The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-04-04
MAN HELD AT GRAND
FORKS SAYS He WAS
WITNESS TO Staying
Chance Remark Made in Amer
May Be Clue to Two
,i Year-0Id Crime
LIEF ERICKSON WAS VICTIM
Man Named George luken, Who
was Hitting For Canada
implicated

Grand FORKS, N. D., April 4.-QF}-
A chance remark made in anger by
q prisoner in the Grand Forks county
Jail may prove the clue that will un-
ravel the two-year mystery Of the
killing of Lief Erickson in Fargo
June 20. 1880.
Erickson was killed apparently
without provocation as he sat with
Miss Vera Helgerson in q car parked
on a roadside near the Fargo 1alr-
grounds. Clue after clue was run
down without results and the murder
seemed about to go down as an I'M
solved mystery until Sunday. Wnen
Fred Thompson told States Attorney
H. G. Owen of Grand Forks that ne
was an eyewitness to the tragedy.
John Hynek and Thompson, botn
transients, are held In the Grand
Forks county Jail awaiting arraign-
ment on a charge of first degree rob-
berry.
After Thompson implicated HyneK
In the crime, the latter is reported 10
have said in anger that he knew
enough dOOuI GIldt Td1SO NS~A
send Thompson up for life.
Fargoan at Forks
Police Chief George Albright OF
Fargo came to Grand Forks Sunday
and aided Mr.. Owen and Sheriff Ed
Hough in questioning Thompson.
Thomson admitted Sunday that ne
was an eyewitness to the Tragedy.
A peculiarly rifled pistol was founo
in the possession OF Thompson
brother, Anton. Grand Forks. and has
been sent to Fargo for examination
in an effort to show that the bullet
which killed Erickson was fired from
it. Reports from Fargo say the fatal
bullet had peculiar rifling marks.
The story told by Thompson to the
Fargo and Grand Forks officers was
that he went to the Fargo fair
grounds the night of the murder to
Sleep in the hayloft Of one OF the
barns.
He had been there but a short
time when q stranger named George
Luken came into the barn. Thomp-
son said. Thompson. ne related, turn
ed his flashlight on the newcomer
and was told that Luken would stay
q while and then go out and get some
money from cars parked along the
road. Thompson said Luken showed
him a peculiar brown handled pistol
Put Sack Over Head
Luken then took gunny sack
from his clothing and put 1t over his
head. Thompson said. Eye holes hao
been cut in the sack. Thompson SAID
he then followed Luken and they
went to the fence at the west SIDE o.
the fairgrounds.
There were a man and woman ST.
ting in a car there, and Luken climb
ed over the fence. while Thompson
stood inside the fairgrounds. Luken
THOMPSON said, crawled on his hands
and knees in the ditch to the wes'
side of the car and then stepped ont<
the running board.
AS he did so he said, stick EN-
up." Thompson claimed he heare
some talk then and the car started
north. Just before 1t reached a point
near the northwest corner OF tn
FAIRGROUNDS he heard a shot fired
The car turned east and went ints
the ditch.
Thompson claimed he then heard
Girl say. Let go of me-" Luken thel
said, I'm going to take you with me.
Thompson then saw another ca
come from the west and two mel
cot out and looked over the Erickson
car before going into Fargo.
Pursued by Auto
After the shooting Thompson said
Luken ran northeast pursued by ca
that was parked nearby. The ca
started, he said, when the gir
screamed.
Thompson related he then went Il
the south side of the fairgrounds ant
walked into Fargo, where he slept II
a rooming house. He claims he me
Luken the next day about noon o.
Northern Pacific avenue. He toll
Luken he heard the shot and tn
scream and Luken replied, Il shoul'
worry, I'm hitting for Canada"
Grand Forks officials visited tn
house Of Anton Thompson. brotne
of the witness, at 7l2 Fourth avenu
South, and found brown handles
revolver, which the brother admitte'
was his. He was questioned by tn
Fargo chief of police and released
The gun was sent to Fargo for test
by ballistic experts to compare 1t Wit
the death bullet.
Smoker two" Is the only mark O
the gun, q single action weapon Wit
a hair trigger. It has brown woode
handles, IS .32-caliber and has . five
shot cylinder.
Both Hynek and Thompson are be
ing held at the county jail here 10
Cass county officials.