The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-04-23
u =. ALsoP SUICIDES.
Lena OIsOn's Alleged Murderer Ends
$3.50 His Own N

s His Own Life
Seattle, Wash, April 19.-James ID.
1AAlsop, alias A. a.. Austin, who was
arrested in this city by Detective
John Courtney Of Minneapo oils on the
charge Of numbering Lena Olson on
the shore Of Lake Superior near Du-3
luth in order to get possession Of $3.50,
committed suicide in the city jail here.
He took short piece of the blanket
given him to sleep on, and. after max
ing it's fast to a staple in the wall only
five feet above the floor put the other
end around his neck and proceeded to
strangle himself. He was discovered
when Detective Courtney and Jai1er
Peer entered his cell to give him some
oranges. While it is true that AIsop
made no regular confession. lie adj
United in O. general way to Detective
Phil Brick that he was in Duluth I'M
der the name Of Austin. Courtney was
afraid that Alsop would commit sui
eide, but the police thought his fears
5groundless.
a Strong Evidence
b Duluth. MINI, April 49, Chief Of Po-
lice Smith Of Minneapolis is here to
give the county attorney information
on which to base q request for requi-
sition papers for James u. Alsop, who
was arrested by Detective Courtney OF
Minneapolis at Seattle on 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 as to AL
sop's identity as A. A. Austin. the muir
derer. He signed as "a. Austin and
wife, just before the murder. and the
capital "a" and the small ST. are
identical in the will and 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. %, 1894, the
body Of a woman was found on the
lake shore of Minnesota Point. When
= cape which covered the head was re-.
moved, blood spurted from the nose
and from wound in the back of the
head The skull had been fractured,
and the instrument which inflicted the
blow was found to be heavy oak
stick which was lying near the place.
About twenty feet away was found a
switch of false hair, together with
comb It was some days before the
neapolis lady identified the comb and
other things found on the body as be-
longing to Lena Olson of that city.
The murder was traced to one A. A.
Austin, for whom the police have since
been searching. s-gg8e
Alsop's Tacoma Record.
Alsop, who was arrested at Seattle on
q charge of having murdered Lena
Olson at Duluth, Mimi, in 1894. came
here in 1888 from Kansas, where he
had been deputy sheriff. He en-
several years later was supposed to be
worth SSO,OoO He WAS made surerin-
tendent of the Lake Park Land. Rail
road and Improvement company,
which built a 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
4 there by the alleged forging Of a deed
Nov. "a, 1890. Alsop is said to have
driven his wife behind a spirited horse
to the top Of hill to look at house
At the top of the hill Alsop got out
with the purpose of fixing the harness.
The horse ran away, threw Mrs. Al
sop out, and she was killed. The body
was buried, it is said, without her rela-
tives in the East being notified. Later
her brother came out and wanted the
body eShumed,. alleging foul play
Through the efforts Of friends the mat
ter was llushed up. The next July AL
sop married Julia Ninthorn. who had
Just secured divorce on the ground Of
non-support, for which divorce Alsop
is said to have paid.
The couple lived together very I'M
happily for a year. She still resides
here, as does also Alsop's son. a young
man, and his daughter Kate. aged
eighteen. Mrs. Alsop did not wish to
make a statement, but admitted that
sthey did not live happily together.