Andrew Jorgenson (1879-1920)

JORGENSON, EGELAND, RIERSON, HANSON, MICHAELSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From The Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, Thursday October 28, 1920.

TWO NEVADA MEN CONFESS TO THE MURDER OF ANDREW JORGENSON

Andrew Jorenson Found Murdered Friday on His Farm South of Roland - Four Men Arrested Tuesday Charged with Crime

James Hamilton, the farm hand employed at the Fred Kargers farm and Roy Cline, Nevada drayman, killed Andrew Jorgenson, hermit, at his farm north of the county farm Tuesday night. They got an old Elgin watch and $14 cash for the crime.

Immediately after they left Jorgenson, bound and dying in his dooryard two more robbers came upon the scene. These two men rifled the Jorgenson home, opening the two safes in which he was believed to have kept liberty bonds and large sums of money. They got little of nothing of value it is believed. They never knew that out in the year, dying, was the man they sought to rob.

These two men, sheriff Ricketts declares, are Fred Berry and Fred Clark, both of Nevada. They are under arrest at Nevada charged with the crime.

Events in the unraveling of the mystery which surrounded the murder of Andrew Jorgenson came thick and fast Tuesday. Almost before the coroner's jury verdict had been reached there came to Sheriff Ricketts word that at Cambridge there was talk of some man who has approached Cambridge residents in an attempt to get them to join in such a robbery. The sheriff and H. V. Yackey, state agent working out of the office of Attorney General Havner, immediately went to Cambridge. They found the man was James Hamilton. He was arrested on the Karger farm. The arrest of his fellow conspirator immediately followed.

Both Men Confess

Both men have confessed. Both are in jail in Nevada.

According to the murderers the first they really knew of the seriousness of the crime was when they read in the Ames Tribune that Jorgenson's body had been found. "He was living when we left," averred Hamilton. "We didn't think he was hit hard enough to more than stun him."

Hamilton by his own admission struck the blow that killed. Twice he hit Jorgenson with a piece of gas pipe. Then he and Cline trussed up their victim's hands and robbed him.

The story of the slayers runs like this. A month ago they planned to rob Jorgenson. They had both heard stories of the two safes in his house. They had both been told that he kept his money beside him in those safes. They both knew of his strange hermit-manner of living.

Tried Once Before

A month ago they got an automobile and drove to the Jorgenson home. It was at night. In front of the place they stopped their car and started calling for help. When Jorgenson appeared at his door it was with a shotgun in his hand. They lost their nerve, made some excuse, tinkered with the car and drove on. The appearance of the man with the gun more than ever confirmed their belief that he had money in his house.

Last Tuesday they planned another attempt at robbery. The two drove up to Jorgenson's farm. They found him out in the barn yard. "We've lost two colts," they told him pretending they were in search of the animals. They entered into a conversation and Jorgenson led the way to the house. As he walked in from Hamilton struck him twice from behind with a piece of gas pipe he had under his coat.

"Please Go Away!"

Jorgenson was stunned. They jumped on him and tied his hands behind him. The man was still conscious. "Go away, please go away," he pleaded. They turned his pockets inside out and took an Elgin watch and $14 in money. Then they went to his house where they found the money box. They forced it open. It was empty. They made, they declare, no attempt to enter the same. Then they left. They feared, they said, that Jorgenson would cry out and summon help.

Hamilton told Sheriff Ricketts where he had hid Jorgenson's watch, an old fashioned Elgin and the money. He had dropped it into a load of corn on the Karger farm where he was employed. The sheriff found it this morning.

Robbery Follows

Now comes the strangest part of the story. Within an hour or less after the murderous blow as struck the Jorgenson home was visited again by men determined to rob the hermit. They entered the house, finding him not at home. They force open the two safes and they took papers which were of little value to any but the dead man, and possibly some small sums of money, probably not much.

There men, Sheriff Ricketts declares were Fred Berry and Fred Clark, both of whom live in Nevada. What evidence he has against them the sheriff has not disclosed but he declares there is sufficient to warrant the holding of the pair on charges of robbery. Neither of them has confessed.

All four of the accused men are in the county jail at Nevada. Cline is married. Of Hamilton's parents or relatives nothing is known here. The other two are just boys about town.

Andrew Jorgenson, a brother of Mrs. O. N. Egeland of this place, Mrs. L. C. Rierson south of town and Mrs. Hans A. Hanson of near McCallsburg, was found dead in his yard Friday night by neighbors who had called to investigate. Mr. Jorgenson was a bachelor and lived alone in a little house on his farm across from the County Farm, seven miles south of Roland.

The last seen of the man alive was on Tuesday and it is thought very probable that he met his death that evening. On Friday afternoon, Mr. Stevenson who lives south of him, had noted the fact that Jorgenson had not been about the place as usual, he called Miss Ida Jorgenson, a maiden sister of the unfortunate man, and suggested that something must be wrong down at Andrew's.

The sister hurried down to the farm and not finding him in the yard or about the barns, went to the house where she found that a box of groceries had been overturned. She made further examination of the place and failing to find him, hurried back home and called her brother-in-law, L. C. Rierson and other neighbors and they went over and made a search.

Mr. Jorgenson is survived by his mother, Mrs. Andrew Jorgenson, three brothers, Frank of Milner, N. D., Ed Jorgenson of St. Cloud, Minn., and Oscar of Marathon; and five sisters, Mrs. L. C. Rierson of Milford township, Mrs. J. O. Michaelson of Ames, Mrs. Hans A. Hanson of McCallsburg, Mrs. O. N. Eggland of Story City and Miss Ida Jorgenson, who lives with her mother on the old Jorgenson homestead.

The funeral services were held from the home of his mother, Mrs. Andrew Jorgenson Sr., south of town on Tuesday afternoon.

Transcriber note: Andrew Jorgenson is buried in the Nevada Municipal Cemetery, Nevada, Story County, Iowa. His marker reads: Andrew brother 1879-1920.