Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 58, 1905

Conway Of Elysian

DIED WITHIN THE YEAR, B. K. CARLTON, P. A. ERWIN, SAM KIRSTE, MAJ. W. C. YOUNG, NATHAN WOOD, MRS. McDONOUGH, WM. BEVANS, SAM MANTHB - COUNTY GOVERNMENT - ROAD AND BRIDGE APPROPRIATIONS - TAKEN TO PRISON, FRANK CONWAY OF ELYSIAN.

With the opening of the year came death and sorrow as well as mirth and happiness, ilr. B. K. Carlton, of Woodville, well known to older residents, died Jan. 1, 1889. He was born in Otsego county, New York, Feb. 5, 1811 ; was married to ^liss Mary Curdiek, July 31, 1842, at Hornellsville, New York. Soon after he removed to Wisconsin and settled in Dodge county. In 1854: he sold his farm there, and the following summer can'ie to ilinnesota and settled on Bast Prairie in Rice county. He soon sold out there and came to section five in Woodville in June, 1856. He remained on this farm until the fall of 1877, when he sold it. Thereafter he resided in various places in the state, but finally returned in 1881, to this county. Mary, his wife, died July 27, 1879. Mr. Carlton left a twin brother and three children to mourn his death.

That old veteran, Mr. Prudin A. Brwin, of St. Mary, peacefully breathed his last on Wednesday morning, Jan. 2, 1889, about 8 o'clock. ]Mr. Brwin was born in Pairhaven, Rutland county, Vermont, Oct. 16, 1797. In 1802 he was taken with his father's family to the wilderness of Franklin county, New York. He enlisted in the last war with Great Britain, in 1813, and served in the United States army until the close of the war. He continued to reside in Franklin county until 1863, when he came to ilinnesota, and opened a farm in St. ilary. His wife died in 1867. Mr. Brwin was a most excellent citizen and a kind neighbor. His death was as peaceful and quiet as if he were Kt'ing to sleep. He will long be remembered by those who knew him for he was one of God's noblemen.

County Government

The county commissioners met this year in annual session Jan. 1, the members being Messrs. Peterson, Sunde, Conway, Purcell, Deyling, and Buck. ilr. Peterson was elected chairman. The county printing was divided among three papers - the Herald got the tax list; the Radical, the financial statement; and the Argus, the proceedings of the board. Nothing more than the ordinary routine business transpired at the January session.

One hundred and fifty dollars was appropriated to build a road on the town line between St. Mary and Woodville, to be expended under the supervision of Commissioners Remund and Peterson; $75.00 was appropriated to build a new bridge between sections 22 and 27, St. Mary, to be expended under the supervision of J. Conway; $100.00 was appropriated to grade approaches to the Markham bridge, and to grade slough on section 5, Alton, to be expended under the supervision of Commissioners Conway and Buck; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the First district, to be expended under the supervision of J. O. Sunde; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Second district, to be expended on roads outside the city of Waseca, under the supervision of O. Peterson; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the third district, to be expended under the supervision of A. Remund; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Fourth district, to be expended under the supervision of J. Conway; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Fifth district, to be expended under the supervision of H. M. Buck.

A Sad Record

Frank Conway, of LeSueur county, many years ago convicted of stealing a pair of H. A. Wagoner's horses, was again arrested last week, and will be taken to Stillwater next Monday afternoon, by the sheriff of this county, to serve out the remainder of his term of Ave years - four years and nine months, we hear. After his conviction of this horsestealing crime, he obtained bail, after being in Stillwater some three months, pending an appeal to the supreme court. His case was argued before the supreme court and that tribunal took six months in which to decide the matter. Frank says that when the case was argued he understood that he was discharged. However that may be, he went to Illinois and also to Kansas, and when the supreme court decided against him his bail was forfeited. Shortly after going to Kansas, he was arrested and put in jail, where he remained some nine months. Next he was arrested in Illinois, convicted of passing counterfeit money, and sentenced to ten years in the penlthentiary of that state. Some months ago his term expired in Illinois, and he returned to his old stamping ground, near Elysian, where he was arrested and brought to Waseca. Conway is now sixty-two years of age, and begins to think the way of the transgressor is hard. Between twenty and thirty years ago, he was a very popular man in LeSueur county, and was county commissioner for several years. From his youth he was steeped in crime, but his jolly ways and honest speech, together with his native shrewdness, threw the community off his track, and only now and then a man suspected his true character. Like most men of his class^ he was somewhat of a gambler, and a hard drinker at times. It is claimed that he was, for many years, the leader of a gang of thieves and counterfeiters extending from Illinois to the extreme Northwest. Whether that be true or not, certain it is that some young men in the West took their first steps in dissipation and deviltry under the influence and leadership of Frank Conway. It is wonderful how vice will pull down and degrade a man. This man had native ability for almost any position in life. He was naturally kind-hearted and knew how to be honorable and upright, and yet he has followed a life which has brought his gray hairs in sorrow and remorse to the verge of the grave in a felon's cell.

