The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-16
JENS NELSON'S CRIME
Horrible Revelations at P0uls-
bo Orphans Home.
a MERE CHILD WAS The VICTIM
Manager OF the Home Gonfes<cs Hav-
ing Rnlned a Little 6iri-He Il
Dismissed by the Church.

The whole Norwegian population ~ TIE
Sound country has beer Tesoltef - nc
discovery OF an unnatural crime con-
ruttfed ~ one OF its leading nteffiisfte
against a pretty notheriess girl o. eleven
years. who has been three years an inmate
Of thu orphanage At PogIsoo, o. whlch re
was manager. The story of MS mar 5
crimes. which were repeated fhr0ns' 0HL
most or the three years the enild was ~
his care has shocked the quiet Norwegian
coiony OF PoIIsoo and spread over ihe az
fsceat reighhorhood. There vas = suRSes-
ton that the villain b tarTed ana fsafh-
cred and ridden on rail and the coTnmunl-
~ rid OF MIN. To this burst or indistaafion
succeeded a feeling ~ shame TIE INST
tuition IN whica the crime was committed
g the Orrhans' Home at F0tilsoo, a Nor
~vAgfzn institution. the Grim nal 81 Jeus
Sels0n. Norwegian. To the desire for
punishment Of the brute. followed the pru-
0ent dread og the stigma npoB their ma
f.onality and upon the orphanage suca r
scandal might bring. The people OF Pouis-
DO are no simpler than the people OF other
communities vet they thought thai sucn
crime could bs hushed up. it's perpetrator
forgiven, its naEtiuess buried and its mem
DRY lived down. Jens Nelson in particular
believed this.
Tho post-Intelngcncer has carefully In
ysstigafed every detail Of this crime. and
here gives the result. 50 FAR as they car
be given in a decent newspaper.
Family of Orphans.
Five years ago young Nol-E egian car
uenter named John johnson, living on O
street near Ninth. Tacoma, lost his wife.
ard was left with little family OF four,
the eldest Of whom. C0nstauti8. was then
but SIX years OLD. Five months later Rev.
I. Tollefsen, a Norwegian pastor. resident
at Tacoma. took Consiantia and her sister.
n wear younger. In order ~ help the poor
father. WHO was 10 provide money FOR
their clothing. year or - later the
Martha and Mary's Orphans Home vas
established ut pyulsbo ~ Mr.. Tolietsen.
and the eldcr % the two girls was left
there by him Meanwhile ne had married
the daughter Of !. b. Moe a logger Of
poulsbo, and orc ~ iis founders. and had
become the pastor OF the Norwegian
church there.
Having started the orphanage. Sir. Toll
lefscn resigned bis pastorate and went out
20 collect subscriptions for his orphanage
and other institutions ba hopes - found
a. Pouizbo. lie left the orphanage IN
charge Of n Miss Hobby. 4 woman he had
engaged as domestic n Tacoma. To work
on the farm connected With the orphanage
he hired Jens Nelson, cousin of his VIII.
These two married and Nelson became
manager 81 the institution.
Nelson's beginning of Crime.
Little Constantia Johnson. at the time
Nelson became manager was hut little
ever eight years old. She was pretty well
grown, ana so intelligent that during her
stay In the institution. which ended al last
Christmas. she was always put forward
before visitors 20 sing or rec.te. one even
ing the manager took hold Of her and en-
deavoFed 10 criminaily assault her The
next day he made a similar attempt, and
succeeded. From that time on for two
years Nelson continued 20 so abuse his
trust The little girl was silent. lie had
expoundad the New Testament to her.
prayed with her. taught that what they
did was what the Bible commanded.
A year or SO after this began however.
fn the interchange Of childish condolences
with a fellow orphan she learned that
what her teacher had taught her WAS
wrong. that the course she Was pursuing
was very wicked. In food OF tears at
the discovery she sought Mrs. Nelson
Mrs. Nelson Learns the Horrible Truth.
The disclosure supplied tho bride 81 but
a few months. She could not believe II.
But questioning brought out such an art
less tale that she could not longer find a
peg on which 20 hang r doubt She sent
for her miserable husband. She charged
him with hts crime lie denied H. Sire
grew frsnzied took up a carving knife.
and grasped him by the collar Of his coat
'''You call yourself a man. she scorn-
fully screamed. and then sank lato a chair
ana wept
Nelson turned and slapped the child. and
she, as;onished al the tempest Of nassion
she had raised. also cried and tried 10 es-
cape. Nelson brought her hack and ELI
down on his knees before his wife. calling
upon God 20 witness his innocence. When
his wife had recovered sufficiently 10 queS-
ton him he made a partial admission Of
hts guilt and prayed FOR forgiveness. Tho
q. Z. a..
for tho future. II was impressed upon the
little girl 10 saw nothing 10 any one upon
the subject, and as the price OF her silence
she was promised q doll carriage The
wife remained angry FOR some weeks aft
srward, however and during that time her
husband occupied "a separate room.
Nelson did not keep the pledge which 10
had called God 10 witness His infamv
stu continued. Little Constautia hogan
last winter 10 have longing to be with
her father, who on and on had been work
ing at poulsho. but had returned TO TIA
coma. shortly before Christmas she was
permitted 90 visit her aunt AT Tacoma.
Nrr. II. n. Johnson. - ~ East Thirty
NTH street. she then declared that she
would never return % tho orphanaEe. but
fert silent as Ia tho cause Of her dctrSta-
ton or the place,
Tho Chtd's Health Wrecked.
roor ltue Conatantia stlli remains
with her aunt. She was ~ wears old on
July T. About that time she hogan % act
strangely and 20 look slckIv. ffer aunt
questioned her. She was all rlght. sho
said. Hut she grew worse. had fits. and
her aunt Threatened her with thc doctor.
Then Constantia told.
The good aunt took her 20 Tor. Cvisteo
oucvli or Eleventh street anf Tacoma
avenue. Tacoma The doctor hoard the
story. scarcely credited g.. an3 then ma 60
IN examination This proved the STORY
true To the doctor the little victim told
~ for the FIRST tirne }n al SIS sickvniug de-
tails. This WAS about SIX weeks ago. Tho
father was away fishing on the Columbia
river az tho time. The aunt determined 90
keep silent until his return.
Inquiry by PoulSbo People.
Eut somehow the horrible taie reached
roulsho and was whispered about there.
There Is u Eocd deal of divided fe~Uur in
the little town as IN those or the I.utherar
church and those outside % it Tho Tile
thsrans could nor believe such ctu OF tse.r
fellow church member Nelson. Rut tno
scandal spread On SUNDAY. Scpter,1e
-, the church members saw that some s.-
tioa was necessary 10 pug down this SCAN
daL
Il Was then that two % The members s--
pointed themselves as a committee a. fn-
vrStiratlor. These were lars Cr.strr-e-
storekeeper. and ole Icsd4hL fsrure.
both uen ~ whrm the community has.
full confidence. An anonymous letter hs. g
been written by another r~eitenf ~ send
70 Ne1son 10 VAS m Norwegian. nsaL
translated was az follows,
sJcns Nelson Don't STAINS an you~ 0uu
LIGHT Come forward and take re rIeHt