The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-09-17
zee Conducted Meat Market
In North Mankaio
Then QUIT THAT PLACE
Wife and Two Sons Looked
Everywhere For Him;
Lives In Canada .

Z. VI. Hagen, well known in North
Mankato, where he conducted the VII
lage meat market for FIVE years. and
then suddenly left, has been found at
last after a long and wearisome search.
A year ago last spring Mr.. Hagen
disposed of his business to AL volk.
and the family moved away from the
village, no one seemed to know ex-
actly where. Mr.. Hagen had been
ailing throughout the winter, and was
far from being a robust man. He be-
longed to the Odd Fellows lodge, and
had paid up his dues for two years In
advance. The family consists OF Mr..
Hagen, his wife and two children.
Majorie, and Merle, and they had
come to Minnesota from the Dakotas.
and had become very we'll known In
of Mr.. Hagen being a mystery to his
old neighbors and friends.
Discovered In Canada.
After a search OF about eighteen
months the lost man has been found,
being discovered by the Mounted
Canadian police in a hut sixty miles
northwest OF Regina, Sask.. far from
any other habitation. paralyZei, help
less, and unable to talk, his only COM
panion a faithful Indian friend. who
has worked the land to provide sus-
tenance. According to a story in The
Minneapolis Journal a letter from the
Royal Northwest mounted police OF
Canada to the Minneapolis depart
ment told of their long journey into
the north and the finding of the man
whose ambition to become a great
farmer had been shattered. Though
helpless. Hagen, according to the men
who found him, Is sticking II out"
hoping he will recover and be able
to send for his wife and family, who
are living In Minneapolis. Mrs.
Hagen lives at so Tenth street South,
and the son, Merle lives at the Young
Mems Christian Association. When
Hagen left he took with him the fam
fly funds which were to be invested in
the northern land project. The last
heard of him he was in Edmonton.
When he left he was to write a postal
card every day and tell how he was
coming, and the police were finally
asked to search for him. The Indian
who is tilling the farm. and nursing
the helpless man. is believed to be an
old friend of the family, who formerly
lived on a reservation near Sisseton,
S. d. II is said that Hagen's ambition
was to be a stockman and farmer.
and had decided TO buy Canadian
lands. develop them and start in the
Stock business.
Appealed to the Police.
When the police of the northwest
Hagen, Mrs. Hagen decided to appeal
to the Royal Mounted police, and
wrote to them. telling them OF her
husbands disappearance and OF the
circumstances. All the men in the
service received q description OF Hag-
en- three months ago. and were told
to search every corner of their dis
tricts. At the end of three months a
rider came upon a small hut. An In
dian was blowing a field with team
OF horses. In front OF the cabin was
man, helpless and speechless. The
stroke had left him partial use Of hh
right hand. He slowly nodded his
head when asked II he was Hagen, and
moved his hand to show that he could
write Then he laboriously wrote out
| the information which the policeman
asked for. The indian was called in
from the field, and between his story
and what Hagen wrote a story OF the
mans sufferings was told. Winter had
overtaken him before he found his
farm. obtained his papers and got
shelter ready. He and the Indian
worked hard but the work, exposure
and short rations caused a break
down. and while Hagen was at work
he was stricken with paralysis.
Cared For BY Indian.
| He dropped Imply to the ground
and the Indian carried him to the
' house. cared for him, and continued
!, the work alone. He had twenty acres
of ground cultivated and was growing
a crop. and had also a comfortable
cabin. a well. and barn. The Indian
| told the police that he had often tried
to induce Hagen to return to Mime
apolis where life would not be 50
hard, but he refused to go. Hagen Is
no worse, the mounted police say.
than he was after he recovered from
the first shock. and Is apparently
contented to sit in the cabin and plan
for the future. Mrs. Hagen and son
support themselves In Minneapolis
where she Is employed as a house
keeper, and the boy Is at work In an
office. They have written for full
particulars of Mr.. Hagen's condition.