The Mankato free press., 1912-09-27
WELLs.MAhl|slOcA|IED IS. Il:
after Nine LONG YEARS

st. Louis, September 23.-A man
who says he is Ole Hagen, who dis
appeared from Wells, Mimi, nine
years ago, was brought here last
night from Mississippi by private de.
tectives, who declare Hagens wife
and three children, who live in Wells,
are suing for Hagen's life insurance,
believing that the husband and father
is dead.
According to information given
the detective agency which took up
the search for Hagen, he left Wells
December 6, 1893 In the ensuing
year he wrote to his wife, Mrs. Anna
Dahl Hagen, from Hot Springs, Ark,
Montgomery, Ala, and Beaumont,
| Tex Since then she has received
no word from him.
! He was insured in the Aetna
Life Insurance company, the Red
men, the Modern Woodmen and the
| Modern Brotherhood of America for
an aggregate of $1,000. A few
! months ago Mrs. Hagen, convinced
that her husband was dead, demand
! ed payment of his policy of $4,000
i from the Modern Brotherhood OF
America. The organization refused
i to pay without proof of Hagen's
death, and Mrs. Hagen brought suit
| against the order at once.
| At the direction of the Modern
Brotherhood of America and of the
other insurance companies concern
ed, the detective agency took uT
| the trail, which was eight years old
With the last letters written to his
wife as a clue, the investigators
tracked Hagen through Arkansas
Alabama and Texas. At last the
quest lead into Mississippi, and i
was near Meridian, according TO re
port, that the man who says hi
is Hagen was discovered.
When found the claimant proved
a rather reluctant witness. He in
/ volved himself in an air of myster!
and secrecy. He was unwilling tt
return to Minnesota, he said, because
he feared he would be prosecuted
for wife abandonment. He had givel
up all thought of returning to hi
wife and children, he declared, ant
had determined to spend the re
mainder of his life apart from them
He left his wife, he said, because
of some disagreement for which HI
blamed her. What the circumstance
of the separation were he declined
i to divulge.
Affidavit Is Very Mysterious.
The claimant was persuaded t
come to ST. Louis only on condition
that he might communicate wit
relatives and acquaintances if h
wished, and that he might go Of
his way unmolested if he SO desired
He signed an affidavit, prepared b.
Charles P Conner, attorney for tn
detective agency, in which he affirm
that he is Hagen.
For reasons which appear goo
to himself" the affidavit states, "a
fiant does not at this time care t
say at what place at this time h
resides, Or to name acquaintance
and friends other than those. mer
! toned in this Instrument ~ =.
The affidavit sets forth that Hage
left Wells December 6, 1908. TIL
claimant says he wrote to Mrs. Ha
gen from Hot Springs, and denie
that he assumed the name of Oh
Berg, as the detective agency wa
informed he had done. Hagen say
he came tn ST. Louis to establis
his identity as Ole Hagen and t
prevent the payment of the insul
ance policies which stand in hi
name. He said he was not certain
whether he would attempt a recon
ciliation with his wife, but declare
he would go to Wells to confron
her if she challenged the correct
ness of his affidavit. He cease,
paying premiums on his policie
years ago, he said, and suppose
they had lapsed.
His Brother on Way South.
Louis Hagen of Pleasant Lake
N. D., is expected in st. Louis an,
will be asked if he can identif
Hagen. The letter says he is no
only willing to submit to the test
but is eager to see his brOthe
after SO many years of separation
Louis Hagen was to reach st. Loui
today, but was delayed. A secon'
brother, Martin, lives in Scoby
MINI.
In search for Hagen, the detec
tives were aided by photograph o
the missing man taken eleven year
ago. When compared with the mai
they located, the photographs, &C
cordiDg to officials of the agency
show a certain resemblance
Mrs. Hagen Is Telephone Operator