Morris tribune., 1906-03-31
ARREST OF BULGARIANS AT d.
LuTH THROWS NO LIGHT ON
MINNEAPOLIS MURDERS.
PRISONERS MAINTAIN THEIR INNOCENCE
DECLARE VICTIMS WERE ALIVE
AND WELL WHEN SUSPECTS
LEFT THE MILL CITY.

surrounding the six greWsome nun
ders which Mortified the citizens o
Minneapolis Wednesday was onl.
deepened during the morning by th'
arrest here of eleven Bulgarians who
We're residents of the house at "a;
Tenth avenue south, where the crime
was committed.
" ross-questioned individually five O.
the eleven prisoners tell the same
STORY and maintain their innocence OF
any completely in the crime and even
their ignorance of it until they were
enlightened by the police. Ii their
story is true the Minneapolis police
have struck the wrong trail and it
skaters all theories of the murders
which have hitherto been held and
leaves the police absolutely at sea
for even a theory for the motive for
the crime and the identity of the Grim
fnals. The facts as told by Kuzman
SiekuIotf the leader of the band, are
these:
Came From Northern Turkey.
Fo- t-4 last year or more there has
been a band of Bulgarians from the
province of Presbad, in the northern
part OF Turkey, working in the woods
and camps of Northern Minnesota.
The members of this band were all
from the same part of the province
and were headed by SiekulOtf, who
acted in the capacity Of padrone or
leader. He was the only member of
the band who could speak English,
having been in this country about five
years and he provided work for his
followers, hiring them out to work in
the mines, on the railroads and in
the logging camps. During the winter
the members Of this band have been
working near the village of Alborn, in
this county About four months ago
Siekuloff rented i the house at 243
Tenth avenue south, Minneapolis, plan
ming to bring some other Of his coun-
trymen over to America. The party
included his bride, Uloka NardOva,
whom he had married about a year
ago while on visit to his old home.
Petros Stojer, a middle aged man
and member Of Siekuloff's band was
left in charge CT the house about tTT-o
months ago and since that time he has
been keeping bachelors hall there,
getting his own meals and keeping the
house in readiness for the other mem
bers of the party.
Reached Minneapolis Last Week.
One week ago Wednesday Siekuloff
and the six men who are dead COM
pleted their work at Alborn and went
TO Minneapolis with their winters
wages in their pockets.
Saturday the party of immigrants
arrived from Bulgaria and the sixteen
people occupied the house Saturday
and Sunday. Monday afternoon Sic
kuloff started for Duluth with the new
corners, leaving the six members of
his old band behind him in Minneap-
oils. They were planning to go out
81 some railroad section work, while
Siekuloff intended to bring the new
arrivals to the northern part of the
state to work in the mines.
He arrived here with his party Mon
day night. The party comprised him
self and mis- wife, two boys about ff
teen years of age, seven young men
ranging from twenty to thirty-fve
years of age and Petros Stojer, the
member of the old band who had been
left in charge of the Minneapolis
house. Stoier and Siekuloff were the
only ones who had spent any length
OF time in this country, the others
having come direct from New York,
where they landed. Some of the old
members, according to Siekuloff's
story, went down to the train with the
party and saw them safely off. That
was the last seen of the six alive and
Siekuloff and the members of his party
are at a loss to know the cause of the
murders.
Ignorant of Cause for Crime.
sSiekuloff, when questioned, claimed
that all Of the men were very good
friends and protested entire ignorance
as to what could have been the cause
Of the murders. He says that there
are no other Bulgarians in this part of
3AAA ASAhLA lIG huOWS Ol IlOs CIlu-
aaai organization or feud that could
have prompted the murders. All had
raoney, having been working for two
months at Alborn Of the six men
asft at Minneapolis four were brothers
named Jaless. Asked If they had had
Trouble with any persons in Minneap-
oils ne said they had not AS to the
articles OF religious significance
found in the house he said his people
ali belonged to the Bulgarian church
and carried these things with then
always and held services among them
selves. The men will be held here
until Minneapolis directs what shall !
be done with them The correct names
OF the men murdered are:
NUKOLA JALESS.
ANDR4 JALESS.
ANGELO JALESS.
I