Was it murder or suicide? The remains of a man were found on the banks of a river. His throat was slashed and a jack-knife was found nearby.
Was It Suicide?
Coroner Paddock received the following dispatch Monday morning from Good Thunder: “Corpse found near Cable Mill. Come here at once.”
Mr. Paddock, accompanied by Sheriff Bowen, went out immediately.
A little later County Attorney Benedict received the following dispatch from Amboy: “Send coroner to Good Thunder on first train. Corpse found. I think it is Boeck.”
Two parties from Good Thunder were in the city; and from them we learned the following particulars:
The remains of a man were found on the banks of the river between Cable Mills and the upper dam, in a condition of partial purification, and badly eaten by wild animals.
The body was found last night, and then a portion of the face was gone, and this morning the remainder had been eaten away.
Both hands from the wrists were black, and there was a hole in the body which was at first thought to have been made by a mink.
The throat was cut, and a jack-knife was found a short distance away, and there was a quantity of blood on the front of the shirt.
Only a shirt and pantaloons covered the remains.
It is believed the man had been dead for ten days or two weeks.
The man was about 45 years old, weighing about 150 pounds, and had a sandy mustache and which whiskers, and had blue eyes. No one knew him, and the remains were taken to Good Thunder, where an inquest was held Monday forenoon.
The body was then taken back to Cable Mills to await identification.
There are two beliefs as to the identity of the man, one being that he is the supposed demented man named Wm. Boeck who wandered away from Amboy two weeks ago, and he also answers the description of Mr. Freie, whom his cousin, Mr. Gerlach, has been advertising for.
Cable Mills is three miles south of Good Thunder, without railroad connection.
Suicide is supposed to be the cause of death.
Source: The Mankato free press. (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.), 01 Nov. 1895.
