Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-17

Upon Girl of Thirteen---An Interview
With the Prisoner--yisit to the Scene by
a"Globe" Reporter---The Summer Resort
of the johnson Family---What tho Par
ents of the Girl Say---A Talk With the
Girl and Also With DR.. Mattocks.
About o'clock yesterday morning. couple
of Swedes named Peter Nelson and Nels Johr.
son delivered at the police station as prisoner
a third Swede named John Olson, whom the
two former charged with having, during the
previous night, violated the person of Johannah
Nelson, aged thirteen years, the daughter Of
the above named Peter Nelson. Olson was at
once locked up to await judicial investigation.
The whole of the parties reside in New Canada
township, about half mile east of Mr.. Frost's
wel-known farm about mile east of Lake
Phalen, and some five miles from the city.
A GLOBE reporter having been detailed to in
vestigate the matter, the prisoner, Olson, was
visited in his cell at the police station. He is
dark complexioned man, somewhat above the
average stature, and said he was aged 4S years.
He looked as if he had been drinking heavily,
his eyes being blood-shot and bleary, and on the
left side of his was a slight scar, the re-
suit he affirmed, of the kicking" admins
| tered to him on the night previous. He speaks
| English very lmperfectly, and, in addition
thereto. he did not seem to be scarcely up to
| the average of intelligence, he was
very difficult to understand. He stoutly
affirmed, however, that he knew nothing
whatever of the matter with which he was
charged. In short, he was, he said, drunk
at the time it happened, if it happened at all.
having been indulging in alcohol" as he
termed it. Except denying all knowledge of
his alleged crime, he could not, in fact, be in
| duced to say anything about the affair.
visit was paid by the reporter to the scene
of the imputed outrage, the residence Of Peter
Nelson aforesaid, in New Canada township. The
| house is one OF those one-story, small affairs
which Swedes of humble means usually erect
| upon their first settlement. 1t stood upon
declivity which formed the eastern side
| of depression common in the
township named. The lower floor was divided
into two compartments. One of these Is occu-
| pied by MIR. and Mrs. Nelson and the Youngest
of their four children. In the other was a sin
gle bed. that of the prisoner, engrossing about
| One-fourth of the space of the room, which
seemed to serve also as sort of general sitting
room. Up one corner of this apartment steep
ly leaned a ladder leading to the narrow con-
| fines of the attic, in which were crowded three
beds. One OF these is occupied by MIR. and
Mrs. Nels johnson, second by their quartette
! or SO of children, and the third by
the three elder children Of the Mel.
sons, among these being the glrl Johannah,
who is claimed to have been violated. It will
| thus be seen that the straitened tenement is
densely packed with humanity, but everything
wore air of tolerable cleanliness and order.
Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson conformity answered the
heterogeneous of the GLOBE commissioner, tho
result being substantially follows:
Olson, stranger in the neighborhood, having
been working for Mr.. Bell on neighboring
for ccha NV he la{fa f.,r how;
deserted his work, and came to Nelson on Mon
day last for employment, and was set to work
grubbing on Tuesday last. The Johnsons
ordinarily, lived in st. Paul, de-
irving their subsistence from three
or four cows, but finding it hard to
on the invitation of Nelson, had come out to
reside for the summer at the place. On Satur-
day night, Olson lay on his bed, but was not
drunk, as he had only, said Nelson, had one
glass OF beer. They were all up late, and ii
appeared that Nels johnson was drunk, OF
under the influence of liquor, in which state he
was very passionate. All having retired, Mrs
Johnson awoke about IL o'clock, and found
Olson asleep in the bed of the three Nelson
children and, of course, in the same attic her
self and family. Olson's clothes were on the floor
at the foot of the bed he surreptitiously
occupying. Fearing the violence of her hus.
band, Mrs. johnson descended and told Nelson,
who got up, proceeded up the ladder and awoke
Olson with great difficulty, who then stupidity
stood at the foot of the bed. Then johnson
awoke, and, in his fury, demanded that Olson
should be instantly killed, but the calmer coun.
sells of Nelson prevailed and Olson was taken
down stairs. The three children in the bed
seemed to be all asleep, at any rate the two
younger ones were. Johannah, the eldest
who was the outside of the bed next Olson
was taken to her mothers room, to whom the
child declared her violation, Olson having eff
!
putting his hand over her mouth. The parents
consider the girl must have been partially stu
plfied by sleep. Johanna, they said, was some
what sickly, was subject to failing down.
and was of lonesome disposition. Nelson
and johnson sat up the whole of the night
with Olson, who was found to have bottle OF
alcohol. With this their prisoner attempted t.
ply them, but in vain. He once, how
, ever, escaped, being recaptured after
short run, and he was brought in by then
during the early morning to the city lookup
? On the way, Olson desired to compromise The
affair, saying he had wealthy cousin, VIII
would advance him money, although at tn
time Olson was awakened he denied having
7 committed any cri me, the intention of s.
doing, and talked during the night very flip
l PANTY of the whole business.
? Beyond the statement that Olson was obscen
in his habits, the foregoing were the main fact
elected. Nelson characterized it as "a YER
. mean thing, very mean," while Mrs. Nelson
, said, II am SO sorry for the poor GIRL an
burst into tears.
7 Jehannah was not in the house all this time
, as the mother said she was dffident, and did nc
., now like to meet strange men. AS the reporte
7 stepped out into the road on leaving, he er
;. countered tallish girl of her years. but no
!. otherwise developed, who could be at ono
recognized as Nelson by the strong famil
likeness she bore. She did not seem willing
face any one, and was making circuit of avoit
ance, but the reporter walking nearer to hs
| said: ''Is your name Johannah!" She turne
her averted head enveloped in afunnel-shape
y sun bonnet, thus displaying in its depths
r sun-burnt, pleasant face, and
white row of excellent teeth ST
y smiled modestly, and answered, Eyes,
|, and then she turned her head away agai
f ''Johannah Nelson!" was the next query. R
d verting her head she replied with the san
d broad smile and retreating manner, Eyes. sir
and round went the head again. 1t shou
- here be added that she was then returning fro
- wild strawberry-picking excursion.
d During the day the child examined
g DR.. Mattocks, the county physician, the resu
st of which was not corroborative of the charge
,e Would Haze Done LiEe,cise.
n Elk River Star.
o Had the St. Paul folks had ma jority of Il
q committee they would no doubt have fixed d