The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-04-24

Yorgenson Case Yesterday After
noon.-Court will Probably Adjourn
Saturday.
The trial of the civil suit of George
Andrews against the Chicago & North
western railway company was COM
menced this forenoon when the jury
was empanelled. The taking of testi-
mony began this afternoon, and the
case will probablybe concluded tomor-
row afternoon, or early enough Satur-
day for the court officials to return to
St. Paul, for this will be the last case
tried at the present term. w. n.
Plymat and w. E. Young are attor-
neyS for the plaintiff, and Brown &
Abbott, of Winona, are attorneys for
the defense.
In November, 1898, Charles Andrews
was killed by the cars at Morrison,
Ills, on the Chicago & Northwestern
track. In his private car, Geo. An
drews started for this city with the
remains. While the train to the rear
end of which this car was attached
stopped at Elroy Wis, another train
bumped into it, George Andrews re-
ceived painful injuries as result OF
the collision, two of his ribs being
broken, and his shoulder injured. He
has sued the road for $4,000 damages
for this injury, claiming that the
collision was due to the negligence
and fault of the roads employees. The
defense holds that the road was not
to blame for the accident, and that
the injury was not serious one. Mr.
Andrews is so we'll known in Mankato
that much local interest attache sto
the outcome of this case.
Whenu Andrew G. Yorgenson, alias
Chris Hanson, was brought into court
yesterday afternoon to receive his
sentence, as exclusively mentioned by
the FREE PRESS yesterday, he told the
court that he had nothing to say why
sentence should not be passed upon
him:
District Attorney Stringer stated
that his Investigations showed that
this was one of the most aggravated
cases that had come to his knowledge
since he had been connected with the
court. They showed that Yorgenson
had a systematic mode Of procedure
in sending letters vile beyond descrip-
tion to woman of reputable charac-
ter. Other vile and indecent letters
had been sent to men and her name
forged to them, the letters going
through the postoffice. These things
were not alleged in the indictments,
but would have been part of the his
tory of the case had it gone to trial.
He did not know of single fact to
recommend the prisoner except his
plea of guilty.
Attorney W. E. Hughes stated that
while he had no interest in the case,
he would say word on it out of hu-
manity. He had found that it was
the opinion that the prisoner was not
right in his mind and not responsible
for his actions. This had come from
what he was reported to have said to
the prisoners in Jail.
The court then pronounced the
sentence that will impriSOn Yorgen-
sen for eighteen months, he serving
the two sentences together. The sem
tence is generally considered to be
very light, considering the system
attic manner and long time that the
letter writing has been carried on.
In regard to the theory that Yor-
censor is insane, court officers state
that he said that he was going to try
the insanity dodge. They say that
the gdistrict attorney had evidence
of this threat which would have been
introduced, had the case gone to trial
1t is also said that Yorgenson stated
that if supplied with pen and ink he
would get even with everybody before
he gets out of prison.
The arguments to the jury in the
trial of A. c. Roberts were made this
forenoon by Geo. Rice for the defnsee
and DistrictAttorney Stringer Judge
Nelson gave very fair charge TO the
iury. which retired at about IL 80
o'clock.
The jury was still out at 500 p. m.
-McCadden is selling splendid tea