Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-10-01
BRUNO HANSEN DEATH
FOLLOWED ALLIANCE
WITH MRS. HICKENS
Woman In Case Claims Both
Had Agreed To Die--Mr.
Hickens Tells The Story.

Omaha. Neb., Sept Collaborating to
ems. BY her husband and by Mrs. Bruno
Hansen. the death of Hansen and
serious wounding OF Mrs. Hickens fol-
lowed the practical eloDemcnt OF Han
son and Mrs. dickens. in which they
deliberately alicltated themselves from
their own families. Mrs. Hickcns
brief statement that the shooting was
'he result OF a pact. but the police still
.llnh tsi.,t only one gun was used and
chat she fired the shots. There are
indications that Hansen tried to drop
ncf, after getting her to leave her
home. and that this induced her to
tax" tragic action. 1t is known that
Mis-. Hickens sought Il reconciliation
With her husband after she had left
a note telling him he would not see her
again. but he refused to condone her
pifcnse. At their interview Mrs. Hick
ems pleaded that she was destitute and
hvr husband rave her $40.
iIansen was Well known all over Ne
brask;t and southern South Dakota, on
aceount of covering this territory fer
inanN years as /; travelling salesman.
Story of Broken Home.
according to Miss Jessie Graham.
mead nurse of the hospital. who was
outside the door of the parlor when the
shootin. occurred the two shots We're
fred i'm such rapid succession that II
would be impossible for two people to
nave handled the same weapon. There
was only Gre gun. ;lnd it is believed
that il WAS purchased by Mrs Hick
ems shortly before the tragedy.
When Mr.. dickens heard that his
Wi1e mad recovered consciousness and
that she had remote chance for re-
coNery. be visited her in company with
his son. at the hospital Ii the woman
does recover she will be blind and with
Out the sense of smell for the rest of
her life. it was stated by hospital au-
thoritles. Hemorrhages caused by the
passage of the bullet through the front
part Of the skull will, it is thought.
permanently destroy both senses.
y heart-rcnlirg story of human frail-
ty-the story of the wrecking of two
homes and of the besmirching of re-
putable nanles--was the explanation OF
the double tragedy as told by George
v. Hickens. husband of the woman
who murdered Hansen the man for
whom she abandoned her own home.
Both families had once been neighbors
IN the north part of Omaha.
Left Farewell Letters.
Il was out on my run on May 20 of
this year when Emma left home"
Hicllens said. When / got back there
We're two letters. one for my son and
one for myself. bidding us good bye,
and saving that she would never re-
turn; that it was for the best.
We We're married when we We're
only 16 years old, and had since always
been happy.
n week later received a long dis
lance telephone message from Mrs
Hansen. in Chicago. and she told me
that her husband had eloped with my
Wife Hansen had sent her on IA FOOLS
errand To New York. she told me. and
lief, for South America with her
y told my boy that as far as we
We're concerned Mrs. 1Iickens was
dead
Sunday night she returned to Oma-
ha and tried To talk to Howard. that's
my boy but he told her to see me.
She did. and we went to the LOYAL
hotel 10 talk matters over.
Erring Woman Wept
she cried. and wanted to come
back, but couldn't take her back.
could L? had endured the, sneers and
sarcasms of my friends. wholn Haunted
my betrayal in my face. So told her
to- so back to her mothers i'm P1liladcl-
phia and would pay her expenses. She
told me she was through with the
other man and that life wasn't worth
living unless she came back TO her
home and boy.
When we separated she asked. me
for $40 and gave the money TO her.
That was the last | heard of her until
Harry Byrne told me of the tragedy"
Hansen had been married for 10
years, and was the father OF two chill
dren. one OF whom, a 4-year- old. girl.
is still living. His wife and daughter
will come to Omaha and make ar
engagements for the dead mans funeral.
According 10 Information gathered
by the police. Hansen had possessed
several fortunes in his lifetime! He
was once II leading merchant at Battle
Creek, Neb.. and later was established
in Chicago. For some time he was
in partnership With +. L.. Dewell in