The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-12-05

|
ducks flying high and going north.
Mr.. Detamore is an old settler in
Blue Earth county and this is the
first time he has ever seen ducks fly
north on November 81
From Fridays Daily.
|, With fourteen ragged scalp wounds
in his head and suffering from the
loss OF blood, John Hanson stagger-
ed from the scene of the assault in
Lake Benton Wednesday night and
made his may to his home. about
two blocks distant where the eff
fects of his, terrible beating overcame
him and he sank unconscious to the
floor. The instrument that had been
used in this vicious attack was a
club covered with wire over which
was wound some braiding. 1t was
a dangerous weapon and inflicted
some ugly wounds.
Attack was Vicious
Mr. Hanson was on his way home
when the attack occurred. He was
accosted by two men who asked
him for a match. While his hand
were thrust into his pocket in search
of the match, one of the men hit
| him terrible blow on the forehead
with the club. The first blow laid
open the scalp and caused one of
the most serious of the wounds that
Mr.. Hanson received during the en-
counter. After that the thugs struck
| him a great many times upon the
| head, but Hanson was game and
fought for his life with all of the
strength that he could muster. He
| from the man who had been welding
! it. Before he had chance to press
/ his advantage, window was showed
up in house across the street and
some one who had heard the noise
made by the encounter shouted:
Hold him, we will be there in a
minute" When the would be robbers
heard this they lost no time in max
ing their getaway, leaving Mr.. Han
son by different routes.
Deputy Sheriff Nerdahl and the
bloodhound Queen arrived in Lake
! Benton before dawn Thanksgiving
morning. He and the dog visited the
! scene of the attack on Mr.. Hanson.
| The ground was smeared with blood
| and so was every article from which
the hound might have gained a
scent and follower the trail of the
assailants.
! Twice Queen started on what at
| first appeared to be the right scent,
| but each time the dog led the way
| to Mr. Hanson's home. When Mr..
/ Nerdahl returned to the scene OF
the assault for the third time he
| found a copy of "a Minneapolis pa
| per lying on the ground This was
also spattered with blood, Mr.. Ner-
/ dahl carefully removed the bloody
! portion of the paper and gave
| the other portion to the dog. I'M
mediately the hound took up a
new trail that led, through the school
yard and stopped in front of a house
not far distant, where the trail SEEM
| ed to end.
| Took up Another Trail.
+ Again returning to the scene of
| the crime the dog took new trail,
this one leading past the Old court
house and stopping a short distance
j beyond but at the point where this
| trail ended there was unmistkable
signs of a rig having stood there. 1t
seems from this that one of the men
escaped to the rig which was in
waiting and then picked up the other
man further down the street, there
probably being an agreement between
them regarding the meeting place.
From Lake Benton the thugs drova
j to Verdi, about six miles away where
! they boarded train and escaped to
Elkton. S. D. in making their exit
out of Minnesota, they boarded the
same train on which Mr.. Nerdahl ar
rived in Lake Benton. Although the
! dog failed to find the men the people
of Lake Benton are more than salts
fed with the results. Mr.. Nerdahl
said this morning that in places the
| footsteps of the escaping men were
plainly visible in the road.
Mistaken in Their Man.
1t is the general opinion of resi-
/ dents of Lake Benton that the
would-be foot pads made a mistake
in their man they intended
to rob. 1t is believed they had plan
ned to hold up the proprietor OF a
: local pool hall who is said to al
! ways carry on his person large sums
of money. He does not believe in
| banks, and thinks his pockets are a
safer place i'll which to deposit his
cash. When he was told OF the as.
sault that had been made on Mr..
Hanson and his narrow escape he
appeared to realize the seriousness
of the situation, and the dangers
which confront man who carries
money on his person.
From Fridays Daily.
The Mayer Brothers tractor a
description of which has been pub
lished in the Free Press, gave an
| other demonstration of it's efficiency