Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-04-25

into the real estate business. His
tragic death was a great surprise. ]
SEATTLE, Wash, April Thames
E. AlsOp, alias A. A. Austin, who Was
arrested in this city yesterday by De-
tective John Courtney, of MinneapO-
lis, on the charge of numbering Lena
Olson on the shore of Lake Superior
near Duluth, in order to get posses
sion of $3.50, committed suicide in
the jail here tonight.
He took a short piece Of blanket
given him to sleep on, and after max
ing it fast to a 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 at 1920 o'clock,
when Detective Courtney and Jailer
Peer entered the cell to give him
some oranges.
While it is true that AlSOp made
no regular confession, he admitted in
general way to Detective Philbrick
to-day that he was in Duluth under
the name of Austin.
Courtney was afraid this afternoon
that Alsop would commit suicide, but
the police thought his fears ground
less.
Detective Benson left on the II
O'Clock train last night for ST. Paul
to secure requisitiOn papers from the
governor for the return of AlSOp, and
it was intended that he Should start
for Seattle without unnecessary de-
lay to bring back the long sought and
much wanted murderer of Lena Olson.
Since the publication of the news
Of the arrest in the News Tribune
yesterday morning, additional devel-
opmentS have helped tighten the
mesh Of evidence which was closing
around the man. The murder by
Austin of his first wife is substantial
ed by unimpeachable testimony and
local authorities are confident that
the murderer of Lena Olson had at
last been brought into the clutches of
the law. Furthermore the man was
shown to have been an acquaintance
of the notorious Harry Hayward and
it is probable that -Harry's dying
statement that he knew the muir
derer of the Olson girl was founded
on the fact.
Vernon III. Smith, superintendent
of police of Minneapolis, was in the
city yesterday and at once visited the
Office of Detective Benson. whose
long experience on the case made him
valuable adviser He tells the fol-
lowing story of the manner in which
Detective Courtney obtained the clue
which led to Alsop's arrest. Alsop
went to Minneapolis in the fall of
1898 and on Thanksgiving applied for
board and lodgings at the house
of Mrs. j. ID. Guimond, of 1913 Uni
versity avenue n. E. Alsop was to-
tally unknown to Mrs. Guimond but
giving his name as Albert EffenSon,
represented himself to be a broker
and was accommodated with a room
which he occupied for three
months. At the end of that period
he left without leaving his address
and owing about so which had been
loaned by the accommodating land
lady. subsequently,, according to
Mrs. Guimond, she and her husband
became acquainted with the fact that
Ellensen was frequent caller at the
Ozark flats. One day in the early
: part of 1894 the landlady met the man
near Donaldson's glass block. A man
whom she afterwards identified as
Harry Hayward was with him. Some
time in July of the same year Mrs.
Guimond, happening to be in Mime
haha, again met the supposed Ellen
son in company with woman whom
she declares positively was Lena Oh
son. He called his company by the |