The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-21
DANSKA JOHNS HEIRS
MORE CLAIMANTS TO THE ESTATE
OF JOHN SWANSON ARE
HEARD FROM
THEY SAY HE WAS A SWEDE
Consul HObe and Danish Consul
Nelson Had Over the Nationality
of the Old Man Who Left $4,000
and Supposedly No Relatives May
Be ReOpened-Others Heard From.


BE ReOpened-Others Heard From
When John Swanson died alone and
friendless on Sept. 1. 1897, in his little
novel near Phalen creek. no one suspected
that his death would cause international
complications and cause fiocks of heirs
to spring up all over two countries.
'Danska JOHN as he was called, kept
very closely to himself until his death.
and his nearest neighbOr never heard him
say anything about having any living rel
atives. An estate of $500, however, has
made the dead man rich in relatives.
some of whom he certainly never heard
of.
No one even knew whether the old man.
who was 70 years old, and reputed a
miser, was a Dane or Swede, and while
he lived probably nobody cared. But
when after his death it was discovered
that he had over $1,000 in clean cash in
the bank, there was an immediate con-
test by the Swedish vice consul, e. H.
Hobe, and the Danish consul, Coroner
Nelson, both of whom claimed the right
to administer the estate under the treat
les. The matter was given long hearing
in probate court. and finally on the
strength of the soubriquet OF Danish
john" given the old man, and his fluency
in the language he was adjudged to have
been Dane, and Coroner ]. c. Nelson
was appointed administrator
Now Consul Hobe, through Attorney
Lomen, comes forward with what he
claims are indisputable proofs that Swan
son was a Swede, and two different sets
of relatives have arisen, all Of whom are
anxious to prove that they have first
claim on the money that the old man
boarded so carefully while alive.
According to the inventory the estate
consisted originally Of furniture worth
So, $40 shanty and s2,475 in cash, which
was safely banked. The last accounting
of Coroner Nelson showed that the cost
of administration up to Sept. 16, 1898, had
been $552. 60.
The first set of claimants made their ap-
pearance in Sweden in Eftra parish. They
claimed that Swanson, or Svensson. was
the son of Sven Johnson, and had two
sisters and a brother. He was. according
to these claimants, born in 1927 in Extra
parish, went to Denmark in 1862 and came
to America in 1869. The claimants are all
descendants of Swanson's reputed brother
and descendants of his father by a sec
ond marriage.
Now comes Emma Christina Swanson
with the assertion that she is a daughter
Of the old man, and that she has brothers
and sisters living who are interested with
her. in the estate The new claimant is a
resident of Hamilton county, Ohio, and
in her claim as filed she sets forth the
history of her parent. She says that he
was born at Halmstad. in Sweden, and
married in 1916 when he was about q
years old, that he was a carpenter by
profession and went in 1865 between
Christmas and New Years to the south
ern part of Sweden, where he was en-
gagged in building a railroad. There he
disappeared. The claimant says that her
father had four children, of whom John
is dead. Charles Swanson, who Is 45 years
old, resides at 91S Curley street, Balti-
more, and is known as Charles Wilson
Josephine Swanson. aged 81 is living in
Sweden, and the deponent is 43 and mar
ried to Olaf Rosendahl, living at lip Elm
street, Cincinnati. Her mother, she says,
died at Holmstad on April 16, 1896. Her
father for some unknown reason refused
to support his family and, she under
stod, always claimed to his acquaintances
that he was unmarried.
This claim, which was filed recently, up
set the affairs of the estate to a consid-
cradle extent -
Last Thursday the matter was again
raised by a petition filed by Christina
Benson, of Marathon, To-. who is at pres
ent in the city. asking for leave to file
her claim to the estate. The order to
show cause was issued yesterday by
Judge Bazille. Mrs. Benson claims to De
a niece and is one Of the original or
Swedish claimants.