The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-18
THOSE BOGUS NOTES.
Sjodin Tries to Explain How
He Got the KrOners.
GAS COMPANIES SUIT STILL ON.
Contradictory Estimates ~ TO DAMAGE
by jackson Street Grade-Fraud
I'm Land Deal.

The trial of Olaf sjodin, the Swedish counter.
feiter was completed yesterday. The evidence
was all in, the attorneys had made their closing
addresses and Judge Hsnford had delivered
his charge at 1880 o'clock in the
evening. AT that hour the Jury retired and in
the expectation OF an early verdict the court
officers remained at their posts, Judge Hanford
alone goine home and leaving in
ssructions that he should be summoned
as soon as the jury agreed. But
In these arrangements they reckoned without
the fury. They continued their delibe -ation.
hour after hour, and at the time of going to
press verdict had been reached and tho
sounds OF voices in hot discussion could still he
heard coming from the jury room.
The trial attracted crowd that would have
filed room several times tie size OF the court.
room. Men crsned their necks out In the hall
every time the doors were opened leading into
the room. Every word was listened TO with in
terest and the Contamination was sharp and
spirited eli through
NJ. G. Bauer, OF the secret service, testified to
having arrested accused al Anacortes In talk
Ing with him Siodin denied mailing the letter
and professed entire ignorance Of the crime
charged against him
Miss Josephine Troson. assistant postrnistress
at Auacortes, testified 10 having mailed the let
ter for A. bert siodin that Olaf gave her.
William Aekenna, an Anaeortes merchant
told ofhsving addressed the letter for sjodin
Police Commissioner Ernst Lundbeck. of
Stockholm, testified as an expert that the notes
sent By sjodin were counterfeit
A. 0beerg. OF stockholm, captain of the secret
service Of sweden, testified also as to the
identity OF the notes, pronouncing them coun-
terfelt
For the defense, Robert E. sproule, of Ana
cortes, said that he had known Alhertson for
two and half years Intimately and his reputa.
ton as an honest man was good
A. BOrdinseD. New WhatcOrn John
helcus, OF the same place, and Julius Dibson
OF Anacortes, also testified to the good character
and honesty OF the accused.
William Heinrich, of Seattle, said that he had
known Sjodin for some time and his reputation
for honesty was good.
Olaf sjodin or Olaf Albertson, the prisoner
testified that he Ind been in this country for six
years. his first residence being in Illinois where
he worked on a railroad. lie went from there
to the coal mines in the southern part of the
state, from there to Chicago, then 10 Wisconsin,
and then TO Michigan. Three years ago he
came to Washington, aud first worked at Sc
home Afterwards he worked at Fairhayen aud
then on the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern rail-
way grade. lie also spent some time working
at Hot Springs. Something over year ago he
came to Seattle, intending to go home to Sweden
for visit. He had $3.50 with him The night
he got here he went into the scandinavian
saloon and met two Swedes with whom he COM
menced to play cards. 1t was not long before
he had won from them the $50 they had. Then
one OF them said that he had some Swedish
money which he had tried to exchange at the
banks, but they did not want il. He wanted
some American money and he proposed to sjodin
that if he would lend him $50 he would give
siodin 1,000-kroner note for security They
parted that night, but he met the two men again
the next evening and they borrowed 500 from
him and gave him two-more l,090kroner notes
Tor security. He had never seen a 1,000-kroner
note before, but he thought they were worth
about $50 each. On the night of the third day
they proposed to exchange some more OF the
bills Tor American money. They wanted to buy
farm here and needed ready money. lie fin
ally struck bargain with them and got seven
1,oOo-kroner notes for 500. He said he did not
know they were counterfeit He went back to
sehome, bought a saloon and stayed three
months. Then he went to Anacortes and bought
another saloon. As he intended soon 10 go back
70 sweden, he mailed the notes to his brother
Albert, telling him to keep them until he came.
Some time after this he saw in Swedish paper
that his brother Albert had been arrested and
that ten counterfeit / 900 kroner notes had been
found In his house. 1t said in the paper that it
was supposed they had been sent by the brother
Olaf in America. Shortly after that he was ar.
rested by Mr.. Bauer. He was afraid then of
what he had done and he thought best TO deny
the whole thing to Mr.. Bauer.
Attorney Ronald, in his plea TO the Jury, took
the ground that sjodin was an ignorant laborer,
and he had been imposed upon and made the
victim OF the real counterfeitcrs. He spoke OF
his previous good character and his straight
forward story on the stand.
United States District Attorney Winston made
atelling argument against Sjodin, pointing out
the unlikeliness of his story.
After Judge Hanford's charge the case was
given 10 the jury at 1880 o'clock.