Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-17
SAD COURT SCENE.
~ ON NAN SENT TO PRISON.

~ oLD NAN SENT TO PRISON.
The Sentence of Jo11an Jolanson for EN-
bezzle,nent---He Tells His Story and
Pleads for lIercy---Eighteen Months in
the Penitentiary---He is Led Out Sobbing.
On the opening of the district court at 10
O'Clock yesterday morning, Judge Brill pre-
siding, Johan Johanson appeared at the bar
for sentence for embezZlement, of which he
had been duly convicted. The former stand
ing Of the prisoner in the community, his
conspicuousness as a Republican leader in
local and State politics, and his prominence
in religious circles, alike combine in making
his conviction and sentence a matter of more
than ordinary interest.
As his name indicates, Johanson is a
Swede, and bis nationality is one which is
more clannish, perhaps, than any
of the United States and sheltering there
under, and apter than others to place I'M
plicit confidence in any of their countrymen
who ,nay have attained some degree of eleva-
ton III the land of their adoption. Coming
here IN 1864, during those early days when
thrift followed industry and application,
Johanson soon began to rise above his com
patriots in point of wealth. In addition to
this worldly advantage was combined his
zeal as a religionist. He became a sort of
IN,
house to which aocked the Swedes on their
arrival in this new country, making it a
sort of halfway house wherein they
halted and were refreshed before
undertaking pioneer life in the farther west
and battling with it's difficulties. The reflex
action Of all this reached and laved the shores
of distant Norseland, and each succeeding
wave OF immigrants was washed to the foot
of Johanson. 10 such of them as settled in
this city he became the Mentor in social, po-
litical and moral affairs until he was their
acknowledged head, their little demigod.
He carried their suffrages in his breeches'
pocket, and, under his guidance, the Swedes
could always be counted upon to cast solid
Republican vote.
Nor was he less influential in their none
tary affairs. In all their investments his
advice was sought, obtained and acted upon.
They deposited their savings with him. Did
a Swede desire to remit money to the sold
folks at home' or for the purpose of pur-
chasing passage tickets for friends and rela-
tives to this Gland of promises Johanson was
the banker through whom these little, but in
the aggregate important, transactions were
accomplished and to whom the moneys were
intrusted.
''All went merry as marriage bell,
until ono Andersen appeared on the scene.
Andersen, Il Swede, is a hard working laborer
of saving disposition. He economical his
earnings, and sailed down his surplus in
the bank The certificates of deposit, with
the blind confidence characterizing his coun-
trymen, were left by Andersen in charge of
Johanson for safe keeping. AS the little
store increased the certificates for smaller
amounts were consolidated by being ex-
changed, from time to time, for another
of larger amount, including the principal
and interest, thereby compromising the lat
ter. This passed ON smoothly for four or
five years until $1,Ol8 were accumulated.
Meantime Jollanson induced Andersen to
have the certificates drawn in Johanson's ia
vor, advancing as a reason that during An
would be the better able to change the GER
tifcates, and invest to Andersen's greater
ADVANTAGE Finally Andersen anr,n,,l1ell Lilo
money, and the bubble was pricked, the
money having disappeared, Johanson giving
as a reason for its vanishing that he had
applied it in the liquidation of his liabilities
to other Swedes, hence arose the trial and
conviction Of the prisoner, which eliminated
yesterday in his sentence.
The prisoner having been brought into
court, Judge Brill, addressing the prisoner,
asked if he had anything to say, why SEN
tence should not be passed upon him.
Prisoner-Yes Judge. feel very sorry
for this case 1 have suffer and suffer very
much / have been punished, and pray
God help me, and 1 am broken down and
don't know what to say. If | could pay
would be glad, but I can't do nothing. If
Andersen left me alone I would do all I
could. If he left me, | would paid part, if
not all. had good credit, but now is all
lost. was up from bed few days and was
arrested on fourth of July, and then was
sick again in my bed. But am sorry for
his sake. The reason did not plead guilty
was'a man come up to me and say if steal
that money, I say "No.' I did not steal
money; it was lost in my business. am
oolly. Cou1u LOU E1lcttel SsuAAty W Sltdl, DuL
did not refuse [ receive that money. I had
him in bank, and took him out of bank,
and put him in my business and
he was lost. He put me in
that troubles before could do anything. I
feel sorry for it. The old man here be-
came incohersnt, but recovering himself a
little he went on did not ask for new
trial. knew nothing about it till I was
told it was in the newspapers. sent
for Mr.. Erwin, but he did not come, but his
partner, Mr.. Griffin, say to me, ''You must
raise sixty dollar for new trial. I say, II
can't get it; I won, do it, if [ could get it l
would rather give it to Anderson Last
time was 50 sick I could not attend. I
was kept III Jail four months more than
necessary. [ am old, old man, sixty-two
years, and come to St. Paul in 1854 to make
a homo for my family. For more than
twenty years | reside here and have no
troubles, but now | am like man in fire
and water. | have wife and three little
children. l was married twice-to one wife
twenty-five years and ten years to the other.
My wife come to me in prison and say,
My children, my poor children! / pray to
God you come home again to my poor chill
dren Judge, have mercy on me, and do
the best you can for me. I should like to
talk more, but guess I have taken too much
time If I meant to do wrong,
could done it when I had sixteen
or seventeen thousand, but would rather
beg my bread. If come out, I will do my