Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2022
Samuel Beisang was born on November 6, 1848, in Wellesley, Ontario, Canada.
He was the second child of William Beisang (1821-1888) and Brigetta Bridget Middleholtz (1826-1910).
Andrew Beisang was born on November 6, 1851, at Wellesley. He was the third child of several children of William and Brigetta.
Sam and Andrew, along with their parents, sisters, and brothers, moved from their home in Cross Hill, Ontario, Canada in 1878.
They settled on a farm located five miles east of Shakopee on Highway 5 near the Barden station.
Andrew moved to St. Paul where he was employed as a baker for the National Biscuit Company for twenty years.
Then he moved to the Eagle Creek area, between Shakopee and Prior Lake. He built a cottage.
He never married.
Sam lived on the farm near Barden. At some point, he married Nellie Hoffmann, but they did not stay together long.
In 1913, Sam moved to Eagle Creek to live with Andrew. Samuel was 79 years old in 1928. Andrew reached the three-quarter century mark.
About 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 27, 1928, a fire started at the two-room cottage. Neighbors near the cottage noticed the fire. A group of them headed to the cottage to give assistance. As they arrived, they noticed two men, Martin and Morris Martinson, brothers, walking near the fire.
Morris told them to put in an alarm. He then went to other cottages to let them know. Martin stayed at the fire, and in an exciting manner attempted to relate some of the details of the catastrophe.
He seemed intoxicated.
The charred bodies of Andrew and Sam were in the ashes. The brothers, 75 and 79 years old, were found after fire illuminated the entire countryside.
Sheriff J.C. Weckman and Joseph Menden, who lived 1 ½ miles away, arrived by 6 a.m. The sheriff went to the Martinsons’ home, half a mile away, and placed the two brothers under arrest.
A coroner’s inquest happened on Tuesday.
Martin and Morris went to the Beisang brothers’ cottage between 8 or 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 26. They prepared and ate a late meal after which they all indulged in drinking apparently to a very excessive degree, according to Shakopee Argus Tribune.
One witness said he heard noises from the direction of the Beisang cottage throughout the night. These noises included swearing and cursing.
The jury, after the inquest, returned a verdict acquitting the Martinson brothers from all blame in connection with the deaths of Andrew and Sam Beisang. “Sam and Andrew Beisang came to their death by burning in a fire which destroyed their home. The origin or cause of fire being unknown to the jury.”
The remains were brought to the A.B. Wise undertaking parlors at Shakopee on Sunday.
The funeral happened at the Wise chapel at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 30. Interment was in St. Mark’s cemetery.
Bibliography
Shakopee Argus Tribune.