Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-31
sE.AsaTsrEo 70. MURDER.
Charles ioAaa Hansen Again CHARGED Win kIn.
IN Ills Father and Placed h AM.
= NIissins Az with wAich the Deed Of
Blood 10 Supposed to Have Been Coma
mfttcd Found in the Bottom or
Jim River.

" HAVc 00OU NVBNAs
mitted Found I'm the Bottom or
Jim River.
The burning of the house of Hans OLE
son, near GAINESVILLE, in this county, on the
18th of July, and the discovery of the half
burned remains Of Nj. Oleson in the ruins,
together with the arrest of his illegitimate
son, Charles Johan Hanson, under charge
Of murder and his subsequent discharge.
have all been the subject Of mention in the
Press and Dakotaian. The young man
Hanson was made the subject Of . rigid <
animation at the time and while there was
strong circumstantial evidence against him,
it was net deemed sufficient to hold him for
trial. He was discharged and has since
been a resident Of Yankton. The testimony
of the coroner and the medical experts who
made q thorough examination of the charred
remains of Mr.. Oleson was to the effect that
his skull had been crushed in with some
sharp instrument which had caused his
death. The theory Of the defense was that
the burning rafters of the house in falling
upon him had caused the fracture of his
skull, or that parties who had dug the re-
mains from the ruins had accidentally
struck his skull with q spade and crushed it
in. The remains of Mr.. Oleson were found
in the ashes Of his bed and it was evident
that he was consumed without making a
struggle for escape. The house
was built Of sod and the supports to
the roof we're light willow poles.
1t seemed highly improbable that he would
suffocate without moving from his position
of repose upon the bed, or that the light
rafters Of the roof, falling slowly and one end
at a time could break In his skull. The eon
was sleeping in an adjoining room and his
own testimony shows that he lhad on his
pants, vest, coat and hat and that his valise
was under his head. He further testified
when he awoke the house was in flames,
he sprang through the door, that the
had started in his fathers room and that
he could do nothing to control it. His first
thought was to go for help. but before acting
upon that idea he ven down to the river, a
few rods distant, and washed some mud spots
from his pants. Then he started upon his
Grand, passed two houses without arousing
the inmates and finally halted at the third
house, awoke the occupants and told them
what had happened. By the time they
reached the scene it was nearly daylight and
Olson's house was a mass of smoking ruins
with Olison's remains lying in the hottest
part. This is the substance of the testimony
brought out on the inquest and examination.
The pants worn by Hanson on the fatal
night, had upon them ZONE dark, mysterious
spots, the relics of what he had alleged
to be mud, but they looked very much
like blood stains. They we're preserved and
the soiled spots will be subjected to an ex-
animation by experts.
Though the circumstances against Han
son were very strong, they were not deemed
sufficient to hold him without further light
upon the subject. The testimony develop
ed the fact that Mr.. Oleson had about his
premises for general use a small and pecu-
liar ak and from its description the physi-
clans judged that it was just such an instru-
ment as would have fitted the wound in the
skull. This AK was missing, though it trans
PRED that it had been in use only a day or
two previous AFTER the burial of Oleson
and the discharge Of his son matters quieted
down, but the neighbors we're not satisfied.
They wanted to find that ak. A few days
ago a number Of them got together for a
general search. The Jim river had fallen
to a stage which rendered it possible for
them to pursue their investigations in its
bed. They divided, each man taking a
portion of the river as his field of operations.
In a short time one of the number found
the missing ak deeply imbedded in the mud
of the river bottom at a point opposite to
the place where Hanson said he had wash
ed the mud from his clothes. Upon
the ak and handle are some
suspicious red stains, but their
their nature cannot yet be determined. The
physicians Who assisted at the autopsy rec.
ognize it as an instrument which could have
caused Just such a fracture as they discov-
cred in the skull of the dead man. Upon
the strength Of this new development, Dis.
trict Attorney Faux Yesterday Issued a
warrant for the arrest of Hanson, and placed
it in the hands of Sheriff Baker. Last eve,
ming he was taken by officer Mershon.
turned over to Sheriff Baker and lodged in
Jail.
Charles Johan Hanson is, as we have
stated, the illegitimate eon of Hans Oleson.
He came here a week or two previous to the
death of his father, from Norway. His
father sent for him, representing his posses
sions to be a fine farm. There is such q diff
o.