The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-25
CONFESSED TO MURDER.

AnUreW OlSOn Acknowledges having
Made Away With Hans Hagan.
with the sheriff of Wiikin county, on his way
to Breckenridge Oison's arrest was brought
about through the efforts of Chief of Police
Deloche of this city. assisted by the wife of
the murdered man. She had letter from
Olson, and in it he gave the number of bis
residence at Rice's point, Duluth and urged
her to come to him there. This letter she
turned over to the chief, and also photo
graphs of the two men. He was placed un-
der arrest there on advice from Brainerd,
and when the sheriff of WiIkin county ar
rived and took him in custody he
broke down and confessed to hav-
ing perpetrated the murder. He stated
that he did not kill H agan for his money, but
to get him out of the way, in order that he
might win the affections of MIS- Ha9an and
make her his wife. He also said that she was
cognizant Of the matter, but such IL not the
case apparently, as she aided in his capture
and did everything she could TO assist In
bringing him to Justice. Olson was at one
time bartender in Wilson's saloon in this
city and boarded at Hagan's. and during
that time Hagan's wife implored her husband
to have him leave, and even went so far as
to set his trunk out of doors but her husband
imagined that Olson was bis best friend, and
ordered his wife to allow him to stay
Hagan's friends also advised him to shun the
man. but he seemed TO be bound up in the
fellow, who sought to ALLEVIATE the affections
of his wife and afterward killed him to &C
cornplish his designs Mrs. Hagan with her
five children resides in Southeast Brainerd.
and is in abject pow erty, the husband having
failed to provide toward the family's support
for over year. She is completely broken
down over the sad event
oLsoN's STATEMENT.
BRECKENRIDGE, Special Telegram, Oct. 10.
Andrew Olson was brougt before Justice
James to-day on the charge OF numbering
Hans Hagan and made the following state
ment in substance:
We left the place where we had been threshing
and walked down the railroad track toward
Breckenridge to take the train for Brainerd.
When we came to Whisky Creek we took door
from shanty and fixed place in a hay stack to
sleep. Then we sat down to have talk on the
bank of the creek. told him to send the money
he had to his wife, as he had been working all
summer and hadn't sent her a nickle. He said
he would do nothing Of the kind as he had use
send 1t l would take it away and send it
myself Hagan then accused me of being
criminally intimate with his wife, I admitted
this. Hagan then tried to hit me with his fist,
and snatched up piece Of scantling and struck
him over the head. struck him several times:
don't know now many, as l was excited; He
had done, I thought might as well make sure of
the job and struck him over the head several
times. did not use knife. The wounds must
have been made bv nail in the scantling. Then
I went through his pockets and took his watch,
his purse, containing about 500. and his satchel.
The next day I went to Wahpeton and took the
train for Bismarck killed him on Mrs Ha-
gan's account, and not for robbery. We had
formed no plan to kill Hagan, but Mrs. Hagan
had often told me she would be glad to hear Of
his death. My name is not Andrew Olson, but
Andrew Void.