The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-11
He Wanted tho $500 Reward to
Garry Him Back to
Denmark
Tho story Of Key Isoasman's Five Years
Sojourn In America as It II Told
BY Himself.


the whole affair. whieh he says was not for
the purpose Of burglary. but because he
felt desperate at not being able TO get work
and was on the verge of starvation. His
object In giving himself up. he says. was
that no might get the $500 reward offered
BY the bank for the arrest and conviction
OF the man who caused the explosion, and
after serving short sentence. have enough
to carry him back to Denmark. It IL pos
sibls that he may b. mistaken about the
short sentence. o. he certainly IL about the
reward. The reward he will not get. and
the penalty for his ofisnss 10 uncertain. as
he did not contemplate burglary, nor did
he havs any malice toward anyone con-
nscted with the bsnk, according to his own
statement. The only law under which he
can be prosecuted ON his own confession.
| which is all the evidence there il, would be
malicious destruction Of property.
President John T. Murphy. Of the Mon
tsna bank, was very much surprised last
night by visit from . tall young man who
called on him at his residence and. after
int oduoinR himself as Kew Rossman. con-
fessed to haviaR caused .he early morning
explosion of May 3O Mr.. Murphy was at
hrst not disposed to believe the story. but
the way the young man talked carried con-
viction wish 1t. He advised Roasman TO 90
to County Attorney Nolan and tell his story.
Rossman started for the county attorneys
Office, and Mr.. Murphy followed him.
When Col. Nolan heard the story he took
Rossman along with him and hunted up
Sheriff Curtis. Then the story was repeated,
and to prove it was matter of short time
with the officers of the law. They went
with him TO tho bank. where he
pointed out the hole in the foor of the hall
| showed where he had finally placed the
giant powder that caused the explosion at
the head OF tho back stairs. His room, he
said, WAS at Eugene Meyers house on
Water street. Sheriff Curtis paid a visit TO
Rossman's room and there found q brace
and bit. part of q stick OF giant powder.
two Gaps for exploding the powder and
holes at the bank building and fitted sx-
actly. To make sure. howevei. that Ross
man was not crazy and imagining all he
had been telling, hs was taken to DR.. VIM.
Treacy's Office and examined. The doctor
pronounced him sane to all Appearances.
Then he was locked up for she night in the
county jail.
After Rossman had been in Jail q short
time. he responded to Il oall from an INDE-
! PENDENT reporter and came into the jailor's
| Office, whore he told, not only the ssory of
the affair at the bank. bus also the story OF
| feet two inches in height. with light hair
and blue eyes, and we'll dressed. His Eng
| lish is very good. II will be "a years old on
July 90" he said. II came to this country
five years ago next August from Copen-
hagen. whore my father is we'll to do. He
l l. II 4
we'll till made up my mind 10 como here.
had studied in . business college there
and had been employed in wholesale houses
and in a life insurance office. But got the
unhappy notion 10 come to America. and
| have regretted it ever since. II was fool
ish thing to do and have been trying TO
get enough money together ever since TO
get back. but have never been abba to get
enough Al one time. l had 800 whom l
landed in New York in August. 1855. Sinoe
then have never had much opportunity to
make anything. l could get no employ
ment Mt bookkeeping. which WAS the only
thing was fitted for on account of my i'm
perfect knowledge of the English language.
| "When l started l had q through ticket
| from Copenhagen to Wisconsin, where
have an unolc. The steamer Thingvalla.
| on which l was, crashed into the Geiser. of
the same line. at sea. The Geiser was cut
in two and sunk in four minutes aud over
100 Of her passengers were dHoWned. 1t
was an unhappy entrance to this country.
l staid two weeks in New York and then
went to my uncle's farm i'll Wisconsin. and
staid there tils the spring of 1889. when
went to St. Paul. where l worked awhile.
was then shipped to a place In Wisconsin
to work on railroad. l couldn't stand the
work aud loft after a couple of days. since
then have visited lots OF places, Cleveland.
Buffalo, Niagara and Louisville among
them. Ny longest stay was in Louisville,
whore l remained about year and half.
! Then the desire to travel came again and
went down the Ohio river and the Missis-
sippi TO Memphis. There myself aud an
other man took a contract to do some work
| on the Iron Mountain rond. made about
| 500 out of it. Going to st. Louis wof ked
| about hotels and restaurants, ut anything
! that could be had. Az Kansas City and
| Omaha did the same. In December. 1891,
! went buck to my uncls's in Wisconsin
and staid during the winter. In June. 1892.
went to ". Paul. Whets worked Al oaI-
pentering and other jobs.
while in st. Paul l WAS given free fare to
Montana to work On the Great North srn.
September last whom l was thr ough wor king
| for the railroad came to Helena. Here
worked Ut oarpenterina or any other odd
jobs. In January last began = course of
| bookkeeping, typowritinR and shorthand
at the Helena Business college. in which
was nelp0u oy MI. A. Ms mower. Nu0u
the college closed ON April there was
nothing TO do. exeept days work now aud
then At odd jobs"
Rossmsn aow came down to the night OF
the explosion AZ the bank. The idea struck
hin, on Saturday. May 81 He knew the
general plan Of the building, having been
up in the otiioe Of the engineer of shs Great
Northern on one Of the upper floors. He
had the brace and bit which no had gotten
In 81. Paul. The giant powder. the fuse
and the caps no had secured while working
on the Great Northern washout. more for
curiosity. he says than with aud idas OF
using them. Thusdsy night il was raining.
and few people were around. He was han.
CRY and desperate. and determined. since
he could not eat, 10 create sensation.
1.-THE night favored my undertaking" he
says ''Thsre wore but few psopls around
on account Of the rain. When frat went
TO the aide door of the building there vas
. man standing there. ! kept ON and went
| back 10 Main street and on returning the
man was gone. Nobody was around.
went up 10 the hssa floor and began boring.
| The first hole ! started was the one In tho
foer. A you stated In the paper there