the other end of the wire
asked exactly what time Conama had
left but gave no name, according to the
Believing that the ST. Paul call might
have. been a business message. police
got in touch with the only person with
mate business relations here. This is
Val ]. Schaaf. ISL Cretin avenue north,
head of the Schaaf Manufacturing COM
schaaf that Conama was planning to
Which he had invented. Sch scbaf aa said t das
Like the Hooks Murder.
IN the killing Of Conama. Twin Cities
police are confronted with a murder
William oofs fGSss tasc shat Se
owner. The body of Hooks was found
nera North Branch several weeks ago
the day after he had started to Duluth
in his car. He also was shot behind the
right ear.
While police were searching the Twin
that the murder sought refuge in st.
Paul or Minneapolis. the sheriff from
Rochester and the wife of the murdered
man were en- route here in an automo-
bile.
Conama. who was thirty-seven years
old. had been married more than fifteen
years. adm has q fourteen-year-o son.
Mrs. Conan probably will remain here
until after the inquest. and make ar
engagements for taking the body to Ro-
chester for burial.
rrr~TraN yny ~nrr1y mn