Andrew Christopher Jorgenson (1878-1920)

JORGENSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11

From Nevada Representative October 28, 1920 (page 1)

CLINE AND HAMILTON HELD WITHOUT BOND FOR ANDREW JORGENSON MURDER

CONFESS TO KILLING OF BACHELOR

James Hamilton of Des Moines, confessed that he had slugged Jorgenson over the head with the iron gas pipe taken to the farm. He is a wrestler and has been working on the Karges farm. He is married and has never before been mixed in unlawful deeds, he says.

Roy Cline is a Nevada man and has a wife and child. He has been trucking recently, using his own auto truck. Cline is said to have planned the robbery.

Sheriff William Ricketts is know about the state as a man who gets the criminals. He and State Agent Yackty have worked together on several cases and have always landed their man.

Jorgenson was killed for only $12 and a watch worth about $5. The men thought he had more money and liberty bonds.

Only the day he was killed, October 19, he deposited $1,034 in the bank and the banker argued him out of the notion of taking the liberty bonds to his home.

The two safes at the Jorgenson home were pried open. Head the bonds and money been there, they would have been stolen.

The Des Moines Tribune tonight carried a story detailing that State Agent Yackety, who aided [Story County Sheriff] Ricketts in capturing in capturing Cline and Hamilton, is investigating a rumor that a Des Moines woman plotted the robbery. Ricketts says this is merely an investigation, and that truth in it. He believes Cline plotted the robbery.

Roy Cline of Nevada and James Hamilton of Des Moines are being held to the grand jury, without bail, for the confessed murder of Andrew Jorgenson, 40 years, farmer who lived four miles from Nevada, Oct. 19.

The two men were given a preliminary hearing before Mayor C. A. Batman this noon. They waived to the grand jury and as the law does not permit the giving of freedom under bonds to men held for first degree murder, they must wait the jury's action in jail.

Ted Clark and Fred Berry, who have confessed to having gone to the Jorgenson home a month ago, with the robbery of Jorgenson in mind, were also given a preliminary hearing and they likewise waibed trial. They were held upon failure of anyone to produce $2,000 bonds.

Sheriff William Ricketts decided this morning that it would be best to hold the preliminary hearing at the jail. Consequently, the men were brought to a room adjoining the cell and taken before Mayor Batman.

Not Perturbed

Hamilton and Cline remained calm throughout the hearing, altho when the information charging them with first degree murder was read, Hamilton dropped his eyes and became slightly nervous.

Cline conversed with the sheriff and attorney during the preliminaries and if he was perturbed, concealed it well.

Trial This Term

It is practically assured that the men will be given trial at the November term of district court, which opens November 15.

Upon opening day the grand jury meets and will at once begin an investigation of the murder of Jorgenson.

If convicted the men who have both confessed, can be either hung or sentenced to life imprisonment. It is not likely that the county attorney will ask for the death penalty. However, he has not made up his mind on the procedure to be followed at the trial, which probably will be before Judge H. E. Fry.

Did Good Work

Sheriff William Ricketts is being complimented for his speedy work along with State Agent Yachty, of Des Moines.

Jorgenson was killed October 19. His body was found Saturday morning. Monday evening Sheriff Ricketts knew who did the job and Tuesday morning Cline and Hamilton were under arrest. That afternoon they had confessed and had shown Ricketts where the gas pied they used to kill him had been hidden, and where the $12 and the watch they got from Jorgenson had been hidden.

Clark and Berry are not implicated in the murder.

They are charged with conspiring to rob Jorgenson one month ago, with Cline. They went to the house, were met at the door by the farmer, who carried a shotgun. This frightened them away.

The men claim they were not mixed up in the last robbery and in this they are borne out by Hamilton and Cline.

They can be given a penitentiary sentence, however, for conspiring to rod the place, if found guilty.

