The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-13
OWNS TO MURDER
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/ HE DID NOT DO
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF DELL
BALDERsON, AN IOWA MAN.
Almost Lynched by. q Mob When He
Confessed "-Later It Was Shown
His Story Was Spun from His I'm
agination-Now on Trial at Des
Moines for Brutal Murder Of CAL
lahan.

Special to The Journal. +-a5 s-l'.', az,
Des Mones Iowa, April 13.-In the trial of
Dell Balderson for the murder of Thomas Gala
han last July a psychological problem most novel
will be presented to Polk county Jury. Balder-
son has made admissions that tend to show he Is
the murderer, buthis attorneys say he has made
to the extent almost of convicting himself: The
most remarkable part of the case is that Balder-
son twelve years ago In Ringgold county, Iowa,
confessed to crime similar to that committed
here. He was tried by jury which found him
not guilty despite his absolute confession aud in
| sistence that he was the murderer. ~. So.
The circumstances Of the Ringgold county and
Callahan murders were almost Identical. An
aged man named Taylor In Ringgold county, near
Shannon City, called TO his door in the dead
of night and slugged. He was robbed of $1,000.
Detectives worked on the case for ten days and
| Balderson helped them: He described the circu1n-
| stances Of the murder so infinitely upon one occa-
sion that suspicion was directed, against him,
| and he arrested. He confessed detailing the
| crime and came near being lynched by mob
1t was afterwards shown conclusively that Bal
derson lied. He was SO worked up over the case
that he believed he had committed the crime.
| Balderson Gets Busy Again. =.
! Tom Callahan was a cobbler living in South
Des Moines He was murdered last July and
5000 cash taken from his dwelling. The murder
| err climbed into back window and slashed Cal
lahan's throat. He also slugged Callahan with
a blunt instrument: Balderson who lived next
| door to Callahan, was at work upon the case al
most Immediately. He discovered an iron poker
| which had been washed in oil the morning after
| the murder. This was turned over to the police,
who found that the poker belonged to Balderson.
The police arrested All italian named Pigneri, in
whose apartments, which adjoined Callahan's,
was found bloody razor. Pigneri is under
! bonds and is still accused by the police.
| County Attorney Miller however, asserts tina
! Balderson made such damaging admissions about
| the time the murder was committed and detailed
the crime SO completely that it was impossible to
believe he could have secured such informa ton
unless he actually committed the crime. Against
the protest Of police officers, Balderson was ar
rested and indicted by the grand jury.
Absolutely Innocent, -. Says Chief.
"It is simply terrible" said Chief Hardin of
the detective force. 1.-The man is absolutely in
| nocent. He can be proved innocent. His ina gi-
nation has gotten him into all this trouble and
now he must fight murder charge which could
not have been fastened upon him but for his
| alkativeness." -.
| ''No, Balderson is not insane" says Mr. Jor-
! dan for the defense. t'He simply Graves noto-
riety. Why, here two years ago he actually told
| to a Burlington detective that he had helped
! hold IN train In Missouri. He had read the
newspapers and formed correct idea of how
! the crime was committed. His confession inn III.
Gated several well-knowT crooks. Detectives in.
vestigated his story and found to certainty that
Balderson was not within 300 miles of the place
where the robbery had been committed.
| "We will simply undertake to show that the
man is freak Of nature" said Mr. Jordan. "He
broodsover crimes until he thinks he has com.
mitted them. :