The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-26
CONVICTED NEGRO
MAKES CONFESSION
He Tells of Robbery at Watson,
Minn., and Felonious Assault
Upon Olson Girl.

Happy In the knowledge tnat ne was
at last safe from a threatening mob,
Joe Scott, the negro who attempted to
kill Helen Olson at Watson, Mimi, last
July, sat in cell at the county Jail
last night and related In detail the
story of his crime, the first complete
confession the negro has made since
his capture on the day following the
attempted murder.
Scott told how he had landed at the
little village of Watson in a box car,
which had been sidetracked there, Of
how he later heard people talking about
money while passing the home of Helen
Olson, and how he waited until the
lights in the house had been extin-
guished, when he removed a screen and
entered the house for the purpose Of
robbery.
Scott was to have had his trial at
Montevideo this week, but when ar
raigned in court Tuesday afternoon
he weakened and pleaded guilty to the
charges against him, being Immediately
sentenced to thirty years in the pen
itentiary.
Fearing that the mob, which filled
the court house and crowded the
streets of the town, might attempt to
lynch the negro, Sheriff Hartley, as
sisted by several deputies. brought the
negro to ST. Paul on the first train
which left Montevideo following the
disposal of SCOTS case.
Even with this precaution a threat
ening mob followed the party to the
train, and Scott felt much easier when
he was well out Of the mob's sight.
Today he will be taken to Saltwater
to serve his sentence of thirty years.
Makes Public Confession.
While in the county Jail last night
Scott sent for a G. | o b reporter, stat
ing that he desired before going to
prison to give correct account Of the
crime and the incidents which led UP
to it. He made no attempt whatever to
shield himself, except to reiterate that
the crime was not premeditated, but
the result Of temporary alteration
of the mind.
SCOTS statement to The Globe
was as follows:
I've got my sentence now and I
want to tell the truth of this case. To
begin with, I had just been released
from the North Dakota penitentiary,
and was beating my way through the
country In box ear. l went to sleep
and when / awoke I found that the
car was in had been side tracked. I
get out and walked over to the stock
yards to get drink of water, and in
walking around I passed the Olson
house. A number of people were stand
ing in the yard and 1 heard them say
something about money. I needed
money, so I decided 1 would rob the
house that night. 1 kept out of sight
until quite late. when I got into the
house through window.
Went Three Times to the House.
II searched everywhere for money,
hIIf r f,,6 r
stairs, and finally went into a bed room
where two girls were sleeping. One
was the Olson girl and the other was
a girl named, as / have later learned,
Julia Torgenson. When they aWoke /
demanded money, but they said there
was not any in the house. I parleyed
with them and finally left. l went
back the second time, and after an
other unsuccessful attempt, left again.
Then for the third time I went back.
This time the Olson girl said there was
a little money down stairs and she
went down with me to get it. The
other girl did not come down, and 1
guess they were both scared, for the
last time / went in I took an ak which
I had found in the yard. After the girl
had given me the money, about So,
struck her in the head with an ak, after
which 1 called to the girl up stairs to
ColIlc dOWIl, DIS Ildu DuTC The OISOn
girl. I then got out of the house and
tried to make my escape. walked all
| night and the next Gay slept in the
woods.
"Along in the evening I woke up and
saw people riding along the road with
guns and rifles. l knew they were
looking for me, and when I attempted
to get away they saw me. and I started
to run. After running down the road
l jumped a fence and started across a
wheat field but before had gone very
| far l was shot in the arm and had to
/ surrender.
''They kept me in Jail at Glencoe for
| fear that l would me mobbed if taken
| to Montevideo, for the girl was expect
| ed to die. / only went to Montevideo
| Tuesday, when they were ready for
me in court. and when 1 got sight of
| the mob I decided that it was best for
me to plead guilty"
| Scott had no complaint to make of
! the sentence which had been imposed
upon him, but stated that he was sorry
| he had committed the crime, as he had
not intended to injure any one.
| The attempted murder Of Helen Oh
| son, the twenty -two-y old daughter
| of Thomas Olson, occurred on the
night of July II, and attracted much
attention at the time, hundreds of peo-
pie turning out to search for Scott 1t
was only through the vigilance of the
| sheriff that the mob was kept from
| lynching the negro at the time he was
| captured.