The evening times., 1896-05-26
ROPE AWAITS THE PASTOR
Authorities Have Strong Evidence
Against Rev. Francis Hermann.
MAY HAVE OTHER VICTIMS
Search of the Cellar of the Church
Revealed Large Number OF HUI
man Bones-Portions of the Minis
ter's Bloody Clothing FOund-No
Clew to His whereabouts.


result of yesterdays investigation OF the
Scandinavian Methodist church tragedies
n chain OF circumstances has been forged
which, taken with those previously dis
covered, fasieus the guilt OF numbering
Miss Clausen ON tue Rev. Francis Hermann
beyond "A reasonable doubt, and also gees
TO show that Miss Samueison fell victim
10 the pastors fanatic actions. He may
have other victims.
The work OF excavating the floor of the
basement of the church began at an early
hour this morning. A vast amount of
earth was removed and quantities OF bones
found in various stages of decomposition.
Some were plainly identified as human
bones. Others were in such condition
IL was impossible TO tell whe ther Hley were'
human or not.
The general appearance of the place was
TO suggest the idea of cemetery, ana
there is no telling how many human beings
have been inferred In the basement of the
chu rch. Beneath the stair way, where
the soil showed evidence OF having been
recently disturbed the sole and heel or a
shoe were found. and n little deeper
down in the same spot pair of blood
stained ovcralls, which il is claimed by
the tenants of the church were worn by
their pastor while he was enga Ged in
laboratory aud ether work separate from
his books.
BLooD-STAINED oVERALLS.
The ovcral,s We're blood stained ON almost
every part. Ed Johnson, the young man
whose room was heated to such hish de-
gree of temperature the day the minister
Ia. t..r.
that Hermann had them on whe the latter
was met by him on the basement stair
way with gunny sack under bis arm. He
says he also wore a jumper OF like ma
te rial.
All efforts TO find this article Of cloth
ing were futile. Then came piece of
confirmatory evidence as To what became
of il. The furnace ashes, on being sif;ed,
wete found 10 contain the requisite num-
ber of buttons for such an article or ap-
parel, and the strong point is that they
correspond exactly with those on the
blood-stained overalls
Miss Clausen wore five or six artificial
.eeth, ana afurther examination ofthe ashes
taken from the furnace resulted in the
finding OF two artificial teeth with me-
tallic rivets, similar to those worn by the
dead girl. Among the articles found in the
| dead girls trunk was a dress in which Miss
| Clausen had photograph taken, now in
the possession of the police.
SOLD THE GIRLS CLOTHING.
In addition to this 1t now happens that
Hermann sold the trunk and clothing him
self, and that Ire disposed of the girls
guitar at the same time. The date Of this
| transaction was December 10, last, just
| two months and eleven days after the girl
disappeared. Whether the bones found
| n excavating the basement OF the church
include those of Miss Samuelson, the other
girl whom 1t would appear fell victim
| 70 the pastors lust and blood-thirstiness,
| cannot yet be determined. The search
in the church and SURROUNDINGS not by any
means concluded and further discoveries
can be expected.
1t has been established that Hermann was
criminally intimate with the Samuelson girl
and that he performed an abortion on her a
few weeks before her disappearance in
| January last. A few days prior TO her
| disappearance the pastor had large box
| made at one of the lumber yards and Some
of the Officers hold 10 the theory that the
bones found in the church are too old
10 be those of a person only dead since
January and that the preacher packed tht
remains in the box and either shipped then
away or else took them along with him
when he left for Kansas City on May 6.
GAVE HIM MONEY To KEEP.
1t is further developed that both giTls
had entrusted to Hermann considerable
money for safe keeping or investment
Miss Clausen, it is known, gave him $30t
very shortly before her disappearance ant
Miss Samuelsou had also given him seyera
sums of money while she was living will
him. Hermann drank heavily at times
and kept stock of wines and liquors in hi
study. The officers are keeping up tn
search in and around the church. The plac
was visited by Thousands of curiosity seek
ers today.
The officers have no tidings of the missing
preacher. The governor has been asked I,
offer a reward for his capture and it is ex
pected that his excellency will do SO.
| o