The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-04-21
ARRESTS MADE IN
ABERDEEN MURDER
Confess TO Murder of Storekeeper At
Tacoma Park; Murdered Man
Had Relatives Here

Clarence Hetland, stcrekeeper at Ia
coma Park, a suburb of Aberdeen, was
murdered last Saturday night in an
attempted hold-up, and three young
men, their ages ranging from II to 26
are under arrest ,confeessd murderers.
Hetland was in charge of his store
when the yeggs entered. One of the
trio entered, unmasked, and asked for
a package Of cigarettes. He got them
and paid for them and stepped back
a few PAGES. Just as he did this two
more youths appeared at the door and
as they were about to enter each pull
ed a mask over his face. According
to Mrs. Hetland, wife of the murdered
storekeeper, m of the masks was a
black handkerchief and the other was
a colored one.
AS the two entered one of them stop
ped nea the door and ordered all
present to "hold up their hands" The
spokesman stood near the door and
the other bandit stepped nearer Het-
land, presumably to receive the money
that was demanded. AS he took the
steps, Hetland, who was standing di-
rectly in front of the till, leaned over
backward and reached for a gun that
was on the shelf, just above the cash
register. The gun was not loaded. AS
he made this move two shots were
fired, the first going wide and the
second entering his body slightly be-
low and to the right of his heart.
Upon the firing of the shots, all three
backed slowly to the door and then
bolted. After being wounded, Hetland
stood for a few seconds and then half
ran and half stumbled to the rear of
the store and then fell in a heap on
the floor, dead.
Officers at Aberdeen were notified of
the shooting, and Immediately began
the task of throwing a Gordon around
Brown county to make. it impossible
for the slayers to escape. An aero
plane was chartered to keep a watch
over the country side in case the ban
dts should be hiding in hay stacks or
similar places.
1t was not however until the next
afternoon, that information was given
that finally led to the capture of the
slayers. A farmer living near Ordway
stated that three young men who had
occupied a cottage in the vicinity, and
had been away for several days, had
returned suddenly Sunday morning,
and seemed greatly excited. From this
tip came the final roundup. The sher-
ifs deputies and police officers were
on the lookout for men answering the
description given, and about ten o'clock
found the first of the murderers in a
down town pool hall. The other two
were found in a hotel No resistance
TO arrest was made.
In their confessions, they stated that
they had committed nine other robber-
les in Aberdeen and Brown county
since February. The Tacoma Park
robbery had been planned three nights
before, but not until Saturday did an
opportunity present itself. The hold
up was intended to finance getting
their automobile out of a garage.
They did not know until they read
in the papers the next morning that
their attempt at hold-up had resulted
in murder.
Mr.. Holland was known to a number
of Miller people; having visited here a
year ago. He was a brother-in-law Of
kasper and Amos Jacobson of this
city.
The slayers gave their names as Will
liam Larson, II, of Hopkins, Mimi,
Harry Cox, %, Predsville, Mich, and
Howard Finley, 26, Puritan, Mimi.