St. Paul daily globe., 1890-06-06
The Crime Cannot Be Laid
at the Door Of Frank
Scheffep.
A Felon in Saltwater for
Burglary Probably the
Murderer.
Ramsey Republicans Decide
to Hold Their Convention
June 13.
The Call Provides for One
Hundred and Twenty-one
Delegates.

ton and per consequence without war
rant, that Frank Scheffer is probably
the man who murdered Police Officer
now locked up in the county Jail who,
on Tuesday night. "went through a
room in the Dawson block and shot
William Van Allen, in an effort to
escape. Whatever there is of evil that
can be charged to Scheffer, it is unjust
be no justification for his lawlessness
and none will be attempted. But to at
tribute the killing of Hanson to him is
a great deal in the spirit of ''kick him,
he's down." At the time of the murder
Frank Schaffer was serving term in
the workhouse at Lake Como, as can be
shown by the records. The only reason
for placing the crime at his door
lies in the fact that members of a
family living on Oakland avenue. near
the steps leading down from Western
avenue saw two men running rap
idly down the steps shortly after the
shooting, and saw them disappear on
Schetfer and his notorious associates.
1t will be recollected that Officer
Hanson was found with a
bullet in his brain one
morning in June, lying in the east gut
ter of Virginia avenue. about thirty
feet from the corner of Summit avenue.
From what could be gathered at the
time, it was probable that the officer
had noticed some person trying to break
into the Barnum residence, had crossed
the street diagonally and had been shot
as he placed one foot upon the
sidewalk. Persons acquainted with the
locality will know that the nearest out
let from the streets on the hill to those
beneath is at Western avenue, a square
from the scene of the murder. The two
fleeing men probably had knowledge of
the killing: but Frank Schetfer was not
one of the two. 1t is much more proba-
BILE that the murderer of Hanson is now
in the Saltwater penitentiary, serving
term for burglary.
For weeks pending the killing of Han
son there had been burglary after bur-
glary on st. Anthony hill. The hill is
in the Rondo substation district, to
which detail Hanson was assigned for
duty. The police were at a loss to ind
the perpetrators. Night after night
houses were entered until matters
became serious with the officers in
charge, who were complained of for
being wholly at fault. After the killing
of Hanson the burglaries in that section
suddenly ceased, and as suddenly the
West side began to suffer from the raids
of the professional ''night worker" and
the police of that district were cores
pondingly agitated. One night
looking man and public woman at the
corner of Seventh and Minnesota
streets. The fellow was held for several
days, and. in the meantime, several per-
sons identified clothing which had been
stolen from the West side and which
the suspect had on. He was charged,
thereupon, with burglary. The fell
low appeared in the police court
ON the morning of his preliminary hear
ing in very dilapidated condition.
The lining of his coat had been torn
out, his shirt was torn, and had evil
IDENTIFY been mopped about on the dirty
floor of the central police station to pre-
vent it from being identified. His
vest was missing, and had probably
been torn in pieces and thrown
down the station water closet,
OF passed out to some tramp
who had been in the place for nights
lodging during the time of the crooks
confinement in the central lookup.
Notwithstanding these efforts to pre-
vent identification, the clothes and even
the shoes Oh his feet were sworn to by
West side victim of the industrious
burglar. and ne was held to the grand
jury. He was indicted by that body,
convicted in the district court and SEN
fenced to the Saltwater prison. He
gave the name of Ryan, and had sew
eral aliases. 1t developed after his
arrest that he was the burglar who had
been doing all the West side work"
and had also performed the jobs
on the hill up to the time of
the shooting of Hanson. Ryan operated
alone or if he had a companion burglar,
the fellow was not located. There is
no doubt of Ryan's having done the
work upon the hill, and no doubt that
Hanson was after some per-
son who was operating upon the
Barnum residence at the time Of his
murder. There are several other cir
cumstances which warrant the sus-
picion that Ryan is the murderer of
Hanson. There is certainly a strong
chain of circumstances pointing in that
direction.