The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-10

sands Of dollars worth of property and
the death Of five firemen, are at liberty
Without any hesitation County Attor-
ney Kane yesterday asked that a nolle
of the charge be entered, and the men
who had been called for trial befo.e
Judge Lewis were turned loose. The
quartette seemed pleased with the out
come and quickly made themselves
scarce.
While dislil<ing to let the crowd go,
Attorney Kane and the police were COM
PEELED to admit that the evidence con-
Meeting the men with the Midway hor-
ror, or even the firing of the Hinmann
slaughter house, on which the Indictment
was based, was too slim to even demand
a trial, and they were compelled to re-
luctantly acquiese in the request of the
attorney for the defendants that they be
given their liberty. During all the time
that the men were in Jail the police and
the Pinkertons have been at work on the
case, the latter agency being employed
by the Mccormick Harvesting Machinery
company. 1t was shown conclusively
that both Harold and Seagrid Olsen
were in another part of the} country
when the fire occurred, Harold being in
Iowa and Seagrid in Chicago.
Olson's arrest, it will be remembered,
was brought about by the confession of
prisoner at the Saltwater penitentiary,
who recounted to the police a story told
him by Olson while the two were confined
in the county Jail at Minneapolis await
ing trial, Howard for the robbing of the
IIinmann slaughter house at Midway and
Olson for the robbery of a tailor shop.
According to Howard, who seemed to-
feel the pangs of remorse because of
the fate Of the firemen, he concocted a
scheme with Olson by which the latter in
return for Howard relieving him of the
charge of robbing the tailor shop, was
to take revenge on Hinmann, his prose-
cutor, by setting fire to the slaughter
house at Midway. Olson also, it was
claimed, had a grievance and he satis-
fed it by setting fire to the Mccormick
plants, both in st. Paul and Chicago,
the Chicago job being done by his pals
Howard, it was known, went to Still
water for both jobs. the robbery of the
tailor shop being fastened on him by his
own confession and the fact that he was
wearing at the time of the trial one of
the coats taken from the shop. Olsen
went free. The story was so plausible,
and being substantiated by others at
saltwater who were in the Minneapolis
Jail at the time, that the arrest of al
four was made at the instance of the St.
Paul police.
From the evidence obtained by the au-
thorities since the men were taken into
custody Seagrid and his pals were guilty
OF the blacklist of treachery, and it was
this fact that caused Howard and his
friends to concoct the story that came
near placing the necks of the four in
jeopardy. While rather mixed it appears
that Olson, who was somewhat fearful
of the habitual criminal act. his last ar
rest making him amenable to this Sec
ton OF the criminal code, arranged with
Howard to clear him of the crime agree
ing, on his discharge, to pay Howard SO
a month while in the Minneapolis jail
and IS for every month of the sentence
that he would receive by confinement at
saltwater. Olson, acquitted of the charge
| forgot all about the agreement, and How
| ard, angered at this breach of faith, ar
| ranged to have him connected with the
Midway fire. This was made plausible
by the fact that the two while in jail
! had talked of revenge for grievances al
| legged to have been sustained.
In addition to mourning the enmity of
! Howard. Olson further invoked the an
ger of the several pals Of Howard CON
| fined in jail at the time by agreeing to
! procure for one Of the men a suit of
! clothes and failing to hand them over.
! lie was given an order for the suit bv
| the owner, and after securing it, appro-
! prlated it to his own use. This was the
last straw, and the attempt at his undo
| ing followed. The other three were pals
! of his, and as he had often spoken Of
them in jail the story was further
strengthened by adding them to the list
| of frebugs.
The McCormicks, who suffered so heav-
lily by the fire, do not think the firing of
their two plants was the work of an in
cendiary, or that it was done by parties
in plot. That at Chicago was burned
! In broad daylight, while the one here oc-
| Cured at night.