Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-11-02
TJERNAGEL |. EXPLAINS
Writes Open Letter Concerning His
Incarceration.
SAYS INJUSTICE WAS DONE
Claims His Conviction Was Result
of Misunderstanding and
Wrongful Accusation.

! Many Of our readers remember
L. ]. Tjernagel, formerly an attor.
ney who lived in Decorah and later
resided in Story county. They will
also remember having read two o,
three articles in this paper noting
his arrest and trial for embezzle.
ment. also an article two weeks age
stating that his friends were about
to publish statement of the cir.
cumstances surrounding his case
with the belief that he was inno-
cent.
The other day we received the
following letter from him, which is
self explanatory and which we
gladly publish:
Ft. Madison. Ia, Oct. "a, 1910.
Harry ]. Green,
| DecOrah, Iowa.
Dear Sir:
have from time to time had the
/ w oCS al llClC0 Ill your Ud-
per which has dealt with my case
sometimes very incorrectly, but j
have blamed your source of inform
alton for the incorrect statements
which have been made. In your
paper of the 18th inst. l see quite
an article which you have taken
from one of your exchanges. Now
FOR your own enlightenment and for
readers-if you care to spare the
space-I will give the facts as they
happened. In order not to be
lengthy / shall keep from comment
ing or arguing the points. Your
self and your readers can make
your mental comments to suit your
own Judgment.
In the latter part of 1904 Ole
Siverson came to my Office and re-
1uested me to write for him to Hans
Handal who owed him some money
on some notes. Siverson waited
two or three weeks and came to my
Office lagain and said he had not re-
ceived any reply to the letter, and
wanted me to write another one a
little stronger than the first. I
wrote the second letter where he
threatened to leave the notes for
collection II he did not get answer
And - least part payment.
In . few weeks he came back
again and said he had received no
answer to the second letter either.
The third time he came he wanted
me to write to this man Handal and
sign my name to the letter. 1t was
to be a letter from me. I waited
as usual few weeks when / met
Sivers0n and told him l had receiv-
ed no answer to my letter either.
Soon after that he came up to
my oface and asked me to go out
to see this man Handal who lived
near DuncOmbe, Iowa. told him
I would, but that he better bring
the old notes SO / could see them
and figure up what they come to.
When he brought them found
they were IL years old after due.
and hence outlawed. l told Siver-
son that l think now / know why
Handal has not answered our let
ters,-that he didn't want to put
in writing that he owed Siverson
anything thereby renewing the
notes. took the old notes and
gave my receipt for them and re-
gistered them in my collection re-
gister and on the 18th of April,
1905 went to see Handal. l met
him in the field in the after
noon, but said I would be back in
the evening after supper to see him.
succeeded in getting new notes,
notes, each of $4,000 payable one
each year. The last became due
the 18th Of April. 1910.
When l came back home l met
SiversOn and told him what l had
done and told him to come to
my office and get his share Of the
notes.
He did not come until the 18th
Of April, 1905, but he wished to
leave the notes in my safe and have
me look after the collection of
them when they became due.
gave him my receipt for the three
first notes. The other two we
agreed should be my commission.
did not consider the notes worth
much. It was q gambling chance
II they would ever be paid. Han
del's property was very heavily
mOrtgaged and he was tenant and
an old man.
April 22d Siverson came again to
my once and wished to transfer the
notes to me. He said he did not
believe Handal would ever pay
them II he knew he owned them.
He wanted me to give him my note
for the three notes which did
$378.00 due the 22d of April.
1910.
In the spring Of 1905 Handal
moved into Minnesota, near El-
more and it seems he did we'll.
After buying his notes l owned all
of them and transferred them to q
man In business transaction
whom l knew would collect them
II there was any possible chance.
Up to some time in the summer Of
1907 Handal had paid the two first
notes.
In the fall of 1907 Siverson was