On This Date in Minnesota History: June 2

June 2, 1904 – Two military prisoners made an attempt to escape from Fort Snelling this morning, and one of them, a military convict, Tony G. Wisch, was shot dead by Private Kennedy, Twenty-first Infantry. Wisch is a known incorrigible, who has been convicted of violation of the rules seven times. He belonged to the Thirtieth Battery of Field Artillery. Along with Private Reilly, who is awaiting trial for desertion, Wisch was employed in cleaning up the grounds, under the watch of Kennedy. Suddenly the pair attacked the private, who succeeded in beating them off. The two prisoners then broke for liberty.

Page 62 (see bridge upper left)

Wisch and Reilly escaped from the sentinels and crossed the bridge leading to St. Paul. Reilly was retaken and led the way to a saloon, where Wisch was found. The party started back across the bridge to the fort and when in the center, the prisoners tried to throw Kennedy over the railing into the river below. The private shot Wisch, who lived but two minutes. Reilly belonged to the Nineteenth Infantry.

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The evil genius of Wisch apparently threatened to pursue his body to the grave.

The following morning, when Undertaker D. W. D. W. Hurley had secured the body from the post authorities and was driving to St. Paul at 1 a. m. with the corpse, his wagon was struck by a Fort Snelling car at West Seventh and View Streets, the vehicle was smashed, three men riding in it were dashed to the ground and badly bruised, and the dead soldier was hurled through the air.

The rig being broken, it was necessary to take the box containing the body on the car, which then carried it to Seventh and Wabasha Street, where a wagon met it and carried it to Hurley’s undertaking rooms on South Robert Street.

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George Sulske, of South St. Paul, cousin of the dead man, had his shoulder dislocated; D. W. Hurley’s knee cap was badly bruised; and John Devlin, his assistant, was so seriously shaken up he was unable to walk.

Duluth Evening Herald; “A Soldier Shot Was Attempting to Get Away From Fort Snelling. Tried to Throw Guard Over Bridge, Who Shot Him.”; June 2, 1904; p. 1.

The Saint Paul Globe; “Body Thrown in Air; Street Car Strikes Wagon Carrying Wisch, Dead Soldier.”; June 3, 1903; p. 1.

*http://www.naturescasket.com/Images/Unassembled3.jpg

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