Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-01
WHERE is JOHN HANSEN ?
THE wANDERINGs OF A SAN FRAN
CISCO BLACKSMITH.
He Wrote His Wife From Los Angeles
That He Gave Up the Journey,
Being Commanded by God
to Preach.

Where is John Hansen? His wife
would like to know, and there are a
large number of friends and relatives
who are anxiously awaiting news con-
cerning the whereabouts of the missing
man, says the San Francisco Examiner
of Wednesday.
Cat on the Corbett road, near Moss
avenue, his blacksmith shop is deserted,
and in the little cottage directly oppo-
site there is gloom intense.
Mrs. Hansen does not know what to
make of the strange conduct of her hus-
band, with whom she has lived in hap
piness for many years. All day long she
stands at the window and watches for
his return. Occasionally she gets a let
ter from him, which only serves to in
crease her fear, ior the written commu
nications bear unmistakable evidence of
the insanity of the writer.
The Hansens are of German birth, but
have lived in San Francisco for many
years. The head of the family has al
ways enjoyed fair degree of prosperity.
Some time last March contractor,
whose name cannot be learned, came
here from Seattle. He said that he had
secured bridge building contract in
Alaska, and wanted to hire few good
men. Eight dollars per day were the
wages offered and the job was to last six
or seven months. Hansen looked with
favor upon this proposition, applied for
work and closed a bargain. The con-
tractor engaged six other men here, and
on April 1st started them for their des-
tination.
On May I'd Mrs. Hansen received a
letter from her husband which gave her
considerable alarm. Hansen stated that
he had been shipwrecked lew miles
down the coast and that he was in q
destitute condition. The letter was
dated Pasadena, April 9th. She an
swered the letter at once and few days
afterward received another written from
232 South Los Angeles street, Los An
geles.
In this missive Hansen stated that the
Lord had commanded him to leave the
bridge-building party and to preach the
gospel in Los Angeles. He added in a
postscript that Los Angeles was a very
wicked city, and that in his new work
he expected to accomplish grand re-
suits.
Mrs. Hansen was now convinced of her
llubUduu . lnbhAlty slA0 WCAt w LIZ w .
I. Bell, the family physician, for advice.
DIR. Bell at once addressed communica-
tion to Health Officer MacGowan of
Los Angeles, asking for information con-
cerning Hansen. MacGowan turned
the matter over to Chief of Police
Glass, who at once commenced an in
vestigation.
Detective Bosqui was put on the case
and found that Hansen had occupied a
room at 232 South Los Angeles street,
the place where his second letter to
Mrs. Hansen was written. This was
about all he did discover, for the
strange occupant had left the house and
was nowhere to be found. Four days
ago Mrs. Hansen got third letter from
the absent one. 1t was more rational
in tone than the others and stated that
the writer was enjoying good health, that
he had found work at his trade and
would soon return home. No reference
was made to the iormer missives, and it
contained no intimation of the religious
frenzy that seemed to have possession of
the man at an earlier date.
Mrs. Hansen is afrail woman and can
not bear up under the severe strain
much longer. In the meantime the po-
lice are trying to locate the man in Los
| Angeles.