The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-27
FRANK HANSON IS
UNDER INDICTMENT
Former Postmaster of Fillmore
Is Charged With Serious
0ffenSes.
RIFLING OF MAILS AND
DESTROYING PROPERTY
Defendant Is Arraigned and
Released on Bonds of Five
Thousand Dollars.

Frank Hanson, former postmaster of
Fillmore. Millard county. Utah, broth.
or Of Willard Hanson. was placed un-
der arrest Friday morning by United
States Deputy Marshal Julian Riley.
and is held upon two counts of riding
the United States mails and one count
of malicious destruction Of government
property. The arrest was made as the
result Of an Indictment brought by the
Federal grand Jury last week. Han
son was arralgned before United States
| Commissioner Charles Baldwin nj
o clock Friday afternoon. and bail WIS
fixed at 5000. This Was secured by
Willard Hanson and his brother was
| released shortly after his hearing The
arrest was made without trouble, vii
lard Hanson turning his brother oyer
TO the authorities when requested to
do so.
According to government officials the
rif1ing of the mails bv Hanson COW
cred a period of several months, and so
clever was he that il cost the govern
mcnt thousands of dollars, through the
loss of registered letters and money or
ders. 1t is alleged that Hanson used
system of repaying the money orders,
and in this way secured The moncy they
called for Besides thus, he is alleged
to have opened registered letters. re
moving the money they contained. and
then disposing Of thc letters in such
manner that all shadow Of suspicion
WAS removed from his Office. and il re
Tured several months Of hard work
upon ihe part of the government be
found.
Fires Break Out
With the discovery of the postoffcc
where thc trouble was believed TO have
occurred government inspectors were
at once placed upon the case. with ihc
result that evidence Of Il sensational
nature was collected and turned over
/ 10 the Washington authorities Hanson
was promptly dismissed from his po-
sitiou and the charge of The posloilicc
went into The hands of his bondsmcn.
| The investigation continued for u time.
when the postofice caught Gre on Sep
tembcr !, 1905. and the building and
contents were partially destroyed The
investigation WAS continued. however,
and Il second time FIRE broke rut in
/ the building, on August 2%. 1909. this
time totally destroying both building
and contents. Both fires. II has bcca
declared were set either bv Hanson
or at his instigation as he was alleged
to be particularly anxious TO have all
evidence of his having rihcd letters
and other alleged misconduct destroyed
Hanson. ii is said, was suspected Of
having fired the building, but it was
impossible to trace the crime directly
to him
With the burning oe the postoaice,
several people are said TO have given
the postofficc inspectors damaging evi-
dencc against Hanson. He is believed
to have become coguIzant Of this fact
and shortly after the town was startled
by n series of barn burnipgs Hanson
is supposed TO have been implicated in
these, as whenever person was sus-
pectcd OF having contributed any eyi
dcnce Of his guilt. his barn mysterious
ly caught fire. Finally Hanson was seen
to leave ., barn. it is alleged. by the
and seeing them, he is said 10 have
thrown up his bands and shouted 90 Fire
as loudly as possible. It is said by
these officials. that lhe FIRE had not he
come Of Sufficient proportions at the
time TO be seen from the outside Han
son was placed under arrest at the point
of a rifle, aud was charged with arson.
There was no conviction IN the case,
Warrant Is Issued.
Some time after, while Postolicc In
spoctor C.. d. Lowe was investigating the
case. iewelcr named Robertson claim
ed that two watches had been stolen
from his store, and he caused Inc ie-
suance Of Il search warrant in order that
the authorities might search Hanson s
berry. 1t was while Inspector Lowe was
making this search that be found ten
unopened letters upon tho top of
cupboard in Hanson S residence, These
were taken IN charge by the inspector,
and it is supposed they cut consider
able figure in the case when it was
presented to the federal grand Jury last
week AN the letters bore the date of
the day when the first fire occurred, and
this has led the aut horities to suppose
that Hanson broke into the postoffice.
stole the letters and then set the build
ing on fire. In the warrant, under
which Hanson was arrested, he is
charged. among othcr things. with hav-
ing broken into the posiofhce and with
having set fire TO 1t.
1t IS not believed that the case will
be reached ir the federal court before
the March term, but IL is said that when
it docs come TO trial 1T will prove
TO be an exceptionally sensational one.
The indictment is said to be clear, and
it is understood that il is based upon
the finding of these letters, breaking
into the postoilicc, setting the building
on FIRE and riling the mails 1t is also
that the indictment is back
cd up bv the testimony of the sheriff
Of Millard comfy. The towu marshal of
Fillmore, and by many persons who,
during the past few wears, have had
dealings of one nature or another with
the accused man. Feeling is al fever
heat against Hanson, and it is said
that The bitterness of the people to-
ward the man has caused the laying
of an exceptionally large amount of new
evidence al the door of the government
Little inside History.
Hanson is one of the most desperate
criminals Of the state. He has used
the torch TO the property Of half