Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-08-15
History of the Crime.

History of the Crime.
Just year ago this month the crime for
which Bryson died upon the gallows to-day
was committed. So revolving we're its details
and so horrible and fiendish the manner in
which it was committed that the particu-
lars are still fresh in the memory of Helena
people. After being warned of the proba-
BILE arrival of Bryson in Helena the police
officers first discovered him on August
5th, 1888. living with Anna Lundstrom,
who passed as his wife, at the house of
Mrs. Bennett on Bridge street. A few days
later the pair moved to 514 Eighth avenue,
where they rented a room from Mrs. Mix
tur, who kept boarders. Among her ten
ants were also Mrs. Trunk and Mrs. Hart
wig Mrs. BrysOn frequently talked to Them
of her troubles, and they soon knew that the
pair had frequent quarrels. On the Goth
of August, 1888, Bryson, who had been in
the habit Of getting money from Mrs. Bry-
son came home and asked for some funds.
The woman gave him 25 cents, at which he
grew apgry and a quarrel ensued, after
which Bryso left the house. He returned
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon OF the 21st
and made up with his wife, whom he then
asked to 60 out walking with him. Mrs.
Bryson consented and told Mrs.
Hartwig before she left that she was
happy again, as she and her husband
had made up and that she was going out
for a walk with him. They left the house
together between two and three o'clock
that afternoon. Mrs. Bryson wearing a
light dress. Nothing indicated that they
were going to be gone any length of time,
as they left clothes and dresses hanging on
the walls of their room, their trunks and
furniture. That night about ten o'clock
Bryson came home alone. He went to his
room and lighted his lamp, which he kept
burning all night. The other tenants
could hear him moving around through
the night, as though he was packing
up. The next morning, August 22nd,
Bryson went down town early
and got dray man to haul his trunks to
the Lenoir House, where he registered as
J. D. LundstIom, and was given room No.
| so, where his trunks were taken. Or
leaving Mrs Mixtur's house, he gave her
some household goods, and said that his
wife had told him to give them to her. He
also said that his wife had gone to Butte,
and he was going there the same day.
remained in town, registering at the diff
ferent hotels under different aliases or un-
der his own name, so secure was he in the
belief that his crime could not be dis
covered Finally on September 17tb Bry-
son was arrested at hotel at the
Northern Pacific depot, his where
abouts having been discovered through
shadowing Mrs. Flora Thompson, the
woman who carrisd his mail to him. Sus-
picion that had been aroused by the disap-
pearance of the woman Lundstrom led to
his arrest He was tried before Judge j.
G.. Sanders, but took on the air of injured
innocence. Although the Mayor had
offered a reward of $500 for the discovery
of Anna Lundstrom and search had been
vigorously prosecuted nothing of
damaging character was developed
against Bryson, who steadily refused
to tell " lat he had done with the wOman's
trunks, which had disappeared after he
went the Lenoir house. Judge Sanders,
however spent much time in investigating
the case and, knowing something was
wrong by the srecrecy of BrysOn and the
mystery of the woman's disappearance,
finally decided to hold Bryson for the grand
jury, which sentence he pronounced on
| September 28th. Judge Sanders is entitled
to much credit for this, as, had he
discharged the prisoner, Bryson, would no
doubt have made good his escape. BrysOn
remained in Jail until Monday, October 1st,
when the two occurrences that led to his
trial and conviction transpired. These
were the finding of the body of Anna
LundstrOm in the prospect hole south of
Helena and the discovery of her trunks in
the express Office at Butte. The dead body
of the woman, evidently murdered, was
found by Duncan Dixon, a prospector, who
searched for it in the hope of getting the
Mayors reward, which he subsequently
obtained. The cor0ner's inquest on Octo-
Der 1st and I'd fully identified the remains
and charged Bryson with the murder. The
law then took its course. Bryson was in
dicted and tried before Judge Mcconnell
at Boulder in the district court last March
having been granted q change of venue
from this county. On the 10Th of March
the jury in his case after being out sixteen
hours returned verdict of murder in the
first degree and Bryson was sentenced to
the gallOws. The prosecution of the case
was ably carried on by County Attorney
William Wallace Jr, who had represented
the Territory in the first stages of the
noted trial s. A. Balliett, now County
Attorney, was retained by the defend
ant at the start and conducted
his defense up to the last resort He
worked faithfully and ably for his client,
but the chain of circumstantial evidence
was SO strong against Bryson that nothing
could break 1t. The prisoners motion for
a new trial came up before Judge Blake in
Helena and was denied. Bryson's attor-
nty then appealed to the Supreme
Court, who last Saturday rendered
their decision, affirming the action
of the lower court and ordering the death
sentence carried out. Since then appeals
to the Governor have been made for a COM
mutation of sentence, but the Executive
remain ed firm and refused to interfere; and
to day the case was ended as above re-
corded by the death of the convicted mur-
derer on the gsllows.