Omaha daily bee., 1890-09-01
THE VICTIM OF ASSASSIyS.
Ole Littletick, a Distillery EmplOye, ,Brutally
Murdered and Robbed.
BEATEN TO DEATH WITH A CLUB.
The Perpetrators of the Cowardly y
and Cold Hooded Deed Escape
Drowning at Cut
or Lake.


der was committed at an early hour yester-
day morning by parties unknown, in lonely
and secluded spot near the corner of Seventh
and Mason streets. The victim was an in
dustrious, inoffousive Norwegian named Ole
Littletick, who has been employed in the
cooper shop at Hers distillery for the pas {
nine months
Little is known of the dreadful affair save
that. it was brutal murder, as there were ap-
parently no witnesses save the red-handed
murderer and his equally guilty accompices,
If indeed he had any.
The victim was a man forty-six years OF
age, and boarded at the Pacific house, on Pa
cfc street, between Sixth aud Seventh
streets. He was quiet man and not incne ed
to be very sociable, although he was of a
pleasant disposition and was exceedingly we'll
liked by his fellow workmen I'm the shop,
even by the Americans, although his kuowl-
edge of the English anguage was very linn.
tied. He was accustomed to drink glass OF
beer occasionally but it is stated by those
who were thrown in con tact with him every
day that they never saw him under it's influ.
ence. He cwas not inclined to ''treat' his
acquantances, but, on the contrary, was
accustomed to 60 into saloon and take his
drink by himself and then walk out
The last time that Littletick was seen alive
was about II o'clock Saturday night, when
Thomas Petersen, another distillcry EN-.
ployc, saw him in a saloon adjoining his
boarding place. Where he went from there, or
just what happened afterward, is mystery
that the police are trying to solve. All that
is known is that the body was found three
blocks away about four hours and half af-
terward, and it was then cold, indicating that
death could not have occurred very long
after midnight
The startling discovery was made by L. o.
Barnqm and J; H. Hill, two
had 6 Just arrived in nv the city,
They came as far as Council Bluffs over the
Wabash, and then came over the bridge on a
Union Pacific freight train, which came no
farther than Fifth street. owing to the work
in progress at the depot They started to
take ''short cut to get up town, and in this
way came upon the body of LittleclI, which
they mis- took for drunken man. They shook
him and tried to arouse him, but were, of
course, unsuccessful. They struck a match,
and by its Pickering light then discovered
that they had been trying to awaken II corpse.
The terrible ghastliness of the situation al
most overcame them, but they ran back and
notified aswitchman of their find.
The railroad men FASTENED to the spot, and
among the little throng that pressed about
S--..7 ..-,l.sg-i5 Y-er9 some who were able to
recognize them. The police and coroner were
notified, but in the meantime the body was
removed to Heafey & Heafey's morgue
The place where the murder was committed
was just north of the Union Pacific tracks
and east of Seventh street, in little path
that leads from the street below Metz
brewery up to the tracks The path is
bordered on either side by weeds higher than
a man S head, and the noise made by the con.
tf,l, Of t,pt-r
would completely drown any outcries or the
sound OF a scutfle, making it a place we'll cal
culated for the commission of bloody deeds
Littletck's assassin chose a most bruta
manner in which to rob his victim of life
beating him to death with heavy bludgeOn
The weapon was found onlya few feet
away from the body of the victim. 1t was 6
piece OF 2X4 Scantling and had evidently
been used to form part of dirt hauler s
wagon bed, and had been used in hauling
asphalt for paving purposes The stick was
about four feet long and had been recently
broken.
Littletcl1 was struck twice with this mur
derouS Weapon-once across the back of the
head and again across the forehead. Just
above the left temple. The only mark on his
forehead was an irregular shaped livid spo
about the size of a half-dollar, where the
blood had risen to the surface.
A cursory examination did not reveal a
fracture of the outer surface OF the skull
or death may have resulted from concus
sion.
The motive for this cold-blooded murder
was undou btedly robbery, although The pock-
cts of the deceased gave no appearance OF
having been hastily rifed. No money was
found upon the body, though LittleticlS had
been paid his weeks wages, Sl2, on Satur-
day, and is supposed to have had altogether
about $50 on his person. He was inclined
to save his money, and his acquaint
anceS do not believe that he
had less than that amount about him
An old silver watch which was in one
pocket was not disturbed. 1T is believed
that robbery was the motive for the assault
and that death resulted from the blows tha
were intended to stun the victim, as in
dicated by the fact that the body does no
| show signs of excessive violence.
The deceased was widower his wife hav
| ing died four years ago. He leaves TIVE
daughters, twelve and six years of age, on,
| OF whom is with an uncle in Des MONIES anC
| the other with an aunt in Dakota. Littleticl
came to this city about nine months ago from
| Des Moines.
Coroner Harrgan will hold an inquest o.
| the body at 10 O'Clock this morning at Heafe
| & Heafey's.
Il