Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-05-29
MYSTERIOUS KILLING
REV. FRANCIS HERMANs ACCUSED
OF MuRDERlNe WOMEN.
A Clergyman. whs IL Now a Fugitive. Is
Alleged to Have Slain His Last Two vio-
Tins In His Churoh-The Police Look
ing For Him.

Tins In His Churoh-The Police Look
ing For Him.
SALT LAKE CITY, May s6.-Thls city
has been much aroused by the discovery
that the Rev. Francis Hermans, pastor OF
the Swedish Methodist church, is accused
Of the murder Of two women, and that he
oremated the body of one of them in the
furnace of the church.
II Is thought that Hermans whose
whereabouts are unknown, may intend to
leave the country, and Chief Of Police
Pratt teegraphed to the police OF New
York and all the leading seaport towns
asking them to look out for the fugitive.
Miss Clawson, who was a member Of
Hermans' church and was In his service
IS a domestic disappeared, as near as can
be ascertained, on Sept 80 last year How
the girl met her death Is not known 1t is
believed that Hermans poisoned her, as
several bottles of deadly drugs have been
found among his effects
In the furnace have been found the re-
mains Of two razors and carving knife,
with which he Is supposed to have cut up
! the body, which could not have been placed
in the small furnace without dissection.
The cremation Of the body must have taken
nearly all Of one day, and even then some
ribs and other bones were not entirely CON
sumed
The doctors say the bones are those Of a
woman, and the friends of the missing
Miss Clawson are sure that the belt buckle,
| garter buckles and remnants Of jewelry
found in the ashes were her property.
Janitor johnson of the church says that
at the time when II is supposed the Gre
nation occurred Mr.. Hermans would not
permit him to enter the basement The
minister said he was going 10 build fire
| for the puprose Of trying the pipes, though
johnson himself had always done such
work.
The minister used charcoal, which was
very unusual, as the furnace was built o.
pecally for bituminous coal.
The odor of burning flesh overoame q
] young man who rooms in an adjoining
house. He tried to ascertain what was the
cause and asked the minister.
Said He Was Burning Garbage.
The latter replied that he had been
burning garbage which q scnvenger had
failed to haul away, and with this ex-
planation the young man was satisfied
The first discovery of the bones, razors and
knife was made by another minister, who
| was called to take charge Of the church
during the absence of Hermans in the east
He went down in the basement to look
after the furnace and found the remnants
there. He also discovered that the door Of
the furnace was smeared with blood This
door was taken of, and an analysis Of the
stains showed that they are human blood.
Miss Clawson. 10 is said was in love
with the man. She attended church regu-
laEly and was considered q good Christian
girl. She appeared TO be favorite with
the preacher. at least during the summer
| Of last year.
1t has been discovered that another do.
mestio, Swede named Annie Samuelson-
has also disappearA She was supposed
TO have gone to her Aome in Sweden last
fall after the disappearance of Miss Claw
son, but she has aot arrived there. A
search Of Hermans 9unk has brought to
light a number Of sSticles that belonged
to Miss Clawson and Miss Samuelson.
A watch and rIpg belonging to Miss
Samuelson have also boon found in a
pawnshop, where the preacher had pawned
them. The Rev. Il. 4 Mork OF Brigham
City received a IeSSer fropa Hermans
dated Kansas City, Nay 9. IN which he
inolosed the pawn tlokess. In this letter
he said that he did nsS sxDeot to live much
longer.
1t was discovered that the parson had
used barrel on which to cut up body.
The barrel, with its telltale blood stains,
/
where he had left 1t.
Just before leaving for the east early
this month Hermans gave to Mr.. John
son a box containing eight or ten walls of
poison and some bottles Of ohloroform and
other drugs among which was a vial of
| pills for producing abortion. He had told
johnson that, having studied medicine, he
found many Of these things useful.
Miss Larsen's Statement.
Miss Samuelson has an aunt, Miss Lar
sen, living in this oity "Annie was about
90 years DID," said Miss Larsen. "Shs
came from Sweden about two years ago
and was in the employ Of Mrs BrinkeR
and then Of Mrs. Hardness, In whose serv-
ice she remained until the middle OF last
January. She told me that she was en-
gagged to marry the Rev. Mr.. Hermans,
whose church she attended. 1t was dur
ing the latter part Of January that last
saw Annie. She came to me and told me
she was going to be married shortly. Shs
was TO go to Ogden to visit for a few days,
and Mr., Hermans was TO join her there
and marry her.
"On Feb received o telegram from
Ogden signed Annie, saying that she
was on her way to Sweden. On the fol-
lowing day received letter purporting
to come from her II said that everything
between her and the clergyman was of,
and she was anxious TO set away from
scenes that were painful TO her. Mr.. Her
mans she said, was her superior socially,
and by agreement thsy hAA separated"
Since Miss Samuslson west away moth.
ing has been heard fRom he's. She has
relatives living at CFookston, MINI, but
they know nothing of her present where
abouts Her people In Sweden have heard
nothing from her.
Hermans called upon Annie's aunt
about the time she Eeosived the telegram
and letter. and he also exhibited q letter
/ purporting 70 have bean written by her,
and which was 10 the effect that she had
broken the engagement and started for
the old country.
The letters seem to have been written
by HeFmans himself
Hermans has been married three times.
He first married in England, where his
wife died suddenly. He married his SEQ
ond wife In Superior, MINI, and shortly
afterward she also died. He remarked
again, and his last wife died in this city
about year aGo.
She gave birth 10 q child, which died a
few days afterWard. The mother, how
ever, recovered, and was apparently
healthy for some weeks after her Oonfine-
ment when suddenly she also passed
away In a most mysterious manner.
1t Is learned that HsEmans obtained
small loans from several persons prior to
his departure. A FEW days before he left
he entered Conhaim's clothing store and
borrowed $40 fEOnA ME; Conhaim-
The Malay Apple.
The ohia, or Malay apple, is a COM
/ . T..