The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-10-04
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.
q Murder Committed Two Years Ago
in Minnesota. NJ \kA>/N
From the Chicago Tribune, %.


old, named George L. VanSolen, was ar
rested by Detective Samuel Ellis, about
eleven clock on Saturday morning, at the
Wheeler House, on the corner of Canal and
Kenzie streets, on the charge of murder
The alleged crime was committed in Au-
gust, 1868, about eight miles below St.
ishman by birth, named Henry Harcourt,
a physician and surgeon who resided In st.
Louis Missouri
Van Solen had served in the ar,ny, and
an unpleasant, report still attaches to his
name with reference to the alleged murder
of the Surgeon tDr.. Potter( of the 9Th
Minnesota Volunteers Van Solen may
have nothing to do with the fatal deed. but
later events seem to have involved his name
with very dark suspicious about the affair.
He was taken sick while in the regiment.
and sent to ST. Louis He there made the
aeauaintapce of DIR. Henry Harcourt An
intimate friendship seems to have arisen
between them. Van Socn was hospital
nurse, and while in that capacity ACQUIRED
the rame Of doctor" This became a
familiar title afterwards, and he appears to
have used it with much success since that
time in palDing himself off as physician.
After remaining in st. Louis some time in
the capacity mentioned, he returned to St.
Paul, where he has estimable parents and
sister, and was there formally mustered out
of the service. The initiatory step taken
by Van Solen in committing the fearful
crime with which he now stands charged.
appears to have been the writing of letter
addressed to Harcourt, at St. Louis, of
which the following is a copy: Gs2 4
zr' st. Paul, April %, 1865.
DR.. II. Harcourt: = ,-r.., 10.
SIR: A company having been formed to
go North from here, on an expedition for
various purposes, ETC., ETC., we have con-
cluded to take with no surgeon whose du-
ties will be to attend to anything, sickness
Or accident, which may occur during our
absence from the frontier Our intention
is to start on the first Of September next,
and we will return to ST. Paul in April or
May. We propose to give good sur
geon one thousand dollars for the trip,
and will furnish all transportation and pro
visions. The only thing required for the
party taking the contract is to furnish his
personal effects, such as revolver, rifle,
clothing, Instruments, etc,
Such medicines as may be required will
be furnished by the surgeon and pu.d for by
the company :.
The contract has been offered TO Dr. Van
Solen, of st Paul, whose business renders
1t impossible for him to go. He has recon-
mended you to our favor as a competent
physician and surgeon, and We therefore
extend to you the same Offer The duties
are light and the pay liberal You will be
sujeect to- a slight examination, etc. Ii you
wish such position, please inform US at
your earliest convenience. We refer YOU
to DIR. Il. l., Van Solen, friend Of yours,
for references, as to liability, etc.
Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM S. MASTERS, Sec'v.
-s" st. Paul, Mimi. Care Box 1898.
The foregoing bogus letter was written
by Van Solen himself, regarding an expc-
dition that had no existence whatever
Whether correspondence passed between
Harcourt I'D Van Solen regarding the pro-
posed trip, during the months which inter
renOI before August, is not known. but it
is evident from what followed that Harcourt
had not the slightest suspicion of impos
tura Re accepted the position rendered
him his II. ends assisted him to the neces.
sarv enuipmen,. to go, and he left St. Lonis
with an entire OH 'dt Of surgical instru-
ments, medicine, clot. 'ing Tor the changes
of weather, arms and Ammunition. He
came to st. Paul No one there hardly
having seen him there at ALL
lie was with Van Solen, Who probably
avoided introducing him to any one, lest
the false business he had caused him to
embark in should be at once exposed re
was guest of Van Solen at his fathers
house, and no one else knew him. He was
seen on single occasion only at a public
place, when he appeared with his friend at
the Merchant Hotel. The two wens fish,
ing together to a locality called Pigs Eve.
on the Mississippi, about eighteen miles be- 4.
low st. Paul. This seems to have been
only two or three days after the arrival of
Harcourt. His presence in the new CITY
had been unremarked, and his absence
passed unnoticed. Some weeks after, the
body Of an unknown man was found in the
river, some fifteen or twenty miles below
Pig Eye, but it was in a state too much
decom posed to receive naturalization. Be-
fore this time very serious conjectures had
been excited Ill the minds of some of Har-
courts friends in St. Louis. Towards the
last days OF the very month in which Har-
court was missing, two gentlemen, well
known In st. Louis, received letters pur-
porting to be from the young surgeon,
copy OF one of which we give entire. 1t
is addressed to Alderman George Babcock,
Esq -a5 ai So
INTHE WooDs,
ID 2" August, Wednesday,
George BaJcock, Esq: aaj q, -, 10
My VERY DEAR SIR Il have safely ar
rived in St. Paul and found, that my escort
had started yesterday, (Teusday, J but had
provided spring wagon for my benefit, 4
which me- me at the boat and took me at
once to the cavalry. l write tbs lettar un-
der my tent on this, my first night in the
woods aia.2 '1,a
expect to overtake the rest about to-
morrow night. leavethis letter in charge
of the owner of the spring wagon, who re-
turns to st. Paul as soon as l join my es-
cort, who will post this. [ will write more
at length when | get to Superior City, for
as | write this by moonlight it tries my