The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-14
CUTS
THROAT IN CELL
Pals Attempt to Clear Him Prov
ing Futile, He Seeks
Death.
He Leaves a Letter Still Protest
ing That He Is limo
cent.

y
viction for robbing and beating Henry
Dursten in the Minnesota house last
September, Simon Simonson, known
here as Frank Lindberg, cut his throat
with a razor at o'clock this morning
in the county jail.
He died almost instantly and the
body was at once removed to the
morgue.
The prisoner asked for q razor early
this morning, but was refused. Later
William Doole, the ringleader Of the
Warmelin blowing trio, left his
razor on his cell table while he steppel
out to wash his face. Lindberg took
advantage, Of his absence, quietly took
the razor and disappeared into the
washroom at the end Of the main cell
room corridor:
A groan was heard an instant later
and one Of the prisoners rushed to the
scene to find Lindberg lying in a pool
of his own blood, with a terrible cash
across his throat and bloody razor
lying near. The jailer was notified and
County Physician Hynes called at once.
Before he arrived, Lindberg was dead.
I. Letter Protests Innocence.
The escaped prisoner left two letters
One was to his attorney with an In
closed farewell to be forwarded to his
mother and sister in Stockholm, Swe-
den, and the other to the public, pro
claiming his innocence. The latter is
as follows:
IT have, as you all know, been twice
found guilty Of robbing Durston in the
Minnesota House. | now swear with
the living God as a witness, and by my
aged mother that am innocent, anc
that never helped commit that crime
h0v OF I'D 70 TIL Il
have appealed to Peck, have appealed
regard to this matter, but they say
that they have told the truh. Nov
there is nothing more for me to do.
will never live thru the suffering Of {
long term in prison and have made III
my mind to end my life now ] writ
this to let the public. know, for ], thinl
that anybod y wis, read this will be
Heve my dying words.
My curse shall herewith rest upol
the man that is guilty with Johnston
| and may he suffer thru eternity. s
ANY personal belongings that
have got | give to one Gust Williams
| write.0
A Plan That Failed.
George Johnston FOR the robbery O
Durston. He was tried first and con
victed. Johnston s. trial was taken III
next and was well along when the de
4 PENDANT pleaded guilty to the crime
but stated, under oath, that Lindber,
had nothing whatever to do with tn
crime, and that Clarence Peck was hi
| accomplice.
The. move was interpreted by Count.
Attorney Al j. Smith as a desperat
scheme on the part Of the two to clea
Lindberg, with the probability tina
Johnston would later be sent back t
st. Peter asylum, from which he es
capped not long ago. The county attol
ney, therefore, opposed Lindberg's me
ton for a new trial. Judge Brooks
however, decided to let a jury settl
the matter, and ordered a retrrial.
Three days were taken up with tn
second trial. The defense was one O
the most determined ever offered, an
equally strenuous efforts were made b
Mr.. Smith to- break down the testimon
1 that he considered manufactured. TIL
1 jury was out several hours, but fnall
agreed upon verdict of guilty.
The prisoner accepted the iury's de
cree without any manifestation othe
than to bow his head. It is said today
i however. that he had told severa
friends that if this trial went agains
him he would take his own life, as
could not stand a long term in the pen
Tertiary. He had already served thre
terms, and intimately knew the prise
life.
Since his arrest here he has gone III
der the name Of Lindberg. Friends Q
his, however, state that his true nam
is Simon Simonson, and his letters t
his mother bear out this statemen
Simonson was a laborer and was abou
33 years of age. He has one cousi
living in Minneapolis.