The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-03-29
KILLING OF THE DAHLS
WAS MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
(,OntjnNe1 fro n First Page

The body of Miss Aagot Dahl
was found on August y, 1904, four
months after her disappearance
from her claim. Tom Dooher, a
homestcader, who was making hay
about mile and half from Miss
Dahl's claim shack, discovered al
human foot under pile of brush
which he was removing. lnvesti
cation revealed body, practically
nothing but a skeleton. Pieces Of
clothing near the body led to the
identification Of the remains as
those of Miss Dahl. The bones
we're put into box and brought to
Benidji, and were afterwards taken
to Crookston for internent There
was absolutely no clue whatever to-
the manner in which Miss Dahl met
her death, or who was responsible
for her murder.
In spite of every effort Of the att
thortics of Bcltrami county, the
mystery of the identity of the muir
derers of the Dahls remained as
deep as ever, and there appeared no
possible solution of the affair. No
trace of James Wesley (who was
wanted, with the belief that he
knew something of the affair." could
be found, and it seemed certain that
the murder of y. @. Dahl and his
daughter Aagot would remain for
ever an unpublished crime, blot on
the fair name of northern Mime
sofa. AS time passed, the crime
was seldom alluded to, and was in
a fair way to have been entirely for
gotten.
On March 27th, 1905, Ca year
after the discovery of the absence
Of the Dahls from their claims) =,
James Wesley was arrested at
Green Bay, Wis.,, where his parents
were residing. He was taken to a
Jail at Minneapolis and confined
there for several months before be-
ing brought to Bemidji. He was
brought to this city and held in jail
Here lOl several weeks.
On September Goth, the grand
jury returned indictments against
James Wesley and Paul Fourier,
charging them with killing the
Dahls. Much was done to secure
evidence that would convict Four
ner and Wesley of the crime Of
which they were accused, but it was
necessary to annul the indictments.
Nothing further was done in the
matter, although the county author
tiles have always been alert to dis
cover any new matter bearing on
the mystery.
On January 2Ist, County Attor-
ney Funkley received information
from Blackducll which he deemed
sufficient to Justify the arrest of
Paul Fournier and George Cyr (the
latter cousin of I'ournier) charg-
ing them with the killing Of N. @.
Dahl and his daughter Aagot.
James Wesley was also implicated
in the crimes, according to the in
formation given the county attor-
ney, but as his whereabouts were
unknown, the fact that "Shortv'
was wanted was not made known
in fact, report was circulated that
Wesley had been killed. Fourier
was given hearing and on Feb
ruary end Justice Skinvik held
Fourier to the grand jury. The
case against Cyr was dismissed,
there being nothing to indicate that
he was in any way connected with
the crimes.
James ("Shortv') Wesley was
arrested on February 9th, while
working in a logging camp on the
NJ. 4 r. r. railway, north of Deer
River. He was brought to Be-
midi, and the charge against him
of having killed the Dahls on April
I, 1904, was not considered in ius-
tlce court, but was taken directly
before the grand jury, which body
returned an indictment against him,
as we'll as against Paul Fourier.
ne two men plead not guilty, on
the 22nd inst, and their cases were
set for trial on Thursday, March
18th.
PAUL FOURNIER.
Paul Fournier (sometimes called
Little Paul. because of his small
ness of stature) is At years of age,
and was born in the state of Maine
IN 1866, his parents being French.
Fourier lived in Maine with his
parents until 1883, when he left
home, deciding to make his own liv-
ing in the future. He came to
Minnesota that year, and made his
home in Minneapolis. In the fall
of 1893 he went to Red Lake Falls,
where several of his relatives re-
sided. He visited Beltrami county,
near Blackduck, several times while
at Red Lake Falls, and in the fall of
1903 filed on claim near During
Postoff1ce He has resided on the
claim ever since he made his filing.
He has made all the improvements
raTu1ira1 nv, low, and - 20 IT, ~,.-