Notable Deaths Of 1889

"For a number of years a remarkable family lived in the town of St. Mary, section 32, between the farm of Roger Garraghty on the east, and the old Christian Krassin farm on the west. The members of the household were Samuel Kirste, and his two sisters. Rose and Justina Kirste. They were very oddly acting people. Although German born and surrounded by their own country people, they never associated or mingled with them. The land was held in the names of the women. Samuel was a miller, by trade, and for several years was employed in the Okanian mill. Rose Kirste died over two years ago, and Justina died on the 15th of March, 1887, leaving her property by will to Samuel. It appears that the eighty acres of land upon which they lived became the property of Samuel Kirste upon the death of his two sisters.

Prior to the death of the two sisters and since, scarcely any one was ever admitted inside the miserable log cabin in which they lived. They seemed suspicious of every one, apparently afraid of being robbed.

Since their death he had lived entirely alone, accompanied only by three dogs that kept watch over the premises. For some weeks he had been in the habit of making occasional visits to his neighbor, John Sell, and exchanging newspapers with him.

As Kirste had not been around for several days, Mr. Sell went to his cabin Sunday afternoon, April 14, and rapped on the door. The only response was a moan. He looked in at the window and saw Kirste, on the floor between the stove and bed, evidently in a dying condition. He became alarmed and went immediately for Mr. Menke, half a mile away. When Menke and Sell returned, they raised a window, reached inside, turned the door key and went in. A sorry sight met their view. The poor man, sadly emaciated, lay upon the floor, gasping for breath and unable to speak. They laid him upon the bed where he breathed his last within a few minutes.

Soon after Kirste's death. Sell and Menke concluded to lock the house leaving everything as they found it, notify some of the other neighbors and get some one to go to Waseca to notify the coroner. They locked the house and went to Mr. Menke's farrn. Shortly afterward, Menke heard a terrible outcry among the dogs at the Kirste place and, thinking it singular, went back to see what the trouble was. '\\Tien he reached the house he found the window open and, upon looking in, saw Dan Naughton, about twenty-tour years of age, ransacking everything in the house. Menke unlocked the door and asked Naughton what he was doing there? Dan, at first tried to escape, but Menke prevented him, and after some dispute about the money Naughton had taken, it was agreed that they should go together to the house of James Naughton, Dan's father, and there count the money. They did so, and Dan had $908.30. Menke noted down the kinds and amount of money as it was counted over. Soon after this, the same day, Menke, Sell, and others went to Kirste's place and made further search, finding another pocket book, or purse, containing over $240.

Coroner Young, as soon as he received notice, went out to the place and examined the body and premises. Mr. Menke turned over the money he found and the keys of the house to the coroner. Dr. Young then proceeded to James Naughton's, and, as coroner, called for the money that young Naughton had carried there. The Naughton family seemed unwilling for some time to turn over the money, and only concluded to do so after the coroner threatened to arrest one of them.

Coroner Young brought the money to town, deposited It in a bank, and engaged A. Grapp, undertaker, to-pi'oceed to the farm and bury the body.

Mr. Grapp said the cabin and the man presented a sickening and disgusting sight. The man was emaciated as though he had died of starvation. He was covered with filth and his garments were stiff with dirt. floor was dirty and covered with boxes, palls, trunks and old truck of one kind and another. Mr. Grapp and his assistants washed and dressed the body, put it into a decent casket, depositing beside him his musket, sword and ammunition, and consigned the whole to mother earth in the St. Mary burying ground.

