Willmar tribune., 1921-11-09
.HOIDUP EXPOSED
ASA E;Ul'
John Benea. Yard Policeman. Con
fessed Guilt Before Authorities
HSE
sl91skl|E

John Botnen. Great Northern yard
policeman, who On the syeping Of Sat
urday Oct 2z. reported Himself ~ Se-
ihE sandbagged and shot In the lqcal
yards has confessed the entire iIci-
dent 40 being i atframe-up, staged Ay
himself. His sdmission Was heardsby
the police authorities. thu couhty
sheriff and special agent Garrison OF
the Great Northern on Wednesday Qf
last week
Following the report Of the holdsp,
suspicious were & aroused, by he
variance in the stories which 11r.
Botnen told. They tailed to CO.
incide: An investigation follow
ed by the police authorities,
the sheriff and Mr.. Garrison and son
Wedday Botnen was confronted with
the evidence secured intimating a
frame-up and he admitted ALL The
report Of the alleged hold-up as Bot
nen reported It to the Tribune vas
contained in our issue of Oct Is.
The evidence as found by the author
tiles and which exnnsed Botnen's
guilt was so damaging and convincing
that the suspected man was cornefed
and compelled to confess.
Botnen claimed when found by
switch crew about nine O'Clock in the
evening that he had been Ssandbagged
about seven-thirty. Several acquain-
Etances testified that tBotnen was in the
Majestic Theatre at eight-thirty and
was seen to walk towards the depot
and the yards shortly thereafter.
Botnen claimed that he and his as
sailant wrestled for some time. No
signs of any scuffle were found on the
spot. 9
He also stated that only one shot
was fired. Contrary to this assertion
the authorities found a thirty-two re-
vo!ver bullet in the side Of the box car
standing near the spot where B0tnen
was found. In addition to the bullet
found in his memorandum book this
made two shots. Both bullets were
of the same calibfe revolver. d.
p Botnen later admitted that he fired
a shot into the box car and threw the
revolver over the car into the slough.
He had on his person another revolver
of the same calibre with the chambers
filled with cartridges. Botnen sought
to prove that the shot fred was by the
assailant while his own weapon was
fully loadad. -
Doctors who examined Botnen
failed to find any injuries. He had
complained of pains in the head and
stomach. He was in good condition
without any evidences of having been
injured. ,yt
By the means 81 blood tapped from
a nose which naturally bled easily he
stfeaked his face with the crimson to
camouflage the act.
When found by the switchmen Bot
men boldly said to them that he was
sure he was shot He took a melao-
random book from his inner coat
pocket searched among its leaves and
finally disclosed the bullet. This act
was incriminating and as the lead had
not touched his skin, it was apparant
that Botnen could not have known
that the bullet hit him. His haste to
find the bullet implied pre-knowledge
of the shooting. ( 80.
Botncn showed his overcoat with a
bullet hole IN It. He also showed IN in
ner coat with hole thru it. The in
vestigating authorities requested Bot
men to put on the garments as he wore
them that evening By passing pen
ell thru the hole In the overcoat 1t was
found that thepencilpointmetthe inner
coat not in the spot where there was
a hole but some three inches away
from it. Furthermore as the bullet
was found lodged fn the memo book it
could not made hole ID the inner lin
ing of tht inner coat which It had
not even reached. The memo book
stopped it before it reached the inner
lining And yet the hole was there.
In order to have accomplished this
miraculous stunt thebullet Wouldhaye
had to pass thru the memo book thru
the lining OF the coat and then turned
about and come back into the memo
book again and remain there. ..
1T was proven to Botnen that some
days ago he had undoubtedly taken
his over and inner coat and shot bullet
holes thru them. Then he had taken
the memo book and fired a shot into 1t
and and !;ss placed it h ip pocket on the upper
other details OF the Investigation
also helped to complete the trap into
which Botnen fell and which he him
self had prepared. Welt as he had
planned the affair tell-tale minutae
were found. 49, 49,.
-, How Not to Tske Cold
Some persons are subject to ffe
Quent colds, while others seldom, if
eyer, have . cold. You Will And that
the latter take good care Of themse!-
yes. They take q shower or cold
sponge bath every day in warm
room, avoid over heated rooms, sleep
. irSE = :. -rFa. 49,