The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-09
+ FAXED A SUICIDE
TO GET INSURANCE
Continued From First, Page.

l. l
all-around crook, and that he had oper-
ated in Sioux City, had suspicion that
this Benjamin might be the Thco-
dore who was supposed to have COM
mitted suicide.
There was no sweating. process en-
the prisoner, but thru kind and consid-
crate treatment he secured confession
of all the facts. Since the occurrence,
| this man has gone under the name of
Benjamin, who is his brother, whom
| he closely resembles, and who is now. in
was for the purpose of defrauding in.
surance companies Of $4,000.
| The suicide theory being met with |
suspicion, later the prisoner wrote a |
letter to the city marshal of Sioux
City, claiming to be one Of party of
perlen, and had placed his clothes on
1 the river bank, with a note attached.
! to show it to be q case of suicide. The
prisoner IS confession to the sheriff in
this matter is as follows:
Admits His WrongdoIng.
eyes, my right name is Theodore
! E. Schomperlen, and you need not cali
me Ben any more. | am the man
| who pretended to commit suicide at
Sioux City last fall. I took the name
Of Benjamin, who is my. brother, and
: who is In Manitoba. On Sept. 10, 1905,
| I secured a suit Of clothes Of dark
: hat, and placed the coat, pants and
: hat on the river bank near the railroad
! yards. pinned a letter in the coat
pocket and in the letter I told that l
had committed suicide. la
) "1n January, 1906, thinking my folks
might not get my insurance on suicide,
I wrote letter to the chief of police
} saying that the supposed suicide was
case Of murder instead, and put
: down the initials Of the murderers, who
were F. j., G.. F. and H. M, and the
person doing this writing, and that the
other three were with me when l was
writing the letter. I mailed the let.
Sioux City. I had $4,000 insurance in
: the Mutual Life Of New Jersey and
| 81 200 in the, Mutual Casualty company
, Of Minneapolis Neither my parents
nor brother know about this, but all
suppose I am dead. So dom call me
= Ben, any more, but call me Theodore,
, my right name. :"
Steals Livery Team.
.. On Feb. 81, Schomperlen hired a team
2 of white horses and buggy. from the liv-
y cry of Snyder & Revall, Marshall, to be
: returned the following day. The team
: remaining absent, the firm telephoned
. to the sheriff, having suspicion that it
was stolen, Meanwhile the sheriff OF
), that party with a white team was un-
8 der arrest at Renville, charged with OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses.
7 The sheriff phoned Mr.. Revall to meet
s him at the depot and go with him to
r Renville thta night, having in his pock-
r ct warrant for the man s arrest, if he
0 proved to be wanted. The team was
i identified. 49,.
i Meanwhile a suspicious transaction
1 was going on at Renville, at the hands
), Of the village marshal and local Justice,
. . which caused some apprehension by the
a a mayor and other citizens. Two days
= previous Schomperlen hadHbeen arrested
u u by the Renville .marchalon the charge Of
z carrying concealed weapons, and upon
J and was discharged. The suspicious
> circumstance was that this hearing was
. . behind the locked doors of the justice s
= court, and in the presence of only the
. marshal and the justice.
II Victim of Constable L Il !.
> Upon the prisoner release he left
town, but had got only as far as
Sacred, Heart when he was agai11
30 q i0o.CSt, bnio 1AAAO ny a CoIIoGdU1c VI
IS Renville village, on the charge of
- obtaining money under false pretenses
~ This arrest was instigated by two men
named Smith and Hopman, who had
:, bought horses and buggies of Schom
t r perlen at ridiculously low prices, and
:, were apparently uneasy regarding the
V transaction. ....-.I .-..s
y The arrival of Sheriff Christensen in
"a the early morning found the prisone,
~ in cell, surrounded by the sheriff
m marshal and miscellaneous gathering
nv of men, who were loud in denouncing
st the man. > Christensen counseled mod
le Grafton and expressed sympathy fol
M the prisoner in manner that won hi
n, confidence. Cd"
30 So. Explains in Detail.
IN Soon the sheriff and marshal ant
q, others left for breakfast, and two me1
v. were left to guard the prisoner. Thu
be sheriff persuaded these men to leav,
o. him alone with the man, and in shor
al time he lured from him all the detail
- Of three horse-stealing exploits, the 10
in cation and names of the owners
he Later he was discharged, when Chris
ry Jensen arrested him on the warrant TO
Of stealing the Marshall team and tool
er him to Marshall. At hearing befor
&C. Justice Wakeman he waived examina
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