So far as known none of the three had relatives in this country. Samuel Kirste, somewhat over a year before, had made his will wherein he devised all his property to two grandchildren, sons of his deceased son, supposed to be somewhere from ten to fourteen years of age, and residing in Germany. ,

Very little was known of the history of the deceased, but there were many Indications that he was well educated and had moved in refined society. The closing scenes of his life can only be accounted for upon the theory that his mind had become unbalanced."

]\Iaj. Wm. C. Young, then judge of probate of this county, fell dead of heart disease on the sidewalk, near the corner of Elm and Second street in "Waseca on the 9th day of May, 1889. Maj. "i'oung and family came to Waseca county in 1866 and opened up a farm in Woodville. Soon after the founding of Waseca, he moved with his family to that city. He was born in Madison county, N. Y., August 10, 1826. He married, July 12, 1846, Miss Caroline Kingsley, a native of Chautauqua county, N. Y., and a sister of Bishop Kingsley of the M. E. church. In 1854, they came West, residing first in Fitehburg and afterwards in Madison, Wis. At the breaking out of the Rebellion, Mr. Young raised a company and was chosen captain. It was designated Company E, Eighth Wisconsin infantry. In 1864, he was promoted to major of his regiment and served in that capacity until the close of the war. Soon after his settlement in this county he became prominent in politics. He was elected to the house of representatives of 1870, and to the senate of 1871. In 1876, he was appointed postmaster of Waseca and held the position until about 1885, when he was elected judge of probate. He was re-elected in 1888, having no opponent, and received 1,653 votes. He was the father of four children: William H., Eugene W., and Mabel A. living; and Luna E., deceased. His widow and Mrs. Mabel Bensel are residents of Waseca.

]\Ir. Nathan Wood, although not an old settler, came to Waseca county with his family in 1871, an(i settled on a farm in Woodville. He was a native of Winehendon, Mass., but emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he carried on a farm until he came to this county. He enlisted as a private in Company A, 211 Pennsylvania volunteers, in September, 1864, and was honorably discharg- ed by general order of the war department June 2, 1865. He was mustered into McKune Post 6. A. R., May 17, 1884. He lost his health in the army and never fully recovered, although he was somewhat better after coming to Minnesota. The last time he was out, he attended Maj. Young's funeral. May 11. He soon after had an attack of pneumonia which culminated in what is termed quick consumption. His death occurred June 16, 1889, in his sixty-seventh year. His end was peaceful and his mind unclouded to the last. He left a widow and seven children, the youngest nine years of age, the eldest being Frank A. Wood, cashier at the C. & N.-W. depot.

Mrs. Rose McDonough, daughter of Andrew Lynch, of St. ilary, and one of the earliest settlers in the county, died June 22, 1889, of typhoid fever, aged thirty-two years and six months. She left a husband and five small children, the youngest about six weeks old.

William Bevans was one of the very early settlers in Bja'on. Pie died at his residence July 11, 1889, very suddenly of heart disease. He was a native of New York, enlisted in the Tenth IMinnesota in 1862, and was discharged in 1864 for disability. He left a large family, having been married twice. His widow survived with two of her children.

Waseca Herald, Sept. 13, 1889: Just as we were about to close our forms we learn that Sam Manthey, of this city, son of Joe Manthey, of St. Mary, was instantly liilled yesterday afternoon, Sept. 12, at the 11. & St. L. gravel pit, in the town of Otisco. He was at the time on top of a loaded car of gravel, leveling it off, when some other cars were let loose and came down against the car he was on with great force. The shock threw him off. He fell upon the track and two trucks passed over him, breaking his neck,and one arm, and otherwise bruising him. He died almost instantly. His remains were brought to the city by Mr. Herman Rieck. He leaves a wife and three or four children in rather poor circumstances. He was born in this county and was about thirty-two years old.

Nothing of importance occurred during the closing months of the year except the wann, rainy Aveather of the closing week, which gave the country a very muddy Christmas.