St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-22
BAD AS The Blenders.
Host Remarkable Letter Made
Public by Murderer Adel-
bert Goheen.
He Persists in the Statement
That His Brother Anderson
Killed Rosetta Bray.
Long List Of the Crimes Which
He Charges to His Own
Family.
Minute Details Of Several
Murders Which He Says
They Committed.

Murders Which He Says
They Committed.
Special TO the Globe.
FERGUS FALLS, Oct. 21.-Adelbert
Goheen, doomed to die next Friday
morning, has prepared a carefully writ
ten and exhaustive statement. purpOrt-
ing to be sketch of his life. but which
really deals with the life of his mother
and his brother Anderson. 1t has been
in Sheriff Billings hands since Monday,
but it was only after consultation with
Judge Baxter, of the district court, that
he consented TO its partial publication.
So far as its assertions can be verified
at this writing, 1t is certain that he has
told the truth, at least so far as the
crimes committed are concerned. Many
of those which are referred to as occur
ring in this neighborhoOd actually Oc
CURED at the times and in the manner
which he describes. 1t remains an open
question how much Adelbert Goheen
himself had to do with them, but his
remembrance of dates and names is so
accurate that the conclusion is almost
forced upon the reader that he was an
active participant. He begins his state
ment by mentioning the fact that his
family, with particular reference to his
mother and Anderson, formerly lived in
Cerro Gordo county, town of Sheffield,
To-, and continues as follows:
Beginning of Crime.
I can Just remember about this place. as 1
was very young at the time. / can remember
of them burning n large quantity of hay and
the burning of several houses: also the steal
ing of cattle and hogs that belonged 10 the
neighbors of Butler county. Iowa.
They kept a house beside the road in a
clump of trees. about seven miles from
Clarksvlle. The Burlington 4 Cedar Rapids
railroad was the nearest railroad. 1t was
about seven miles from our place. They
never did any work while there. They lived
in this place only two or three months.
Their robberies here were numerous. They
WoulG keep travellers over night whenever
opportunity permitted. Their place was
known as the waYSide inn. From this place
they were turned out by the landlord for the
non payment of rent and for the reputation
they bore.
From there they moved seven miles north
on the Shell Rock river. Here their crimes
wore numerous not only in destroying
stock, but they would go in boats at night
and steal III the town and country and come
home loaded with plumber of all kinds.
There were great MANY persons found dead
in the river during their stay there, and they
were suspected of doing away with them. |
think that in most cases chloroform was
used, as there were no marks of violence ON
their bodies when found.
Their Otter Tail Career.
I7ro,, ,l,oro y, ~, oo,,,o 70 O,,ou rr,;1 o.
and located on q homestead previously taken
up in that county, in the town of Woodside
by father. There they began their depreda-
tons in stealing cattle and horses and any
thing they could lay their hands on. Here
are a few names Of the suffererssin that
locality: Mr.. Wolcott. of Staples Mills. had
one fine horse stolen by them. P J. Wynn
had cattle stolen and butchered by them.
The cattle were cut up, and in
the house of Terry when their owner
was inquiring for them. Mr.. Bah
cocks cattle the same. Mr. Bates or Mr.
Tynell Il do not remember which, had lot
of cattle poisoned by them, as well as killing
some of them for beef All the cattle. with
the exception of those poisoned. were killed,
and the beef sold in the neighborhood, An
drew Stelling's house was robbed by them
twice. and his money and valuables taken
Van Guilder's house was robbed repeatedly,
and on each occasion they took all that he
mad. They left nothing they could carry
away. Next Thomas Goodale's place
was visited by Anderson, and he
DESTROYED new threshing machine
by cutting the belts in pieces and smashing
the machine. He also destroyed the school
house books, etc, and carried off some of
the books. Next was the shooting of Mr..
Gould. He shot him off his pony and threw
his BODY into the brush beside the road. l
cannot tell how much money he got from
Gouid's body, as l was in Iowa when that
happened, but when returned l know that
money was plentiful with them. Anderson
and mother would drink whisky-sling con-
siderable, and would display large sums OF
money, and intimdted several times that il
was blood-money of Gould.
CnraveIing Mystery.
AS stated above, many of the above
crimes were committed. The murder
of Gould, referred to, has always been a
mystery. He was shot precisely as de-
Scribed. 1t will be interesting to in.
quire how many of the thefts and other
crimes which Adelbert says were COM
mitted in other parts of the country
actually did occur. After description
of thefts committed in Wadena and
elsewhere by Anderson Goheen the
statement continues:
He stayed in Iowa but short time when
he returned to Todd county. Minnesota
There they located themselves at Staples
Mills. They got house in town and another
about two miles from town in dense growth
of pine. The house in town was used for the
gang TO live in, and the house in the woods
was used for making counterfeit coins and
hiding their plumber. Mother kept house for
the gang. The gang would break open cars
that would be sidetracked and steal every
thing OF value that they could take care Of
They would know what car contained and
its number before It's arrival In one instance
they took trunk from the cars home and
broke 1t open. 1t contained clothes valued
over 500. Each of the party shared equally
Ill the spoils. They would steal ali kinds of
merchandise that lay in and around the
depot that they could lay hands on.
Wrecked a Train.
While there they raided a man that lived
on Crow Wing rivera bachelor named pat
rick Hawley. They got some $3.50 in cash
and watch worth 500. This man lives vet
only four miles from Staples. Their next
was the wrecking of a train two miles east
Of Staples by loosening the spikes so that
the rails would spread. They were success
full. After they prepared the track for the
wreck they walked back to town and awaited
the train to pass; and when the news of tho
wreck reached town they all visited The
place with the crowd. l think that some of
The gang were hired to watch the wreck
However. they got a good deal of piunder
from it. There were two men badly manned
in the wreck. Their next was to burn Lon
Francisco's house. Their only reason was
that he had made some remarks about tho
gang DCillS uelT next TQlu
was on Chef Smith. They robbed him of all
his money and three or four Winchester
rifles. The house of John Martin was also
robbed of all his money, guns and valuables
That was the last in Staples for they
packed up and tagged the train and started
that night for Edmunds county, Dakota
where they located on the line Of Edmunds
and Faulk counties They built them house
on a presumption taken by Anderson. There
they stole horses whenever opportunity per
n DGrlO0 of
that they broke into q cannot recall the
name, but they were very respectable people:
they originally hailed from Vermont) thew
stole about SlO0 worth of clothing from them.