The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-13
SEEK AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS
Sheriff of Lake County Holds That He
Believes Hansen Was Killed as Re-
suit of Being Hit By An Automobile
Seek Small Ford Runabout.

William Smith, the Russell man held
in the county jail at WaukegaH pend
ing further investigation into the
murder of Ingolf Hansen, was releas-
ed by the Lake county authorities on
Wednesday and it is now declared that
the prosecutor and sheriff of Lake
county are completely at sea in their
efforts to solve the mystery surround
ing the death of Hansen. The
Burns" men who were put on the
job have been called in for the pres
ent at least and the investigation of
the case seems to have been practically
abandoned by the Lake county of
fcials. In the meantime the Kenosha
county officials are still investigating
the case with the belief that it was
possible that Hansen met his death on
this side of the state line
The discharge Of Smith following
the discharge of James O'Hare and
Frank Murray on last Sunday did not
cause any surprise as it was expected
that if the evidence was not strong
enough to hold O'Hare and Murray it
was not strong enough to hold Smith.
The officials at Waukegan held on to
Smith on account of the fact that he
had told several conflicting stories and
they had these stories investigated by
the officials and detectives. The hear
ing of the three men arrested in con-
Hection with the case was to have been
held on Saturday, but at that time
formal order dismissing all charges
against them will be fled.
Sheriff Griffin of Lake county seems
to be of the opinion that the officials
of Kenosha county and Lake county as
well have worked on the wrong theory.
He believes that Hansen was struck by
an automobile and that he suffered in
juries IN this manner. This was the
first story of the injury of Hansen as
told to the officials of Kenosha county.
They have repeatedly declared that it
would have been an impossibility for
Hansen to have received the injuries
from which he died by being struck
by an automobile. There were a lot
of automobiles on the Russell road on
the night that Hansen met his fatal
injuries. 1t is declared that only a
few minutes before Hansen was seen
lying along the road an automobile
without any lights on it went through
the village of Russell at high rate of
speed. It was coming toward Keno
sha. Reference to this automobile was
made in the evidence produced at the
coroner's inquest in Kenosha. The
evidence indicated that the automobile
was small Ford runabout. It is said
to have stopped at the Schultz saloon,
but none of the men who had been in
the saloon gave any information as to
the identity Of the men in the two pas
senger automobile which it was stated
had stood in front Of the saloon only
few minutes before the place was
closed for the night. There is of
course possibility that this automo-
bile struck Hansen, but it is difficult
to see how small car could have caus-
ed his terrible injuries.
Local officials have been slow to 90
into the facts in the case so long as
the Lake county officials had Burns
men at work on the case, but with the
withdrawal of the Burns men it is
probable that Sheriff Stahl will return
to the case. Hans Hansen of Chicago,
brother of the murdered man, and
Peter Hansen, his uncle, are demand
ing that the officials take very step
possible to run down and punish the
men who were responsible for his death.