Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-11-28
WHO IS JAMES SM|IH?|
Investigation Of the Identity Of James
Smith Confirms Belief That He
is Bassanella.
Latter Escaped From Grand Forks
Jail Where He was Held on
Charge Of Murder.
Officials Believe He is Identical With
Man Sentenced to Hang at
Washburn.

Washburn.
Investigations that have been quietly
progressing for some days lead to the
almost conclusive belief that tile man
now confined in the county Jail at
Washburn, awaiting the death penalty
for the murder of Anton Hylinger near
that place, is, no other than Jacob Bas-
sanella, who escaped from the county
Jail at Grand Forks several years ago,
having been arrested there and held
on the charge of having murdered a
resident of Grand Forks county. The
murder in Grand Forks county was
committed in a box car, in which the
murdered man and two Bassanella
brothers were returning from the 1um-
Der woods. 1t was claimed the muir
der was done for gain, although there
was some element of extenuation
brought out at the trial, The Bas-
sanellaQ brothers. Joe and Jake, es-
capped from the Grand Forks county
jail, with several other PRISONERS, be-
fore their trial was had. Joe was re-
captured by the officials, and sentenced
to Life Imprisonment in the peniten-
t1ary. Jake as not r%ecaptured, and
has never been tried for that crime.
Shortly after the escape of the two
men from the Grand Forks Jail, there
appeared in the vicinity of Washburn
a young fellow who gave the name Of
James Smith. He claimed to have
been a volunteer in the service of
Uncle Sam, and worked at odd Jobs
about Washburn. Last spring he
murdered Anton Hylinger, a well
known farmer living mean Washbu.n.
He was arrested and placed in Jail,
from which he escaped while awaiting
trial, and eluded the officers for three
weeks, being finally captured at Fort
Yates, where he endeavored to enlist
in the United States army.
Not until Smith was put on trial for
murder was there any suspicion that
his identity was other than he claimed.
When arraigned for trial he pleaded
guilty and before sentence was passed
made a statement to the court. He
said his real name was Jacob Bassan-
ella, and he briefly outlined his life
stating that his father was an Italian
and his mother a German. That Inc
had lived at Stockton, Pa. had after.
ward enlisted in the United States
navy, deserted, and engaged in a rob
berry at West Point, for which he had
done time in a government peniten-
tiary. When released he had come
west, and subsequently became in
volved in the murder near Washburn.
Bassanella did not make any state.
ment with reference to the murder in
Grand Forks county, but that omission
was easily to be understood.
That Smith might he the man who
escaped from the Grand Forks Jail was
thought possible when he first stated
his real lame which is an unusual
Ole. Subsequent facts which have
been discovered tend to confirm that
suspicion. 1t is known that the real
Bassanella served in the navy, and in
proof OF that a picture has been OBJ
tanned, taken a number of years ago
in the uniform of the United States
navy. 1t has also been learned that
the real Bassanella formerly lived al
Stockton, Pa, and the Washburn muir
derer made the statement in court thai
he formerly lived at Stockton. Tbs
facts stated with regard to his parent
age are true with reference to the reaI
Bassanella, and officials who have hai
charge, of the Washbuln man, wher
shown the picture of the real Bassan.
nella, state that they believe the two
to be the same. Sheriff Collins OF
Grand Forks county, who had Bassan'
nella in his custody for some time be
fore he escaped, has been communi
Gated with, and will doubtless be able
to settle the question Of identity be
yond question.
Joe Bassanella, a younger brother O
Jake, is now serving a Life sentence il
the p~enitentiary. He is only twenty
years of age, and a good prisoner, APP
parently not vicious, and it is though
became involved in the present trouble
through the vicious instincts of hi
older brother.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY.
Take Laxative Bromo-Quinine Tablets. Thi
signature efNok on every box, %