The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-08-18
ARCH CROOK
SEEKSPEACE
IN A PRISON
Tom Johnson Now Says He
Has Committed Over 100
RObberies and Murders
PIE STARTED CAREER
Slayer Of Minneapolis Attor.
ney Wanted to Get Even
With Society

Minneapolis, Aug. lS-tAP)-
A directed plea Ut not guilty was
entered by Tom Johnson to-day 10
IN indictment charging murder
and his case wax set for trial at
the term Of distsict court com
vening September. Is.
While Johnson had declared his
Intention OF pleading guilty IL the
charge Of Murder.Mg Leonard
tFict Judge Thomas u. salmon
directed him Ia plead not guilty.
Minneapolis, Mimi. Aug. l8-(AP)
With . career Of crime behind him
involving more than l.70O robbsries.
burelaries and murders, Tom John.
sons only wish today was to plead
guilty to some charge 80 he may get
It over with" and spend the rest Of
his days "peacefully" in prison.
That his desires will be met was
indicated by county officials. who
planned to dispose Of his case quick
". He was indicted Tuesday by the
county grand jur: on u charge of first
degree murder and with arraignment
set for today, he may be in states
prison st saltwater before night.
The indictment charges him with
staying Leonard Erdall. young attor-
ney of Minneapolis. in = holdup here
last December. Johnson told police
he wanted to plead guilty and take
the consequences at once.
Gives . Statement
As sort final to his revelations
Of his past life, johnson issued q
statement yesterday in which he list
ed q total of l,7lO robberies and
burglaries committed by him.
The list covers ~ cities from New
York to San Francisco and from
Canada TO Texas during the past 20
years. He did not 60 into details Of
the various "jobs," merely giving the
number Of crimes that he could re-
member in each city.
Numerous train holdups were writ.
ten down, and one item said: "Hsvre.
Montana. one pie, and, year. in Deer
Lodge, Montana" The theft of the
pie and its immediate consequences
were responsible for his outlaw CO..
reer, he said.
Broke Prison Rules
When . youth, he stole the pie be-
cause he was hungry. Told that he
pleaded guilty, johnson did so, but
was sentenced to q year in the Deer
Lodge penitentiary. There he was
punished severely for infractions of
the rules that he never forgot.
He decided to get seven with So
ciey" because Of the torture he suf-
fered in that Jail and the holdup life
followed.
Missed Bismarck
Names of towns where johnson
says crimes were committed included (:
Fargo, N. D., l2 robberies; Minot,
Erob6eries: Devils Lake l5O train rob.
+, berries: Aberdeen, s. D., one burglary
and four robberies; Mitchell, 60 train
! robberies; Sioux Falls, one robbery: /:
Clark, one robbery; Conde, one rob-
berry; Mankat0, one murder, one rob.
berry; Junction, South Of Sioux Falls
one robbery. Three trains out Of
Montevideo. Minn., two months ago;
! in hill this side of Montevied0, n
men.
Fargo, N. D.. Aug. l8--(AP)---Tom
Johnson who has confessed to more
than 100 crimes, including . dozen
murders, is indulging in . flight OF
imagination in "confessing" to IL rob-
Oef1eS In EAFKOs In U0e OQtUjOu VI
Louis Dahlgren, chief Of police.
! "Thsre have not been l2 unsolved
robberies in Fargo during the mine
years I have served o. chief Of the
police department" Chief Dahlgren
said today. 81 was surbriAed to see
the story in the, morning edition Of
the Forum today. Ut intand ia
write to the Minneapolis authorities
to 0btain details Of these alleged
crimes but believe we will find that
few Il any Of them were actually
committed"
Devils lake, N. D.. Avg. l8-(AP)
The story Of Tom johnson. who
admits having killed Leonard Erdall
Of Minneapolis, that he committed 15O
train robberies in Devils Lake was
discounted today by Chief Of Police
Peter Tim6oe, who said, "Why. theirs
haven't been that many train robber.
les here since the rsilroad started.
Ramsey county authorities also deny
the statement made by johnson to the
Seattle police that he gave himself
up to tie chief Of. police in . city OF
this county. but the dhief refused to
believe his story. and called him q
"nut." Az far as the police and
sheriff here know, johnson has never
been seen In this vicinity.
II Du1-- 4 ~