The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-20
MURDERER is STOLID
STEVENSON SAYS HIS VICTIM
NEED ONLY HAVE GIVEN
HIM THE MONEY
RUTH PARISH WAS HER NAME
Her Mother Lives I'm the South, and
the Dead Woman Has Been q
Conspicuous Figure In Certain
Circles, Both Here and at WI
nona-InQuest VIII He Held To-
day.

nona-InQuest VIII He Held To-
day.
Apparently wholly Indifferent to the
self-confessed crime Of murder, John
STEVENSON. the young Norwegian who
killed Ruth Parish in her room at 1877
East Ninth street Tuesday night, was
formally arraigned in the police court
yesterday on the charge of murder In
the first degree. Stevenson faced the
court stolidly, seeming, as shortly after
the shooting, hardly to realize the serl-
BUSINESS of his Offense. From his ap-
pearance STEVENSON Is q person of a
low order of intelligence, and, Judging
from his discussion of the murder, 1t
is doubtful If he has any moral con-
ceptfon of what he has done. With
lowered head and stupidity gazing eyes,
he glanced occasionally about the court
room, his face utterly expressionless,
| save when directly addressed, when he
of apprehension.
Through his attorney, Judge Egan,
the youthful murderer entered a plea
OF not guilty and was led meekly away
to the county Jail to await a prelim-
mary examination, which was set for
next Monday. The police court pro-
ceedlngs may be dispensed with, how
ever, as County Attorney Anderson
says the case will at once be taken up
! by the grand jury now in session.
Acting upon the advice of his attOr-
ney, STEVENSON refused to talk Of the
murder after being taken to the Jail
| To fellow countryman, however. who
talked with him before his arraign-
ment, the accused told practically the
same story of the crime as he related
through an interpreter to a reporter
for The G b at the police station
shortly after his arrest Stevenson
said he did not know the woman and
had never seen her before he met her
on the street an hour or so before the
shooting. He said he went with the
woman to the saloon at Eighth and
Robert streets, where after several
drinks he says the woman invited him
to accompany her to her room. Here
STEVENSON says he gave the woman a
S. bill, out Of which she was to take
20 cents for beer. She refused to go
out for the beer, STEVENSON says, and
also refused to give back the money
To tntimidate her, he says, he drew
his revolver and fired g. shot into the
ceiling. AT this the woman only laugh
ed, according to Stevenson, when the
young fellow says he pointed the pistol
! at her and fired the fatal shot
To his countryman, Steenerson said
he was very much frightened over what
he had done, but remarked with almost
childish simplicity that if the woman
had returned the money when he de-
manded 1t she would not have been
| killed.
Stevenson is nineteen years of age
and came to the United States from
Norway some five months ago. He
cannot talk English intelligibly and
| makes known what he has to say about
the crime through an interpreter. Since
coming to this country he has been
working with his brother for farmers
| In this state. He was last employed
near Pennington. He and his brother
came to St. Paul last Sunday. They
We're stopping at a down town lodging
house, where STEVENSON left his broth
| er when he went out Tuesday night
| When he went to the room with the
! woman Stevenson had $50 In his pos
session. At the station after his ar
rest $S5 was found in one part of his
| purse and IS bill by itself In another
! part Of the wallet, showing that the
| young man probably took the SIS bill
| In dispute away from the woman after
he shot her; in fact, Detective Murnane
| says Stevenson told him that this was
| what he did.
| The police yesterday learned consid-
cradle of the dead woman's history
| From q woman who had known her
! Detective Murnane received a postal
| card from the murdered Womans moth
| er, addressed to her daughter in this
city. The address was Miss Ruth Par
| ish, 1877 East Ninth street. This, the
| police say, was the woman's true name
| She was known, however, by the name
| Of Mrs. George Woodwork. George
| Woodwork was the name given by the
man with whom she lived for several
| weeks in the room where she was kill
ed. The pcstofffce mark on the card
| shows that the girls mother lived in
Birmingham, Ala. The message read
to the effect that the mother had gone
| to Memphis, Tenn, for a visit but
would come to her daughter if the lat
ter would send her money sufficient for
| the trip.
AS near as could be learned the
woman came to st. Paul with the man
giving the name of George Woodwork
about five weeks ago. The couple at
first lived at 46S Robert street. While
| here the woman was arrested on the
charge Of stealing SO from a soldier
named Lester lloyd. While this case
was pending the man and woman went
to Winona, returning here for the trial
about three weeks ago, when they
went to live at the Ninth street house.
The soldier failed to identify the WON
an in court and she was discharged
Several days afterward the man left
his companion, who told those about
the house that he had gone to WinOna
Later the woman said she had received
a letter from Woodwork informing her
that she would never see him again,
as he was through with her. The wom-
an said Woodwork had taken all of
her clothing except what she had on,
ard that by his desertion she was left
penniless.
The letter upon which the woman
doubtless based the desertion Of Wood
worth was found in her room yester-
day, torn into small pieces, but legible
when patched together. It was dated
Winona and written in g. feminine
hand, being directed to Miss Parish
Jinkinson, 1877 East Ninth street. It
read as follows:
We'll, George was here Friday, and told
me to send this picture, and said he would
be about 5000 miles away by the time this
reached you. He said to say he was done
and buttoned up with you, but I hain't as,
If l live, l will have you arrested for what
you stole while here. See If don't. Now
you ought to be behind the bars, as you hain't
q safe person to be at large"
There Is no signature to the letter.
Coroner Nelson searched the woman g
room thoroughly yesterday, finding sew
eral letters and conclusive evidence