The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-04-23
j. E. ALSOP SUICIDES
9LS0N'S ALLEGED MURDERER
ENDS HIS OWN LIFE.
He Commits Suicide in Jail in seat
tie Rather Than Return "a Min
nesOta to stand Trial for Murder
-AImOst Conclusive Proof That
AisOp Was None other Than A. A..
Austin.

Seattle, Wash. April l9.-Jamcs +.
AlSop. alias A.. A. Austin. who was
arrested in this city by Detective
John Courtney of Minneapolis on the
charge Of numbering Lena Olson o.
the shore Of Lake superior near Du-
luth in order to get possession of $3.50,
committed suicide in the city Jail here.
He took IA short piece Of the blanket
given him to sleep on. AMI after max
ing its fast to n staple in the wall only
five feet above the floor. put the other
end around his neck and proceeded to
strange himself. He was discovered
when Detective Courtney and Jailer
Peer entered his cell to give him some
oranges. While il is true that AlSOp
made no regular confession. he adj
mitted in a general way to Detective
Phil Brick that he was IN Duluth IN
der the name of Austin. Courtney was
afraid that AlsOp would commit sui
eide. but the police thought his fears
grOundleSS.
strong Evidence.
Duluth. MINI, April lS-Chicf Of PO-
lie" Smith Of Minneapolis is here 10
Civ" the county attorney information
on which To base a request for rcqui-
sitinn papers for James T.. Alsop, who
was arrested by Detective Courtney OF
Minneapolis At seattle IN the charge
Of numbering Lena Olson Of MinneapO-
lis at Duluth two years ago. A com
pariSOn Of the will found in AlSOp's
grip at the lodging house of Mrs. Mary
J. Guiniord. in Minneapolis. with the
Merchants hotel register, this morn
ing left no room for doubt rs to AL
Snp'S identity as 4. 4. Austin, the muir
,lnr.r IL. signal ~ "A Austin aud
wife" just before the murder. and the
capital a. and the small IT" are
identical in the will AMI on the regis
ter. The word wife" shows absolute
" that the man who made the will and
the one who signed the register are
one.
On Wednesday. Aug. 30. 1894. the
body Of a wOmau was found on the
lake shore of Minnesota Point. When
y cape which covered the head was re-
moved, blood spurted from the nose
and from IA wound in the back Of the
head. The skull had been fractured,
and the instrument which inflicted the
blow was found To be u heavy oak
stick. which was lying near the place.
About twenty feet away was found II
switch of false hair, together with n
comb. II was some days before the
remains We're identified. when a Min
ncapoliS lady Identified the comb and
Other things found on the body rs be-
longing 10 Lena Olson of that city.
Tie murder was traced 10 II y. n.
| Austin, for whom the police have since
| been searching.
Aiaop's Jucomn Record.
Tacoma. Wash. April l9.-James Il.
AlSop, who was arrested at Seattle on
f,... . l., -, ,,,,l,paf ~
Olson at Duluth. Mimi, in 1894. came
here in lSSS from Kansas, where lie
had been a deputy sheriff. He en-
gagged in the real estate business, and
several years later was supposed to be
worth SSO.OOo. He was made snperin-
tcndrnt of the Lake Park Land. Rail-
road ana Improvement company.
which built Il suburban railroad. but
was removed by the directors. He left
Tacoma for Duluth. where he engaged
in the real estate business, and is re-
ported to have gotten into trouble
there by The alleged forging of a deed
Nov. "a, 1890. AlSop il said to- have
driven his wife behind ii spirited horse
to the top of a hill 10 look at 4 house.
Al the top Of the hill Alsop got OUT
with the purpose of liking the harness.
The horse ran away. threw Mrs. Al
sop out. and She was killed. The body
was buried, it is said. without her ella
tivcs in the East being notified. Later
her brother came out and wanted the
body eXlumed. alleging foul play.
Through the efforts Of friends the mat
ter was lIuSlied up. Tie next July Al
sop married Julia Min.horn. who had
just secured Il divOrc" on the ground OF
n~on-support. for which divorce AlsOp
is said to have paid.
The couple lived together very I'M
happily for Il year. She still resides
here, rs does also AlSOp's son. a young
man. and his daughter Kate. aged
eighteen. Mrs. AlsOp did not wish to
make Il statement. but admitted that
they did not live happily together.