The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-18
Editress Is Charged
With Crime Of Arson

With Crime Of Arson
Blue Earth, Mimi, April 11.-Mrs
Knute Sandum, owner and propri
etor of The Bricelyn Sentinel Of
Bricelyn, fifteen miles southeast oil
here. was brought to Blue Earth to-
day by Sheriff Freer to answer to a
charge Of arson, it being alleged
that she attempted to set fire to her
, printing plant on April 3. Robert J.
Martin of Minneapolis and c.. f.
Heimbach of ST. Paul, deputy state
fire marshals, have been working on
the case since Monday
+ Deputy State Fire Marshal Robert
J. Martin of Minneapolis and c. r.
Peimbach of st. Paul have been at
Bricelyn, fifteen miles southeast of
this city in Faribault county. the past
four days, securing evidence and yes
terday morning swore out a complaint
for her arrest.
/ The preliminary hearing yesterday
afternoon before Judge W. p Drake
was continued until Monday, April
%, County Attorney H. l.. Bulls be-
ing the prosecuting attorney. Put
nam & Carlson are Mrs. Sandum's
counsel
Attempt Discovered by Foreman.
| Thursday night, April 3, as the fore
man of the Bricelyn Sentinel came
into the printing office at late hour,
he discovered in secluded spot
near the newspaper press in the back
of the room a hat box filled with
cloths, excelsior, etc, saturated with
] turpentine, and old papers scattered
about
I In the box was a tallow candle,
burning, and the combustible material
was so placed that when the candle
burned down it would quickly ignite
the mass.
w. A. Bruss, the foreman and form
or editor of the Gilmore Eye, quickly
eXtinguished the flame and notified
the city marshall and some others.
| They made an examination and left
for the night The next morning all
/, the remains of the attempt at arson
had been removed.
Three Keys to Office.
! There were three keys to the print
ing office: one in the possession of
Mr.. Bruss; school teacher, who had
rooms over the office, but who was
out of the city, had another; Mrs.
Sandum had the remaining one.
/ There was $4,000 insurance on the
property, which was in her name as
tho owner.
| Mrs. Sundum's husband, Knute
p, Sandum, is well known over the
ho,
pers in this county at one time and
has been clerk in the state legislature
; two terms in the past few years. He
now spends most of his time in Min
neapoIis in the land business. He
was postmaster at Bricelyn for over
ten years.
I Mrs. Sandum in under $4,000 bonds
for her appearance at the hearing,
April %.
ST Paul, April 11.-Psychology of
| the voting booth will be judicially
considered when the supreme court,
on April "a, hears the election con-
i test brought by M. E. Mathews of
Marshall against Judge |. M. Olson
of the ninth judicial district. Ma
Sthews was defeated at. the election
last November by 104 votes and also
i lost the contest proceedings in the
! district court He has now appealed.
Peculiar Mental Trait.
The case involves the peculiar
mental trait which leads voters to
mark the first name on the ballot.
| Recognizing this trait, the legislature,
! to eQualize chances, passed law re-
curing that the names of candidates
be rotated, In the ninth district cleo
! ton this was done in all the counties
but Brown, where the auditor placed
Olsen's name first Mathews lost the
county 1922 to 1900 and he asserts
|! that if the law had been observed
he would have obtained enough more
votes to wipe out Olsen's slim ma
jority. The total vote in the district
was, Olsen 6,4S3, Mathews 6,379.
Asks Court to Pass on Law.
/ In his petition for review Mr..
Mathews asks the court to pass upon
J the law and he asserts that IL it is
! valid the election of Olsen is invalid
In the lower court this contention
was made but not sustained. The
case hinges on this point the other
Afeatures of the contest being of minor
Importance.
| Mathews is represented by Thomas
| Davis of Marshall and Judge Olsen
has three lawyers. Henry Somsen Of
! New Tim, Virgil B. Seward and Coun-
ty Attorney Olsen OF Nicollet county,
his brother.