The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-05-16
WANTS $4,000.
Peder 0. Hersberg of Sacred Heart
Sues for That Amount for
False Imprisonment.
\ Petty Offense That May Result
In An International
Trouble.

n SN*Sa W AAOA0o0ASs " 00NtVN 4A0oA
is about TO commence suit against An.
drew Bromstad, justice of the peace
Of Sacred Heart, the constable of that
town, and probably Charles W. Mead,
sheriff of Redwood county, for from
$1,000 to $4,000 for alleged false inn
prisonment. Hersberg is subject of
the King of Sweden, he having never
taken out his citizenship papers or
cast a ballot during his long residence
in the United States.
The case will probably be one of
the most interesting that has ever been
tried in this section of Minnesota. It
appears that two weeks ago last Sat-
urday Hersberg received notice from
the street commissioner of the village
Of Sacred Heart to appeart at GER
tain place in that village and work
two days poll tax, amounting to $3.
Hersberg was to appear May 1st if
the summons was obeyed. He refused
to answer the summons, and on that
day visited with friends III Sec. ~,
township of Hawk Creek, Renville
county.
EOn the forenoon of that day the vii.
lage constable of Sacred Heart ap-
peared with warrant and paced
Hersberg under arrest. Although
Hersberg denied the warrant of ar
rest he accompanied the constable
and was taken before Andrew Brom-
stad, justice of the peace of Sacred
Heart and also editor of the Bladet of
that village and after pleading not
guilty was declared guilty of the Of
Tense and fined together with costs
and expenses amounting in all to
Te.25. Hersberg is apparently q
saEto-do fellow with plenty Of
money but he refused to pay the fine
upon which the justice of the peace
made out commitment papers COM
mitting Hersberg to the county Jail
Of Renville county for ten days or un-
til the fine was paid. Renyille not
having a suitable Jail the constable
without looking at his papers brought
Hersberg to Redwood Falls and COM
mitted him here under the care of
Sheriff Mead. Hersberg's sentence
finished last Saturday morning, when
he was released.
He at once called on City Attorney
Pierce who was very quick to take the
case, declaring that it was an outrage
and that the officers forcing the de-
tention would have to pay dearly for
it, owing to Hersberg not being liable
to poll tax by reason of his being a
subject of the King of Sweden. Mr..
Pierce also claimed that inasmuch as
the commitment was made to the
Renville county Jail it was wrong to
keep him in the Redwood county jail.
The amount to be asked for in the
suit is $4,000.
Hersberg is man with a history.
He possesses an excellent education
and is bright and experienced in the
tricks of the world. He, too, is a
muscular fellow, weighing over 225
pounds. He came to this country
when "a years of age and in the year
1872. He worked in New York for a
time and was fireman on a steamer
between New York and Connecticut.
He visited the old country and upon
his return to America he secured a
position on a Spanish line steamer
"City of Madrid running between
New York, Havana and Santa Cruz,
Mexico. He is an observing fellow
and while in Cuba he quickly caught
on to the crushing and burdensome
taxation imposed upon the Cubans by
the Spanish government and is firm
in the belief that Cuba should throw
off that yoke and be annexed to the
United States. In 1886 Hersberg re-
ceived word that his step-father and
mother we're feeble as result of work
on the farm near Sacred Heart. He
is apparently devoted to his mother.
In an admirable Norwegian dialect he
told GAZETTE reporter that man
who would not help his mother at
every opportunity was unworthy OF
his birth. It was this feeling that
prompted him to come to Sacred
Heart and help his parents along. He