The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-02
WIFE SOUGHT TO FREE
HER INSANE HUSBAND

urgent need of her husbands sup
port in view OF the fact that she is
soon TO become mother. led Mrs.
Andrew Sweider 10 furnish the three
files 10 the insane criminals con-
cerned i'm the attempt at cell de-
livery at the st. Peter state hospital
for the criminal insane Wednesday
night, provided the files actually
were taken into the place by the
woman, as believed by the hospital
authorities.
That the penniless little woman
was determined To get her husband
out of the institution so he could go
to work and earn money 10 support
her and the expected addition TO
their family, was the belief express
ed today in the Syrian colony in
Northeast Minneapolis. of which she
was the reignng belle prior TO her
marriage to Sweider last fall. 1t was
known that she had been dependent
upon charity for support since her
husband had been locked up for the
theft OF flour from cars in the rail-
way yards where he was employed.
What Has Developed.
These things became known to-
day:
Mrs. Sweider, with the new baby's
arrival drawing daily nearer. had
many times told how desperately she
desired Ter husbands freedom.
Three weeks ago she asked the
Associated Charities to furnish her
with transportation to 81. Peter so
she could visit him.
When that organization declined
to do so she obtained the money
from an attorney.
She shortly afterward disappeared
from Minneapolis and evidently
went to ST. Peter.
A few days before the cell deliv-
cry she was seen purchasing three
small files at ST. Peter hardware
store.
She was permitted to make fire.
quent visits to her husband and
easily could have smuggled the files
TO him.
She reappeared in Minneapolis on
Wednesday night, a few hours be-
fore the daring attempt at whole
sale cell delivery.
She was seen by residents of the
Syrian colony on that night. but has
not been seen there since
But One Man Escaped
But if Mrs. Sweider was concern.
ed in the plot her efforts bore no
fruit of value to herself For, while
Bjorn Ostby, patricide, succeeded in
getting away from the hospital after
steel bars had been sawed through,
the escape of Sweider and two other
insane prisoners was prevented by
the vigilance of the guards
Andrew Sweider and the belle of
the Syrian colony were married last
fall. The wedding was made a gala
occasion in the colony. the celebra-
ton continuing seven days
Sweider was 4 laborer in the rail-
road yards and on April IA, 1912, he
was arrested for stealing sacks of
-four from a merchandise car. He
was sentenced to the reformatory at
ST. Cloud While in the reformatory
he became violently insane and on
April 2S he was taken To the ST.
Peter hospital.
Just one month later, on May 2S,
Mrs. Sweider received aid for the
third and Iact ti,na ar ,ha oH;oo -
the Associated Charities. Early in
July she went back TO the organiza-
tons headquarters to get transporta-
ton TO st. Peter, but her request
was not granted.
Ever since her husband was lock-
ed up Mrs. Sweider has been abso-
lutely dependent upon aid from her
old friends, who frequently haven't
enough for themselves, and upon pub
lie charity" said Fred Serbs, 323
Main street northeast, today. land
recently she has been almost desper-
ate in her desire to have him come
back to her."
All Trace Is Lost.
ST. Peter, Mimi, July 27.-Although
searching parties composed of at
PENDANTS at the ST. Peter hospital
for the insane have secured the
woods for a wide radius about the
institution, they have been unable to
secure any trace of Bjorn Ostby, the
Duluth murderer, who escaped from
the criminal ward The fugitive
seems TO have made the most of his
six-hour start, and there is no like
lihood of his immediate recapture.
When Attendant Albin Ecklund dis
covered the plot to release James
Cunningham. George Parker and
Andrew Sweider. the three other
prisoners, Ostby stood about a hun
dred yards from the building waiting
for his accomplices. At Ecklund's cry
of alarm, he dashed for the woods
south OF the institution, and although
he was unfamiliar with the country
surrounding it. he ran blindly for the
best cover in this part of the
state.
Dashed into Timber.
Between here and Mankato there
are dense and unbroken woods, while
the bluffs along the Minnesota river
are scared with deep ravines. In any