The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-17
MURDER MYSTERY
SOLVED BY THE STRANGE PRE-
SENTIMENT OF A SISTER.
Who Carries Searchers to the Place
Where Her Brothers Body is
Buried on Neighbor's Farm.


Chicago, Nov. 15.-Out on desc
late little plot of ground two miles
north of Nrarengo, girl has uncov-
cred a murder mystery, the details
of which indicate so cold-blooded a
crime that farmers living in the vi
cinity have been fascinated by the
scene.
The body of Oscar Hoganson, a
young farmer, who was living the
life of hermit on his own farm.
has been dug out of the soft earth
of a chicken house on the farm Of
John N. Bedford. Just few feet
away a bloody hatchet was unearth-
ed.
Bedford, like Hoganson, had been
living on his farm, but disappeared
after Hoganson's death. Such L
mass of circumstantial evidence was
discovered which pointed to him,
that when he finally was found in
Ellis, Neb., he was arrested and now
is being brought back to Chicago.
The man was taken while on his way
to see his mother at Beatric, Neb.
A strange presentment of the
dead mans sister, Arvilla Hoganson,
is credited with the discovery of
the body. The girl can not explain
the feeling which caused her to visit
the place and lead the searchers to
dig in that particular spot. She was
certain, however, that she had reach
ed the grave of her murdered broln-
er, and the diggers soon verified her
belief.
The work of unravelllng the mys-
terry began more than a week ago,
when Arvilla began to worry be-
cause her brother had failed to write
his weekly letter. The girl imme-
diately declared: that some awful
thing had happened to him, al
though she had no information up
on. which to base such belief.
After two days it was decided to
visit the farm and learn just what
had happened to Hoganson. So
Arvilla, accompanied by her brother,
James, visited the place early one
morning about a week ago. The
house was found in seemingly good
order. The mans clothing and be-
longings all appeared to be as he
might have left them, with one eX-
oaption-his three horses were miss
ing.
Inquiry was made among the
neighbors and somebody remembered
having seen Hoganson walking to-
wards the farm Of Bedford, dis
tance of about mile, on the morn-
ing Of October 80. Other neighbors
remembered having seen man
whom they supposed was Bedford
at Hogansons place in the evening,
hitching up one of the missing hors7
es. The othsr two horses, they de-
clared, wepa hitched to the rear OF
the rig. As the man drove away in
the dusk they were unable to make
certain whether it actually was Bed
ford. A few days after this Bedford
left the district.
Miss Hoganson stood silent listen
er to the statement and theories OF
the farmers. Il am satisfied thai
the thing to do is to visit this man
Bedford's place." she said. l have
a feeling that we are going to settle
this thing right there So the sis
ter and brother, together with Ii
crowd of curious farmers, hurried to
Brdford's place.
The girl walked straight to the
chicken house. The floor of the
house was paved smoothly with
round cobbe stones, and to super
fetal observer meant nothing. But
the girl called attention to the fact
that several stones had been taken
up and replaced. Men began work
ing with picks and shovels and in Z
few moments unearthed the body OF
the missing man. He had been
killed by a blow over his right tenn
pie.
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