Suspected Murderer Commits Suicide in Elroy

At about 2:30 P.M July 10, 1906 at the National Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota a young woman was discovered in her room barely alive her body nearly completely burned with 2 gaping wounds to her head from a hammer. Millie Ellison of Ellsworth, WI was in a delirium of pain and would soon die on the way to the hospital. She was unable to identify her attacker but it didn't take long for the police to identify the perpetrator. It was discovered that Ms. Ellsworth had checked in the day before with a man "M.J Wilson" who was later identified by witnesses as Nathan M. Riggs a conductor with the North Western Railroad.The police found an address for Nathan Riggs who lived on Pillsbury Street with his wife and daughter in Minneapolis.There the police conducted a search late that night and found numerous pieces of circumstantial evidence: The suitcase of Millie Ellsworth along with underwear and stockings belonging to her. Also found was a bottle of medicine bought in Ellsworth and an atomizer identified as hers. The item that connected Mr. Riggs to the scene of the murder was the gray suit he had worn to check in to the National Hotel the day before.

Nathan was not at home at the time of the search since he had gone to work at 6:30 that evening. His wife and daughter had also been gone having left a week prior to visit with family in Elroy.  On July 11 with the evidence collected the Minneapolis sent out a description of him as well as a brief description of the crime. Soon after the release they found out he was in Elroy. At 10 am orders were received by Elroy authorities via telegraph to arrest and hold Riggs. The order was treated as a joke  since Nathan Riggs was highly respected in the community and well liked. The orders went unheeded until about 1PM that day when Minneapolis authorities talked on the telephone with Deputy Marshal Warren Searles and he was placed under arrest however he was not locked up.  He was allowed to go where he pleased with the Deputy Marshal acting more of a companion than a guard. Nathan then drove several miles away to visit his father in law, wife and daughter. On his return to town he settled his accounts with North Western Railroad and then proceeded to go to his room at the hotel to write several letters. He then mailed all of them with the exception of 1 letter. That one letter was found on his body after his suicide and was seized by the village justice who refused to show it to Minneapolis police. Shortly after he mailed the letters Nathan was notified that Minneapolis Police were to arrive at the Railroad Depot to take him into custody at 12:55 A.M. Nathan then vistited family until after midnight since he wanted to be up and ready when the Minnesota authorities arrived. At about 12:30 AM he and Deputy Marshal Searles made their way to the Depot. When they arrived Riggs asked to go upstairs to wash. The Deputy Marshal accompanied him upstairs but stayed outside the door. Shortly after a shot rang out. On the floor lay Mr. Riggs dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the left side of his head. Nearby was a 30 caliber automatic pistol which had been dropped when he had fired it. Minneapolis police and their attorney were quick to lay blame for the suicide on the Village of Elroy saying "The conduct of the authorities at Elroy is one of the most flagrant cases of incompetency, carelessness or something worse that ever came to my notice."The following day Elroy officials demanded pay from the Minnesota authorities for their work in arresting and holding Nathan Riggs. The demand was met with anger and later refused. Shortly after the suicide authorities searched his lockbox in Elroy and in it they found Millie Ellison's gold ring which had been torn from her finger as she lay dying as well as her gold watch. Also found was $3,090 which was taken from Ms. Ellison. Mrs. Riggs as executer of her husband's estate refused to release the items to Millie's family. It took 1 year for the items including the money to be returned to Millie Ellison's family. Nathan Rigg's suicide along with the evidence found led many in Minneapolis to believe it was his admission of guilt. The people of Elroy and his widow however never stopped believing in his innocence.