The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-04
REVELED In CRIME.
ALLSoP, WHO KILLED HIMSELF IN
SEATTLE JAIL
ST. Paul Minister Tells of the Mar
rfnse OF Lena Olson Three Days
Before Her Death Near Duluth
\ Career Only Matched by That of
the Monster Holmes.

James E Allsop. alias A. A. Austin.
aAtas Olson. who was arrested in Seattle
apri 70, ISIS. By Detective John Court
neg: OF Minneapolis. and Detective GIL
fh'iorick OF the local force. on the
charge OF brutality numbering Lena Olson
respectable servant girl. an the shores
OF Lake Superior near Duluth. August
Il 1874 and who acknowledged mis- guilt
oF taxing his own life in a cell at the
CITY jan. was 4 great criminal
he was not only a swiadler and muir
oerer' out according 10 he latest reveal
tions ABOUT his snake-iike career. was
biganist as We'll Al the zine he killed
himself he left wife in Tacoma. and II
now turns out that unless Rev. William
Z. Baker. Baptist clergyman If Red
wing, Mimi. is greatly mistaken. he per-
formed q wedding ceremony three days
before the Duluth tragedy IN which a
A Austin. or AIlsop. and Lena Olson
were the contracting parties.
Al the time OF the murder, says the
Minneapolis Journsi. Mr.. Baker was pas
lof OF the Philadelphia Baptist church. of
81 Pani. and three days before the muir
der or Lena Olson he was esllled upon
10 marry her 10 Austin Not being a
close reader Of newspapers. Mr.. Baker
faned 20 notice the announcement of the
murder. and ii was not until q few DAYS
ago Wnie looking over some old records
D
the actors IN the mystery which so long
panled the police. This new information
sheos hight on the murderous ingenuity
Oh Alisop, who, blocked by Lena Olson's
hlgh standard of virtue, still found means
70 secure her money by Turing her TO a
desoiate spot and then killing her.
IL was evident al the time Allsop was
arrested IN Seattle, and his record COM
mehced TO come 10 light. that he was a
criminal OF no mean calfber. He annearad
TO be a second edition of that cold blooded.
hearlless and scientific murderer. H. H.
fioiines' VINO was eventually run TO earth
anu executed as punishment for his nu-
merous horrible crimes. Allsop. however.
put a partial stop TO the investigation OF
ms wroagdoings by tying one piece of a
nianket around his neck, the other to a
nook on the wall. AT any time after he
crouched down and commenced to strange
himself he could have eased up and saved
ms NE. There was little doubt, however.
that he realized that he had run his
course, and that the best way out OF a
long stay behind the bars. with hang
man moose at the end was to take the
matter into his own hands With the final
Shipment of the body interest Jagged in
Alisops career. and the public was still
ie1t IN doubt as to the means employed by
the arch iiend TO lure Miss Olson 10 such
an isolated spot as the scene of the murder
has always been described
Rev. William r. Bakers evidence, COM
ing even al this late hour clears up the
matter and shows conclusively that the
$3.50 Miss Olson had in her possession was
enough to make Allsop become a bigamist
and later a murderer. There is a big black
streak running through the mans record
for years. and long before he was landed
in the jail of this city as a murderer
there in
he was one. 1t was on November "a. 1880.
that Allsop took his wife -out TO ride at
Tacoma. He had spirited horse and as
luck or design had IL, the horse ran away
when on the top of hill The peculiar
point. and one which has always been con-
sidered by those who. had suspicion
against the man. was that he got out 10
fix part of the harness and then the
horse ran away. Mrs. Allsop was thrown
out. and received injuries which resulted
in her death. Mrs. Ailsops brother came
TO Tacoma and insisted that the body be
exhumed, his belief being that there had
been foul play. In some way not well
known To the public the affair was hushed
up and Mr.. Allsop continued 20 occupy a
position among respectable people.
In 1898 Allsop married Mrs. Julia Min
thorn, who had just been granted a d.
vorce from her husband on the ground OF
non-support. They lived together for a
year or So when Allsop went East. osten-
sihly TO visit the coal regions in Michigan.
His route took him through that portion
of Minnesota burned over by forest fires
and as nothing was heard of him. Mrs
Ansop and her family, with whom Allsop
had stopped in Minnesota, thought that
he had lost his life.
Imagine Mrs. Allsop's surprise TO have
her husband walk into her house at Ia
coma a few days before he was arrested
In Seattle for murder. II Allsop had not
committed suicide he would have been
the defendant I'm a divorce suit. brought
by the woman he married in Tacoma and
practically deserted