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Killed In A Church

Killed In A Church image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
May
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Salt Lake, Utah, May 26.- Additional eviriences of foul inurder have been discovered in the basement of the Scandinavian Methodist church. It seems almost certain that Miss Clawson and Anna Samuelson were done to death and their mutüated bodies thrust into the furnace of the church and cremated in order to destroy all ev.dences of the crime. Evidences tending to ';onnect the pastor, Rev. Francis Hermann, with the suppcsed crime were also found. Articles belonging to Miss Samuelson were found in Hermann's trunk in his apartments. These articles wc-e positively klcntified by the girl's aunt. Tho investigation proceeded, and in the basement of the ediflce were evidencer of the crime. Along'iide the furnace stood a barrel and wnen subjected to ai' examination, human blood was founJ upon it. There were several old copie:; of the Salt Lake Herald, one contair.ing the ghastly story of Theide, a wife murderer, besmeared with blood. ïhe lower door of the f urn ice had a streak of red across the front, which has been pronounced human blood. It is believed that the murderer used the barrel as a block for his butchery. The door of the furnace is not very large - 10x6 inches - and would not admit a whole human body. The murderer used the knives and razors found undor the grates, and after doing his werk threw them into the fire to be conimmed with the body of the victim. The theory of the pólice is that Miss Clawson was chloroformad ín the pastor's study on the Sunday night of her disappearance and crematsd in the furnace on the following day. It was the discovery of some clothes in one of the pastor's trunks that caused him to be cornected with the disappearance of another woman. It seems that Hermann was qu:te popular among the nembers of his flock belonging to the gentier sex. Among his admirers was Annie Saninelson, a beautiful glrl, aged 22 years. After the disappearance of Miss Clawson, it appears, according to the members of his church, that Annie became his favorite. They grew intímate, but as both told their friends they were soon to be married it created no great amount of gossip. Miss Samuelson has an aunt living in this city. She was seen and reluctantly replied to some question surrounding the history and sudden disappearance of her niece. "Annie was 22 years old," said Miss Larsen. "She carne from Sweden about two years ago." When the Samuelson girl left here or disappeared in January last lt was given out on her own statement that she intended to visit her friend, Fritz Hiddeen, in the employ of the Pullman Car company at Chicago. It is said a letter has been received in this city from Hiddeen saying the girl cannot be found in Chicago. The pólice have found books, apparel and other things in the pastor's room in the church which have been ldentified as belonging to the missing girls. The last that has been heard from Hermann was a letter mailed at Kansas City May 11, in which he said he was on his way to Decorah, lowa. Dispatches from Decorah, lowa; Crookston, Minn., and Kansas City, Mo., say not race of Hermann can be found. It is known here that he had church subscriptions made in Minneapolis which he was to collect personally. The police department is making every effort to lócate the missing pastor.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier