Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-03-06
BRUTAL 4. MURDER + u: I.
Andrew Peterson Lured to Y
Lonely Spot a Few Miles
From Brainerd and Foul
Z. ~ Murdered. n

From Brainerd and Foul 4
lyFMurdered.
IA deliberate and brutal murder
was perpetrated in Brainerd last
Monday evening. the victim being
Andrew Peterson, man ri about
fifty years Of age. who has since died
from the effects Of the wounds re-
ceived. The deed was committed by
a young man. John Pryde. 2lGyears
OF age. The two men became
acquainted while working in the
!. woods for the Minnesota Logging
company, Pryde In the capacity of
cookee until about Fen Il. 1895.
when he went to Brainerd. Peter
son came into Brainerd on the even
ing mentioned over the Brainertl &
Northern Minnesota road from
camp two, in response to a letter he
had received from Pryde urging him
to come to Brainerd, aa he had Sc
cured d Job for him. He was met at
, the depot by Pryde, who told him
the job was some miles in the
country, and that he, would walk
with him and show him the way.
Peterson suggested riding on the
street car, but to this Prydestrongly
objected, and led Peterson by q
roundabout way across the rail
road bridge out on the Red Sand
lake road. After going some dis
lance Pryde asked Peterson for
q loan of some money to ride back
on the cur, and Peterson gave him a
quarter. Soon after Pryde asked
Peterson to walk ahead in the road.
and drew a revolver, firing three
successive shots at him. Peterson
fell at the first shot, receiving the
other two after he had fallen. Sup.
posing his victim was dead, Pryde
rifled his pockets, securing only one
silver dollar. The decoy letter he
had written and $4l in bills which
were IN his inside pocket were over
looked. Peterson rallied sufficiently
after Peterson bad left to drag him.
self to the house ofC j. Christianson.
who lived near by. Mr.. Christian
son and a neighDor, Mr.. Carlson,
heard the pistol shots, but
gave the matter no further
attention till, Peterson appeared
at the door. with blood streaming
from the wounds in his head. After
hearing his story, a team was hitch
ed up. and he was taken with all
possible speed to the Lumbermen's
hospital at Brainerd,T where his
wounds received the IN Ost careful at
tention. 1t was found. on examine
ton, that lie had received three shots
from a 38caltbre revolver, all ntering
the head, one at the corner Of his
right eye, ranging downward, and
the other twoi in the back OF the head.
The authorities were immediately
notified. and Sheriff Spalding cap
tured the criminal O'Clock Tues
day morning. and Peterson identified
him as the person who had made the
attempt on his life. Pryde stOutly
maintained his innocence, and claim
ed to he able to prove a perfect alibi
until confronted with the most con-
elusive evidence Of his guilt gathered
by Sheriff Spalding during the
forenoon W hen he no longer protested
his innocence but made a complete
confession of his guilt to Sheriff
Spalding, VIM. Dodd and County
Attorney Chippertield. He admitted
that the letter was simply decoy
to make sure of Peterson's coming
to Bralnerd and gives no excuse for
the deed committed except that he
was mad at Peterson, and had lie
termined to take his life. He had
borrowed the revolver from Mr..
Halliday, at whose house he. was
boarding. He. committed the deed
about $50 in the evening, after which |
.
he returned to town, staying around
the saw-mill till about midnight.
when he went to his boarding place,
hid the revolver and went to bed.
Pryde ia u German whose parents
are said to reside ON q farm about
so miles from Chicago. @
Peterson was Il widower and
leaves several children living in Wis
consin. He also leaves a brother.
j ohm Peterson, at Mankato, and a
sister In st. Paul. ,.a-
Oscar Grassland, who in company
with Albert Dugas, recently pur
chased the barber shop of B. o.
Terry at Staples, returned to this
city Sunday morning and has again |
taken charge of the Buck man hotel |