BODY OF MORTENSON.

IT MAY BE AN ISSUE IN THE NORTH ST. PAUL ELECTION TODAY.

UNDERTAKER A CANDIDATE.

Mueller Is Said to Be Ambitious to Keeps Records of the Village - Friends of the Dead Man Are Hunting In Vain for the Corpse - Mueller Sent It to the Dissectors.

John Mortenson's suicide at North St. Paul a week ago last Sunday may yet prove an issue in the village election, to be held here today.

Public feeling is running high there over the consignment of the corpse of a popular young man to the dissecting table of a medical college, and the undertaker who is now running for recorder may find when the votes are counted tonight that he has been the victim of an unfortunate combination of circumstances.

H. H. Stay, foreman of the piano works where Mortenson was employed, who was chiefly instrumental in the taking of the collection for the burial of the remains, visited the medical department of the state university in search of the body, but in vain. He also consulted Dr. Park Ritchie, dean of the department, but without eliciting any information of a consolatory nature. Later he called to see the county attorney.

Yesterday Undertaker Joseph Mueller announced that if the friends of the unfortunate young man desire he will bring back the remains tomorrow from the medical department of the state university for interment. Furthermore, although the county attorney has been consulted by persons who are taking an interest in the matter, the undertaker declares that in disposing of the body as he did, he was acting under his rights and is not amenable to the law. In a statement to The Globe yesterday Mr. Mueller said:

"Mortenson committed suicide on Sunday and died early Monday morning. During the forenoon I telephoned the coroner, who came out and viewed the remains. He decided that an inquest would be unnecessary. At noon I went down to the probate court, following the advice of some of my friends, and secured the appointment of a special adminstrator of the estate. All that Mortenson possessed was a claim for $29.94, due him from the Earhuff Piano company, for whom he worked.

"When I got back to North St. Paul I was approached by Charles Waldin, with whom Mortenson had roomed, and Olaf Nelson, the owner of the house. They told me that they had claims against the estate for $32, which consisted of money loaned and unpaid rent. They said they wanted the money.

"About 3 o'clock on Tuesday I called on C. A. Hillstrom, a real estate dealer, whom some of the people that started this fuss have claimed to be my 'fellow conspirator.' I went to him as a friend and asked him, as I had not time myself, to go to Waldin and Nelson and explain to the boys that if they would permit me to dispose of the body as I wished I would see that they get $20 or more out of their claim. They had previously told me that they were willing to accept half, as they did not want me to defray the cost of burial myself. He said he would go over in an hour to see the boys. When he came back I asked him if they were satisfied, and he said they were.

"Then I put the body in a case. Waldin came over and helped me, and while we were fixing the case I asked him if he was satisfied with the arrangement and he said he was. Up to this time I had only thought of giving the body a pauper burial, but then I got to thinking and telegraphed Dr. Erdman, of the state university. 'Have body of suicide.' I received an immediate reply to send the body over, and on 11 o'clock Tuesday, the requisition came and I shipped the body."

"The claim that I said I was going to take the body to Forest cemetery is not true. What is more in telegraphing the university I was obeying the law. According to the law it is compulsory for an undertaker to deliver the body to the university under penalty of imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or a fine of from $25 to $100. As for the pay, there is nothing said. Of course, the authorities can pay $5 or $50 or $100, if they desire. This applies to all cases where the body is not claimed by the friends or relatives within thirty-six hours. And, by the way, the only relative Mortenson had was an uncle in Wisconsin somewhere, who was telegraphed and has never responded.

"Then it appears, some of Mortenson's friends were not satisfied. Waldin and Nelson claimed that I had promised to bury the body at Forest cemetery. At least they say they 'understood it so.' I am not responsible for what they 'understood.' Mine was a business proposition to them and I did not think any one else had any interest in the matter at all.

"On Saturday Waldin and H. H. Stay, for whom Mortenson had worked, called on me and I told them all the circumstances. I said, 'If you are not satisfied I'll go and bring the body back.' Waldin was satisfied, but Stay was not. I went over to Minneapolis right away and saw Dr. Erdman, who said I could act according to my judgment. The body has been embalmed and is in better shape now for burial than ever before without a blemish, except the bullet holes and a black eye. I arranged to have the body left at my disposal until Wednesday, and then, if anyone wants it buried, I will bury it and take my charges out of the estate.

"These people agitated this affair, it seems to me, for a long time before coming to me, as they should have done. If there had been any wrong done I was the person to right it. Furthermore, there was no subscription taken up for burial. I have had experience with these subscriptions before, and have two or three accounts on my books now. The trouble is that these people are looking at this matter from a sentimental standpoint, and I from the point of view of an undertaker."

"I have been called on by certain parties in reference to this Mortenson affair," said County Attorney Bigelow yesterday. "I told them that I wanted the facts and they promised to produce them. They have not done so yet. However, it is an indisputable fact that even a corpse has some rights under the law."