St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-01
THE CRIME OF A FIEND.
JOHN MATS0N ASSAULTS A NINE
KEAR-0LD GIRL.
THE BRUTE Is ARRESTED.

Her Father Catches Him After an
Exciting Chase and Turns Him
Over to the Police-The Little
Girl Seriously Injured -Matson
Claims He Is Innocent He
Will Be Arraigned Today.
John MatSon, laborer, "a years of
age, criminally assaulted nine-year-old
girl last evening at the Grand hotel, 26
North First street. The father of the
child caught Matson In the street after
quite chase and delivered him over to
the police, who lodged him In the CEN
trail station, where he now is.
The terrible deed was committed
about 6 O'Clock last evening. The vic
tim of Matson's brutal passion is little
Caroline Mattson, daughter of George
Mattson. the keeper of the Grand hotel.
The prisoner is not related in any
way to these Mattsons, who spell
their name with two It's. Caroline
is not yet nine years old. She is pretty
child, with light hair and a delicate
face. eqs=saa
Caroline and her little two-year-old
brother Melvin were up stairs in their
mothers room playing. Mr.. and Mrs.
Mattson, the paren is had just returned
from the city hospital. where they had
been to visit Mrs MattSon's invalid
sister. They concluded to sit down to
supper Immediately, Mrs. Mattson re-
marking that she would go up stairs
afterwards.
In the room with the children were
John Matson and his friend, Ole Recke,
who boards at the Grand hotel. Matson
lived at the Britannia, hotel two blocks
north. near Third avenue north. Both
men are employed by the Brown &
Haywood Glass company. They were
drinking beer which they had brought
up to the room from The saloon below in
a tin pail. A few minutes before 6
O'Clock. a sister Of George Mattson,
Caroline's father, who was also
present, said she was going
down stairs with Mrs. Mattson's
baby-an infant in armS-and asked the
men to look after Caroline and Melvin.
After she had gone Matson and Recke
got up and took the children with them
to Reckless room. After they had been
there very little time Recke said:
Come on, children; we will go down
stairs"
He TODD the boy by the hand and mo-
toned to Caroline, with his head, TO
follow. The little girl started, and
Recke walked on out into the dark and
narrow hall and down the stairs, never
doubling but what Caroline was coming
along behind. But she was not.
The instant Reckless form disappeared
through the door and the little girl was
about to follow him, Matson reached
out his hand and detained her. The
child, suspectlng nothing wrong, turned
her delicate face toward him, expecting
that he had something to tell or give
her. Then, she says, Matson assaulted
her. Her father had no sooner heard
OF the act than he bounded upstairs.
At the top he met Matson preparing to
descend the stairs. Matson tried
to pass him, but the father
grasped him by the throat and
struck him. Thenh he hauled him down
stairs and into the saloon. But once in
there where the child lay, the father
lost his head and let go of Matson to
speak to his little girl. Matson darted
out the door and ran up First street.
The father, realizing his mistake. rushed
out of the saloon and gave chase. He
caught Matson on Third avenue north.
near the Brittania hotel. He seized
him by the collar and then parleyed
with him. The father persuaded Mat
son to go back to the saloon, take
drink and talk the matter over. MatsOn
consented and the two went back.
Matson seemed anxious to leave, but
the father held on to him, and managed
to detain him there until Officers Nc
Laughlin and Bohan, of the central
station, arrived, Mrs. Mattson and a
boarder having gone over in the mean
time and notified them.
Ac 10 off N lot
son was walking towards the rear end.
Officer Mclaughlin arrested him, and
the two officers took him into an adjoin-
ing room where the little girl was.
The officers asked Caroline if Matson,
the man standing there, was the man
who assaulted her.
Yes" answered the child, that's
the man."
The officers then conducted Matson
to the patrol wagon, and in less than
five minutes he was inside the lookup.
On the way over he kept repeating:
The little fool, would | touch herI
Well, guess not, guess not. She came
in the room and | told her to get out,
and then she began to cry. That's all
there's to it,
While George Mattson, the father,
was holding MatSOn i'll the saloon, some
of the byStanders, who were mostly
bOarders. talked of lynching, but that is
all they did. Matson was about half
drunk. He had been drinking consider
able beer, but he was DOT intoxicated
enough to stagger. He was fairly well
dressed.
His friend. Ole Recke, is entirely
blameless. When he heard what had
happened he cried like a child. He had
boarded with the Mattsons for some
time and fCpd the ohilHrpn