The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-20
MINNESOTA
MURDERED HIS GIRL
Ole 0leson, Hanged at Aitkin, To-
day, Was Almost Decapitated
by the Rope.
Kept His Nerve to the Last and AS
sisted the Sheriff in Final
Offices.

Aitkin, Mimi, March 20.-Ole G. Oleson
was hanged at 1850 this morning for the
murder Of his daughter, Josephine, last
fall Ills neck was broken by the 7-foot
drop, but in spite of this life was not de-
cared extinct until five minutes after.
He was almost decapitated. The trap
was sprung by Sheriff Christ G. Haugen,
who was assisted by several sheriffs from
outside counties.
Oleson was pale as death when he
mounted the stairs leading to the gallows.
His eyes were closed and his manner was
subdued. He held his hands behind him
TO be bound and assisted the sheriff in
every way. 1t had been feared earlier in
the night that Oleson would break down.
but. buoyed up by spiritual consolation,
he held his nerve to the last and made a
short prayer on the gallows.
Moaned In His Sleep.
Oleson had, until the last twenty four
hours, borne up bravely under the strain,
but then he began to lose some OF his
courage. He retired early last night and
slept fairly well for several hours. Then
he began to moan and to call aloud. as if
In great pain. He was awakened by the
death watch little before midnight and
told to prepare for death. y new suit or
black had been provided him. AS he
dressed he spoke in a low and broken
voice and there was long pause between
each word.
His Crime.
The crime of Ole G. Oleson was as Pc
culiar as it was cold-blooded and brutal.
The victim was his 1S-year- old daughter,
Josephine, a pretty girl whose only Of
tense was that she wished to become the
wife of neighbor. The night before the
day set for the wedding she was stabbed
to death in the sitting-room of her home
by Oleson. who used a large butcher knife,
after sending her brother from the house
on a trivial errand.
When Mrs. OleSon died, five years ago,
Mr.. Oleson, 50 years of age, began to act
in a manner more or less peculiar. When
Josephine fell in love with a young man
who owned an adjoining farm, her father
bitterly opposed the match, and even went
50 far as to threaten to kill the young
people. Pressure was brought to bear on
him and he finally gave his consent to the
marriage.
After committing the crime, Oleson
walked to the home of a neighbor, where
he surrendered The daughter had been
a popular young woman and when the
crime became generally known threats OF
lynching were made.
Oleson made every effort to escape con-
viction. but was found guilty OF murder
in the first degree, Oct. 80, and sentenced
to death by Judge McClenahan OF Brain
erd.
Several weeks ago an application was
made to the state pardon board for a
communication of the death sentence to lie
imprisonment, but the board failed to
take action.
Oleson was then sentenced to be hanged
Friday March 6 but on March Judge
McClenahan, on application Of the attor-
ney for the condemned man, granted a
stay Of forty days, which was later cut
down to twenty. in order that Oleson's S
sanity might be inquired into. This eX-
animation was held few days ago, when
Oleson was found to be sound mentally
Governor Van SAINT then fixed friday
March 20, as the day of execution.