STORY COUNTY SHERIFF TELLS HOW CLINE-HAMILTON CAUGHT

(By Sheriff William Ricketts)

There have been so many conflicting stories regarding the arrest of Roy Cline and James Hamilton for the murder of Andrew Jorgenson, I am glad to take advantage of The Representative's offer to give the official story thru this paper.

In this manner gossip can be set at rest and the readers of The Representative can know that they have the whole story and nothing but the truth.

At 7:30 o'clock the night of October 22, Mont Hanson called me and said a man had been found dead. I called the coroner and we took a physician with us. We went to the Jorgenson farm. When I saw Jorgenson lying face downward on the ground I knew something was wrong, and that it was not accidental or sudden death.

We went into the house and was the safes had been broken, the trunk was opened, and then we returned to the body. We found Jorgenson's pockets rifled, and turned inside out. We saw the body was cold and that clothes line was around Jorgenson's arm. Fourteen feet from the body we found keys and the knife belonging to the murdered man.

We then examined the wounds closely again. There was one wound behind the right ear and one behind the left ear. In one wound the hair had been forced down, in to the brain.

We looked for the weapon that had been used, but could not find it.

H. V. Yackty, state agent, and I got a tip Monday that Cline, Ted Clark and Fred Berry had been out to the Jorgenson home a month ago, with plans of robbing the recluse. The story was that they had gone out in an auto, stopped in front of the house, asked Jorgenson for help, claiming the car had broken down. The Story went on the Jorgenson appeared at the door with a shotgun and refused help, but gave them a lantern. They gave up the attempt.

We first arrested Berry at 8 p. m. Monday. He admitted he had been with the crowd one month ago and verified the above story. He told names of the others.

An hour later we arrested Cark. He admitted what Berry told us, after some time.

We talked to them all night and asked them about the murder. They denied having had a hand in it and having been at the house later in the evening.

Tuesday morning we picked up Cline, as he was hauling a load of gravel. After much questioning, he admitted going out there one month ago, with Berry and Clark. He denied the murder.

Twenty minutes after he confessed the former attempt, he confessed that he and another fellow had been out there the night Jorgenson was killed. He said the other man had hit Jorgenson over the head. He told us James Hamilton was the man. He told us Hamilton was working at the Karges farm. He told us they had taken $12 and a watch from Jorgenson.

We went to Karges farm and arrested Hamilton. He saw us coming and slipped the watch down into a load of corn. He was not seen doing this.

Hamilton was brought to town. He denied he was implicated. One-half hour later, however, he admitted the crime in its entirely. He told us what he had done with the watch. We went to the farm again and found the watch in the possession of Karges, who had found it while unloading corn.

We asked Hamilton where he got the watch. He said out of Jorgenson's pocket.

They then told us the story. They had walked to the Jorgenson home early in the evening October 19. They found Jorgenson in the cow lot, and told him they were looking for some colts. They started for the house.

Cline was leading and Jorgenson following, with Hamilton, grasping the gas pipe, following.

Cline says he hear a blow struck, and looking around, saw Hamilton hit the second blow, which felled Jorgenson to the ground, from his knees, where he went after the first blow. Hamilton says he hit the man the first time and almost missed and took a second swipe.

Hamilton then told Cline to tie Jorgenson with the clothes line. Hamilton held Jorgenson while Cline started tying him. They way that Jorgenson was telling them to go away.

Cline says he noticed Jorgenson was weak, and told Hamilton there was no use tying him, as he was almost killed. So they did not finish the job of tying the man.

Cline says the his the box and iron and took us out there. We found the articles in the grass in the ditch across fro the gate to the property. There was blood on the gas pipe.

They took us to the school house and clover field, where they had opened the box and thrown it away.

In the box was a deposit slip for $1,034, deposited on the day Jorgenson was killed. This and other papers were not molested.

The men claimed they told their wives what they were going to do and what they had done. This the wives deny. I believe the women.

The men made a confession to the county attorney. I was not present when this was made. But the story I have detailed is an account of what transpired from the time I learned of the murder until the present time.