Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-01-11
NORWAY

A~oAA0As O0A' AC OOulukSSlOu
appointed to locate the responsibility
for the conviction of Adolf Beck on ac-
count of crimes committed by one John
Smith, reports that the ''woeful and
disgraceful miscarriage of justice" was
due to the ''blundering incompetence
of Sir Forrest Fulton, and the home
Office, which is said to be Gin bad
state of muddle.." It will be remem.
bered that Adolf Beck was first tried
and convicted in 1896 before Sir For
rest Fulton for frauds practiced on
credulous women and sentenced to
seven years penal servitude. It was
assumed by the police and the judge
that he was criminal named John
Smith, who had been sentenced for a
similar offense in 1877. Beck could
have easily proved that he was not
Smith, since in 1877 he was in South
America. But Sir Forrest Fulton
would not permit his counsel to intro
duce such proof. HE was convicted"
states the official report, ION evidence
from which everything that told, or
might be thought to tell in his favor,
was excluded. His case was never
tried" When Sir Forrest Fulton, af-
ter denying Beck every opportunity to
prove his innocence, sentenced him to
seven years penal servitude, he held
the Office of common sergeant, for
which he was paid S12,5O) a year.
When Beck, after serving his sentence,
was again arrested for crimes commit
ted by the same John Smith, Sir For
rest Fulton had been promoted and
was filling $50, 600 a year office as
city recorder. On the application of
Beck's counsel, he made an order post
poning the trial that the prisoner
might bring some witnesses from Swe-
den. The next day, at the request of
the prosecution, he rescinded that Or
der ''The result was" states the re-
port, shat Beck was not in position
to raise or prove his defense" Twice,
it is thus shown, Sir Forrest Fulton
was responsible for the miscarriage of
Justice. He still holds his SEC, 900
year Office, and there is no indication
that he will be asked to resign it.
The students of the Norwegian
capital were placed in peculiar po-
sition a few evenings ago. DR.. O. J.
Olsen, a noted bacteriologist, gen.
orally known by the name of ''Mush-
room Olsen," lectured to them on col
lege education: The point made by
the speaker was, that a dispropor-
tionately large number of young Nor
wegains are studying for a profess
sional career. There are enough
young men holding diplomas as doc
tors of medicine to fill the demand
for the next five years, and the sup.
ply is about as far ahead of the de-
mand in the other professions. All
these candidates are out of place in
society until there are vacancies in
offices for which their education
fitted them. Their number is so
great as to make them a positive
burden to the country, and the speak
err thought it was time to check the
rush to the university. DR.. Olsen
closed his lecture by advising the
young students to get out of their
risky and unfortunate ruts by enter
ing business or some branch of ply
steal work. The most interesting
part of the meeting was the enthusi-
astic applause with which the stu
dents received the speakers advice.
An earthquake of considerable vio-
lence was noticed at Hvaler Dec. IA.
Bishop Skaar, a prominent man in
the church of Norway, died of heart
failure at the age of Is years. His
parents were intelligent peasants re-
siding ut Fiskesundet, Vikor parish,
Hardanger. He graduated from a
normal school in 1s4s, completed
classical course in 1853, and was grad
uated from the theological depart
ment of the university in 1887. He
was appointed bishop of Tromso in
1855, and served as bishop Of the do
cese of Trondhjem from 1892 to hin
death. ..-@5 x. =.
Minister of State, Ibsen and wife.
who reside in Stockholm, invited
King Oscar to dinner Dec. Ia.
The city council of Bergen has re-
solved to construct crematory in
the basement Of the chapel at Molle-
dial cemetery. The cost of the Gre
matory will be $5,0oo, to which the
Bergen cremation society is to con-
tribute $4,000. &. AL. = .s !. S
The Drammen labor union Joined
the Socialist party last spring. But
the opponents added so many new
members during the summer that
they reconquered the union Just be-
fore Christmas, I5 s$#: