Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-09-13
MAKES FULL CONFESSION.
duplicates Herring, but Generates His
Son Of Connplicity.

Tansier. Morocco. sept. Paul
Stcnsiand's confcssion, made to Assist
mt States Attorney Olson. clears up
much of the mystery surrounding the
events leading up To the crash which
involved the ruin of the Milwaukee,
Avenue bank.
He took much Of the blame upon him
self. but declared that Cashier Herring
was the forger and that Herring got
most of the money. He eX~oneratcd his
son Theodore and the bank directors.
He declared it a lie that he had spent
any money on Leone Langdon Key or
any other oma He declared that
he never spent more than s., goo II year
himself. and that all the money he
stole he put into real estate or invest
ments. in the hope OF making good"
In his heart of hearts he was glad he
was no longer Il wanderer on the face
of the earth.
why" said he, think of signing a
name not your own, 1t is worse than
stealing. ! did not know it would be so
hard to be Il fugitive"
Expects Punishment.
Stensland did not de,ude himself.
either. with the idea OF escaping pun
ishment.
You have not been found guilty yet:
you have "A chance To make Il fight in
court WAS suggested. StenSland
laughed and said: Il know what a chi
cage jury will do to me. ! know Chi
cage juries."
He said he had made up his mind to
flee on the Thursday preceding the
Sunday in which he left Chicago. All
Wednesday night he wrestled with the
problem whether to blow his brains out
or run. In the hours of darkness he
decided to kill himself, but postponed
the act till dawn ana. with the sun
light. came the primal Instinct to hold
on to life. and flight Won over death.
His Flight.
His preparations were hurried He
had surrendered his life Insurance pol
icy for $1,000 and had received $4,000 AS
commission IN the sale of the property
of the Cooperative store to the North
western Life Insurance onpany which
had held 4 mortgage lien on the prem
ises. He drew $1.500 as salary from
the Mt. Olivet Cemetery association.
This was all the money he had taken
with him.
Why. with q million of dollars cash
in the bank, did you not take morep"
II could have taken a quarter OF a
million dollars without trouble" said
he, but L did not want to. | never took
n cent of cash from the bank and
put it in my own pocket. / never tool
n dollar belonging to other people"
Stensland's health at frs, was NOT
NsAt ~ - h,stl itfl Hta | ~
on the start OF his flight. he tainted
and was unconscious for u while. On
board ship he was again stricken. and
for four days WAS on his back. In his
first few days in Tangier, he was far
from well. and he went to Spain. know
ing the risk he took In moving from
what he regarded as protected soil.
Stensland made no attempt to DENY
his guilt, and only tried to minimize
1t. His confession began with a state
ment that he was surprised To learn
that the total loss involved in the
banks failure would reach 81. 90. 600.
He said:
Il cannot understand how the short
age can be 50, 900, 600. To my certain
does not exceed 500, 600. Anything over
that must have been stolen by Herring.
My Indebtedness began a long time
& in 1856. 1t was Il small affair. a
small mount. and God knows never
Intended to steal. l was in a tight hole
and needed money. j put my own note.
genuine. not a forgery, in the hs,. Then
examiner would stand for it, ana he
did
Who suggested it,"
Herring. II was the beginning. He
pointed out, in a roundabout wa at
first, that it was easy TO obtain money
that way. Then. when nay notes be
came numerous, he suggested the for
-eries.'
And you acquiesced o."
Yes. First he tempted. then he
urged. and l fell. Ever after that | wa;
in his power. He owned M.
body and soul"
How many of the forgeries did you
do YOURSELF"
"Sot n e. Herring. think. did ALL