The Red Cloud chief., 1900-01-12
KILLED By HIS SON
Mutila,ed Body of a Farmer is
Found Near Kcarney.
BOY OF TWENTY MAKES A CONFESSION


Another tragedy was uncarthcd Sun
day night, when the headless body
OF c. NJ. Nelson, Swedish farmer
who lived eight miles northwest of
Kearney. was found in ravine 200
yards southeast of his barn under a
pile of straw and dirt. Besides the
head, one arm was also missing. Men
tion was made about two months ago
Of the disappearance of c. NJ. Nelson.
At that time IL was generally believed
he had left his home TO return to
Sweden, but things had since trans
pircd which led Sheriff Funk to the
belief that he had met with foul play.
Saturday the sheriff went out to Mel.
sons farm and secured the assistance
of twenty farmers aud began a hunt
for the remains. All nearby straw
and haystacks were overturned, an
old dug well descended and ravines
hunted out. Then the hunters gath
cred around the house and barns to
finish the search. In straw barn at
tached to an old frame barn and built
since the disappearance, soft earth
was found and the party at once began
to dig, expecting to unearth the body
In this they were disappointed. How
ever, IL was owing to this digging that
the body was found. When about two
feet below the surface, an old hat with
a large cut in the back was turned up
together with n large shcll.shapcd
bone. This bone was thought by
many to come from some large animal.
but Sheriff Funk stuck to it,
AS IL was growing late the search
was abandoned for the day and all re-
turned to town. The bone dug up was
taken to doctor, who at once pro-
nounced it a portion OF the human
skull.
The search was renewed Sunday and
the body found as stated Late Sun
day the youngest of Mr. Nelson's three
children said his brother Theodore.
aged twenty years, had done the kill
ing.
When Theodore was told his brother
had given him away he acknowledged
that he had committed the crime. He
said that he had hit his father over the
head with pitchfork. One blow had
killed him. He then tied rope around
the feet. He then fetched horse and
pulled the body over the hill and down
into the draw where he was found. He
said he knew nothing of the disloca-
tion of the head and arm, hut it is
thought he knows and does not care to
tell
Because OF the long cut in the rear
Of the hat and also that il is cut in the
middle from front to rear and also be-
cause the boy says his father was
bending over the horse tank, the belief
Is general that the crime was com
mitted with an axe, and the boy also
cut of the head and arm.
Nelson was ncrly sixty years old and
was living with his second wife, who
Is barely twenty. lie parted with his
first wife few years ago, they divid-
ing all their property, both real and
personal.
1t is said that Nelson was brutal in
his treatment of his sons, and that the
night he disappeared Il neighbor saw
him knock down his youngest son with
a club and then go for the older one.
Probably this trouble caused Nelson's 5
death.
The son who did the killing is under
arrest, as is also man by the name of
Grant, an uncle of the murdered mans 5
wife, who, it is thought, knows more
about the killing than he is willing to
tell. Mrs. Nelson is under surveillance.