Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-10
FOUND HANGING BY HIS NECK
Swan 0lsontPats an End to His Life by {
iGt ttl Rope. ..
EVIDENTLY 1pERaNGED AND DESPoNOtNT
Friends cf the Dead Man Tell of Some
Eccentric Movements Lately In
dnlgea In by Him, Show
Ing His Bent.

Swan Olsen, a Dane so years Of age, was
found last night hanging from the transom
fixtures OF the door Of room in the rear
Of the building at 1913 Howard street.
Shortly after 10 o'clock last night Mrs.
John c. Dahlstrom, wife Of the man from
whom Olsen rented the room. told her 12-
year-old daughter, Lilly, and a younger
brother to 60 to his room and see If he was
there The children knocked at the door
CT the room. but receiving no answer Sc
cured box and pushing 1t against the wall.
clambered upon 1t and lighting a match
peered over the transom. They saw his
body hanging by a rope within a few feet
of their faces.
Word was sent to police headquarters, and
officers forced the door, which, though un-
locked, was held in place by the swinging
body and some articles of furniture piled
against 1t. Olsen was found suspended by
short piece of rope which had been doubled
around the neck and made into a running
moose, the upper end being tied to a tram
som hinge. Beside the body stood a trunk
From this he had jumped after adjusting
the moose to his neck. His feet were so
close to the floor that he could have touched
1t with his toes. Death had evidently re-
John Dahlstrom occupant of the fat
stated that Olsen was stranger to him and
had only occupied the room since last Sat
urday evening. He had been sent to him
by p. Wikman, who told Olsen that he could
secure room with him. Olsen said that he
did not intend to live in the room but only
wished to store some things there which he
did that night The next day he asked
Dahlstrom If he might sleep on the floor for
few nights until he could secure other
quarters. This was granted and Olsen had
slept there until the time of his death
"Wednesday evening Olsen was around his
room the entire evtnlng, with the exception
of two calls he made on the Dahlstroms. He
was In his working clothes and acted very
queerly &rd on the last visit about 8 o'clock
appeared very much excited. He had then
said that he intended going to bed.
Miss Emma Sandstrom, a boarder, whose
room adjoined Olsen's, said that she heard
him walking about his room and talking to
himself until nearly 3 o'clock in the morn
ing. She heard him move something, and
shortly afterward noise. as of something
falling, Thinking little of the matter, she
did not investigate it.
WAS APPARENTLY DERANGED.
H. L. Suirdean1 who was acquainted with
the deceased. stated that he had acted
queerly of late, and he thought him de-
mented. 'Hes said that Olsen had lived for
several months With the family of W. Ev-
erett, 511 SodthI Sixteenth street. Last
Thursday some trouble had arisen between
them In regard TO the payment of Olsen's
room rent They had had words. which
Olsen told Sunbeam resulted in one of the
Everetts assauting him. He had moved to
1913 Howard the following Saturday. Olsen
had been acquainted with a family named
Peterson living; near Nineteenth and Mason
streets, who thad often befrended him. Last
Sunday afternoon, he had taken dinner with
them, and during a little joking with Mr..
Peterson Olsen had jumped from the table
and run excitediyfinto the street. He after
ward told Sundeap and others that Charles
Peterson had assaulted him. 80 -
The room in which Olsen was found con-
tanned nothing but some ragged comforters,
cot and the trunk from which he had
jumped. In book found in a stand near
the cot was a blank book. in which was
scribbled In Danish few sentences poorly
written. Translated, they read: God for
give my great SIN. / am going to tell my
friends in the next room about Mrs Peter |
son last Sunday. Friends. forgive me-, Mrs.
Peterson, forgive me. Forgive, Mr.. Everett"
The last names were written a great num-
Der of times and the note was unsigned.
Nothing else was found throwing light on
the case. ,Axel H.. O.sen,. Gay clerk at the
Brunswick, and son of the dead man, said
that he saw his father the last time Tues !
day evening He had not acted despondently.
His father had lived in America nearly three |
years, had formerly worked for the gas COM
pany, but had been out of employment since !
last fall He had noticed nothing singular
in his conduct.
P. Wikman knew the deceased for about
a year and of late had noticed that he acted
strangely. He had recommended him to
room with the Dahlstroms. He thought
him deranged.i 5.
The dead man has two sisters residing in
Omaha and several others living in the old
country. Augusta Olsen, an older sister
Omaha
Mrs. Max Lenz, resides at Twenty-fourth and
A streets, South Omaha. Olsen was wild
over. The remains were taken in charge |
by Coroner Burket and an inquest will be |
held at the morguee at 10 o'clock this morn
ing.
Cannon Talks About the Exposition.
George Q. Cannon of Utah came to the