The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-30
WHERE IS HERMANS
The Pastors Salt Lake Acquaintance
Would Like to See Him.
LAPGE REWARDS OFFERED
Some People Entertain the Belief
That He's the Unknown Helena
Suicide, But He isn't-Letters
Written BY Him to the Girls.

eide at Helena was Pastor Hermans.
the Salt Lake murderer. Rev. Mr.. Mel
by yesterday received a letter from
Editor Hershey OF Deer Lodge, in which
he recounts the story previously fur
nished the Butte police department
that he met the man at Garrison the
day before the suicide at the Grand
Central hotel at Helena. Misled by the
statement published in the Salt Lake
papers that the suicide occurred on
May 3, Mr.. Hershey concludes that
there is a possibility that the Helena
man was Hermans, who left Salt Lake
on May 6. The same error has led the
Salt Lake people to investigate the his
tory Of the Helena suicide. The fact u.s.
however, that ii was impossible for
Hermans to have been In Montana on
that date, although the descriptions of
the two men agree so perfectly as to
be almost startling. The Salt Lake
Tribune says also that there is no doubt
as to whether Hermans bought a ticket
TO Kansas City when he left Salt Lake
on May 6, for the records of the Rio
Grande Western ticket office show he
bought such a ticket.
The fact of the finding of the wo-
mans jacket by A. S. Binnard, the
secondhand dealer, was telegraphed to
Salt Lake by the Standard. with a mi
mute description of the garment, and
Miss Lena Larson. an aunt of Annie
that had belonged to her niece, who is
believed to have been murdered by
Hermans In the same manner he had
murdered Henrietta Clausen. The fate
of the Samuelson girl however, is still
great puzzle TO the Salt Lake officers
Her fate is still a mystery, and any So
lutions suggested are based on mere
hypothesis. So far as the police are
advised, there is absolutely nothing
known up TO the present time on which
even a reasonable theory of the girls
disappearance can be based.
AS bearing upon this feature of the
case, letter written by Hermans to
the girls aunt subsequent to his visit
to Butte. will be of interest. 1t was
written in Swedish and translated for
the Salt Lake Tribune:
"Crookston, Mimi, the 18th of March,
1896
Dear Lina-I will now send you a
few lines, as j promised, and let you
know that my health is good and that
the Lord is with me. and to ask you IL
you have heard anything from Annie
j don't understand why she has done
me so much wrong, but hope you have
heard from her before this. When |
reach Chicago sail try TO find Hedin,
II possible. because l am almost sure
that 1t is his fault. 1t might be that
Annie has met some other rascal, but
do hope that this is not so, and prob
ably she is more happy than l can i'm
agine.
Il have now been in Butte. Helena.
Williston and Grand Forks These
places are in Montana and North Da-
kota, and l am now in Crookston
MINI. l am here among my relation ,
and friends, and | feel well, but Annie
is often in my thoughts. 1 am very
glad that my conscience is clear; have
never thought anything else than to do
.
her. II is her own fault.
II shall leave here Tor Minneapolis |
next week, and shall be very thankful |
to you II you will send me a few lines
as answer to this letter as soon as YOU |
receive this, so l can have IL when l |
reach Minneapolis because ! intend to |
stop there about a week or more.
Il herewith send you an addressed |
envelope with stamp so you can send 1
your letter to that Please be good |
and let me know If there is any news |
in Salt Lake City. and how people feel /
now.
Il look upon you now. Lima. after
this, as a dear friend. and that our
friendship may grow deeper. Please
give my best regard TO Annie Swanberg
Your faithful friend,
'F. Hermans."
In commenting upon this letter and
the developments at the Butte end of |
the murder, the Tribune of Thursday
says:
still the mystery about the disap-
pearance of Annie Samuelson deepens.
Additional convincing proof that the
trunk and contents sold i'm Butte by
Hermans were hers has been had. but
as to what became of the remains of
the girl. If she was killed. as is fully be-
lieved, there is not the slightest clew.
In the belief that IL might be secreted
somewhere about the church. another
careful search OF the entire edifice has
been made without successful termina-
ton. Several plots of ground will be
examined. the possibility having been
suggested that Hermans somewhere
about the church dug a grave for the
dead girl. The only reasonable theory
yet advanced is that on one of his mid
night drives. which IL is developed he
frequently took with girl friends, Her |
mans concealed the dead girls body.
I'm his letter written TO Lena Larsen
from Crookston on March L. Hermans I
reveals his anxious desire OF awaken
ing suspicion regarding Annie Samuel |
son. Apparently, he sought to have the
aunt believe that the girl was likely to
go astray. At the same time he was /
crying out. My hands are clean and |
accusing Annie of having done him n |
great wrong. This wrong. IL was learn !
ed. consisted of the girls admission !
that Hermans was the author of Ter |
shame He admitted II himself to Miss !
Larson at the time of the operation. |
then. a week after Annie's disappear /
ance. denied ever having said anything I
Of the kind. Not only this. but he as
serted vehemently that he was never ,
Intimate with the girl. He says: I /
have thought nothing else than TO do | ,
Annie good and II il goes wrong for
her. IL is her own fault Hermans / :
an early reply containing the !
news and 10 secure IL. forwarded / ,
stamped envelope. Clearly he was ap- .
I
There seems no doubt that the letter ,
lena Larson received from ogden on Z
Feb. Z, signed Annie was a forgery. 4
Samples Of Annie SamuelsJn's ,
handwriting show that she invariably 1
signed herself Anna though known q
- Annie the name attached TO the 4