The Minneapolis journal., 1902-11-11
A MURDER CHARGE
HANGS OYER THEM
Prospect Park Thugs Do Not Yet
Know That Their First
4 Victim Died.
In Ignorance of His Death, They
Admit That They Assaulted
Him.
Under the Sweating Process, They
Admit That They Held Up
Three Other Men.

be arralgned Tomorrow morning. Not
until the clerk of the municipal court
reads the complaint against them, will
the men know that the unknown man
whom they assaulted and robbed&@al a
lonely spot in the park Sunday, Oct II,
was next morning dead where they had
left him. Nystedt cannot read and
Haakenson says he does not care to do so,
and as a result neither man had heard
Of the murder which affects them so vi
tally.
Captain J. G. Doyle and Inspectors
Morrissey and Stavlo took the men to
Prospect park this morning and Haaken
son led the officers to the spot where they
left the man lying. This was just where
the dead body was found. Morrissey
picked up a match box which bore the
name of August Zastrow, German Beer
Hall, Tomahawk, Wis., and which is
supposed to have been the property Of
the dead man. Nothing was found, how
ever. by which the man could be iden-
titled, unless the match box leads to some
clue, as Nystedt said that the man said
he lived in Wisconsin.
Henry l.. Kinkel, conductor on the In
terurban line. who identified the body as
that Of a man who got off his car at II
O clock the night Of the murder In COM
panY with two other men, called at the
central police station this morning and
identified Nystedt as the larger Of the two
men and said that Haakenson Cooked ex-
actly like the other man.
. These facts, backed by the confessions
of the men themselves, establish euch a
chain of evidence about them that there
| seems to be but little doubt but that they
will be convicted of the murder Of the un-
| known man.
A Notable Piece of Work.
Never has the Minneapolis department
done more creditable piece Of work than
the ferreting out of the Prospect Park
highwaymen. Half the story-the arrest
of Levi Nystedt-was published in T h e
ournal T of yesterday. Later in the
day Andrew Haakenson the self-con-
fessed pal of Nystedt was brought in,
7 and, by clever ''sweating'' and playing one
prisoner against the other, the complete
story of their operations was soon drawn
out.
In these proceedings Superintendent E..
! F. Waite's ability as a cross examiner
and. stavlo belongs the credit of some ex-
ceedingly Keen and intelligent work in
tracking and arresting Haakenson.
/ Nystedt's arrest was the result of the
II diligence of Ernest Colvin, the latest VIC
tim Of the thugs. Unlike the previous
victims he was not only willing but. anx-
ious to remain in the city to aid In finding
} the man who had robbed him Of his earn
!, ings and came SO near killing him at the
same time Keeping in touch, with the
police. he spent his time roaming about
the streets watching for the holdup men.
|! Yesterday afternoon. in company with
Joseph McCiregor, with whom he was
J boarding. Colyin was walking on Nicollet
avenue. Suddenly he caught sight Of Ny
} stedt, who was across the street. Calling
McGregor's attention to the man, the two
crossed and stopped Nystedt. They
turned him over to/Detective McAllister.
who CHANGED to be passing. and Nystedt
%,1-o
later locked up at the central station.
| Clever Capture of Haakenson.
Shortly after the arrest of Nystedt De-
! tectives Morrisey and stavlo- went to
Haakensons S room. There they found the
picture of a we'll known woman Of the
under world. Thinking that she would
, know something Of Haakenson's where
abouts, the officers called at her room and
gave her to understand that they wanted
to see Haakenson. She told" them tna'
the man had been there earlier IN the
; day and would probably return later.
Suspecting that the man would be in
formed by the woman that the officers
were on his trail, Detective Morrissey ar
: ranged to get on the same telephone line
that the woman was on. Shortly after.
wards Haakenson called her up and tolC
her that he wanted to see her. The two
I made arrangements to meet at a Thirc
L street drug store, and the woman started
to keep the appointment. Detectives
Morrissey and Stavlo followed, and Wher
5 the man appeared at the drug store ne
was arrested.
The prisoner was subjected to a rigit
:. examination and finally admitted that he
4 and Nystedt had held up three men IL
Prospect Park. These men were Pete
Split, John Grady and Earnest Colvin
He disclaimed any knowledge OF any othel
hold UPS but after Nystedt had told thu
: story and finally acknowledged that the!
had held up the man who was later fount
dead in the park, Haakenson acknowl
$ edged that they had held up such a man.
As soon as Haakenson implicated Ny
r stedt the latter was brought from his Gel
q and confronted with Haakenson's confes
sion Seeing that he was trapped, he con
cluded to confess and asked to be allowe
q to talk in private: Mayors. Private Sec
4 retary E. E. Wheelock was called in t
o. take the confession verbatim and the ex
: animation began.,. .-.G. ... -. ...
d Four Robberes. Admitted.
Nystedt said that he and IIaakenson ha
taken four men from the city to the vicin
ity of Prospect Park and had assaulte
and robbed them. The first victim was tn
= man found murdered in the Park tn
n morning of Oct. 13. Nystedt said they me
e the man, who said he was plumber, O.
| Washington avenue S. and after talzin
: several drinks, the trio started for a ''plac
e where they could have a big time" Whe
: they reached Twenty eighth avenue SF
the three left the car and went up int
> the woods at Prospect Park. There Ny
/ stedt and Haakenson assaulted their "lln
suspecting companion and robbed him of
u small sum Of money. Believing that h
had more money concealed in his shoe:
they pulled one shoe off and left him lyin
:, They never learned that he had died
It They also identified his picture, whic
,e was taken after DEATH - ':..s@ =. -.ss6
a. Peter Split was their next victim
They met him on the night Of Oct % an
took him to the park where they knocke
him senseless and robbed him of 50 !;
g. cash and an order on G. A. Hoffman fo
$5S. They presented the order for pay
o. ment but were refused.
d. The very next night the bandits en-
ticed John Grady to the park and afte
ID beating him into insensibility, robbie
1e him Of his watch and Sc in cash. He re
n, ported the matter to the police but lei
, 70 for Chicago a few days after the hold-ul
d. Their latest victim was Ernest Colvir
= CONTINUED On Second Page.)