The courier-index., 1917-08-03
duplicates LIFE
OF JEAN VALJEAN
.n,cu FARMERS CAREER
|SWbDi01iI THAT OF HERO
PA nr LIES MISERABLES."

0'O uuoos character of Jean Val
'H'O .Tes Miserables, the escap-
lsSn ,;o+ who made himself a re-
I'd and wealthy man, has been
sp' TOD in real life in Sweden.
d du idenouement, however, was differ
lns for whereas the detective who
en- r Valjean's identity did not
dscOtJh him the Swede, less fortunate,
srrs'SS DENOUNCED and his denouncer is
va .;ng a reward of 1000 crowns
s' aured years ago for the mans ap-
prehension. ~ e;us+ oan,o into
.g;ct with the law 13 years ago.
q was at the time respected and
ne ~, well-to-do owner of a farm
IAN snr 'uddevalle, and member of the
nsal ,;nc;al diet. He became involved
unfortunate timber speculations
~ # is charged, forged some papers
~, he disappeared. This was in
, ,u, Four years later the police of
~ a'. Island Of Aland arrested a Swed-
- American who called himself Got
nard Dahlbom, on. a charge of forg-
check. The Finnish authorities
~ sg thew discovered that Dahlbom
~ Identical with the vanished
cwsed Gotthard Lindberg.
I;ndberg was sentenced to two
.,srs' imprisonment. While awaiting
;rsnsfer to the prison at Helsingfors
4 attempted to escape, and, it is al
issed, gave the prison warden poi
s zone piece of candy. For this he
i. sentenced to a further eight
Years imprisonment.
Tbereupon the Swedish authorities
rsouested the Finnish authorities to
hermit Lindberg to be brought to
sweden for a judicial inquiry into
H. crimes here. The request was
ranted and the man was brought to
|iTddevalla. While the investigation
was going on he escaped from Jail
IL saving through the bars of his
eeu This was in June, 1909. Eff
forts made to find him were without
avail Lindberg had great numbers
+ Of friends in the district, and there
was also general sympathy with him
because of reports that he had been
|butally treated in the Finnish jails,
and no one would betray him.
In October, 1909, man calling
| himself Fritz Anderson bought
large farm in Dalstorp, province or
|Westergotland. The new owner dis
played great energy and intelligence,
and speedily took a leading place in
| his community. He became the local
Header of the Conservative party, but
|steadfastly refused public office,
(which was many times offered him.
| His downfall was due to an uncon-
|querable tendency toward litigation.
He was frequently involved in law
suits over trifling matters, generally
|trepass actions connected with hunt
ling rights, and had the misfortune on
one occasion to be opposed by an at
/ omey who had had to do with the in
designations at Uddevalla eight years
earlier and who was struck by Ander-
|son's resemblance to Lindberg. He
Secured samples of the suspected
mans handwriting, which confirmed
bis suspicious, and Anderson was ar
rested He is now in Jail at Udde-
vala.
Lindhagen is said to have accumu-
lated property worth more than 100,-
900 crowns in his eight years of lib
ery. 1t has been learned that he
spent in the United States part of the
time between his flight from Udde-
yala, in 1904, and his arrest in Aland.
he is said to have been prominent in
Swedish circles in New York city and
afterward went to Bridgeport, Conn,