Ronald Edward Olson

OLSON, ANDERSON

Posted By: Ann Bowler (email)
Date: 3/28/2013 at 12:19:10

Born 21 June 1917 in Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa
Died 1 November 1953 in Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa.
Parents Edward A. Olson and Minnie A. (Anderson) Olson

“Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle”, Fort Dodge, Iowa Monday November 2, 1953, Page 1.
“Order Inquest On Jail Death of R. E. Olson”

“An Inquest into the death of Ronald E. Olson, 36, whose lifeless body was found hanging in a city jail cell Sunday morning, has been called for Monday night by Coroner Welch Laufersweiler.

The inquest will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Laufersweiler funeral home and will be conducted by Coroner Laufersweiler and County Attorney Vincent F. Powers.

Olson hanged himself in the city jail cell some time early Sunday morning. Coroner Laufersweiler said. He said death probably occurred about 3 a.m.

Laufersweiler said Olson had used the belt from his trousers in hanging himself. He had looped the belt around his neck and then attached it to a bar at the top of his cell.

Olson was arrested on an intoxication charge at 10:26 p.m. Saturday, police records show. He was arrested on complaint of his mother, Mrs. E. A. Olson, a widow with whom he lived at 208 H. Street. He had been drinking, she told police, and became abusive when she tried to calm him and get him to retire.

Police Answer Call

Police who answered the call to the Olson home, brought him to police headquarters and then locked him in a separate steel cell. Four other prisoners were in the cellblock at the time.

Olson’s cell had solid steel walls and a door so other prisoners were unable to see into it. They told police they heard nothing from him after he was placed in the cell.

Capt. Clifford Hollis told the corner Sunday that a member of the night police force had made a check of the prisoners in the jail at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday and that Olson was still alive at the time. He said the young man was sitting on his bunk when the officer looked into the cell.

Find Body

Police Lt. Marion Lamb found Olson hanging in his cell when he went to the jail at 9:42 a.m. Sunday. He immediately notified Capt. Hollis who in turn summoned the coroner and county attorney.

Police told the coroner and county attorney they took no special precautions with Olson because of the fact he had been arrested many times before on intoxication charges.

Olson’s mother told police her son had been depressed of late, particularly since he left his job at the Hormel packing plant where he had been an office employee.

Funeral Services

Final rites for Olson will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock in the chapel of the Laufersweiler funeral home.”

“Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle”, Fort Dodge, Iowa Tuesday Nov 3, 1953, Page 13.

“Coroner’s Jury Rules Suicide In Jail Death”

“A corner’s jury Monday night returned a verdict of suicide in the death of Ronald E. Olson, 36, found hanging in the Fort Dodge city jail cell Sunday morning.

The jury deliberated about 30 minutes after hearing witnesses called to testify in an inquest before Webster County Coroner Welch Laufersweiler.

The verdict read as follows:

‘We do find that the deceased came to his death by hanging himself in the city jail of Fort Dodge, Ia, sometime Sunday morning, November 1.’

County Attorney Vincent Powers acting for the state, told the jury in his opening remarks that the inquest had been ‘called for the purpose of making a record and reporting all the facts relative to the tragic death of Mr. Olson.’

‘While,’ he declared, ‘there is no question in the minds of any of the officials investigating as to how Mr. Olson died, because of the fact the he did die in the city jail, maintained and operated by the people of the city of Fort Dodge, the people are entitled to know all the facts in the case.’

Testimony given during the inquest, held at the Laufersweiler funeral home, reviewed the incidents leading up to Olson’s arrest Saturday evening on an intoxication charge after his mother, Mrs. E. A. Olson, 208 H. street, complained to police he had been drinking and was abusive.

First Witness

Mrs. Bessie Rubos, 302 avenue E, the first witness, told of being at the Olson home Saturday evening and related incidents which prompted Mrs. Olson’s call to the police station. Arresting officers, Patrolmen Wayne Porter and Leonard Kenning, told of difficulties they had getting Olson from the house to the squad car.

At police headquarters, they said, they were told to put Olson in what is called the ‘St. Louis’ cell--in a block of solid steel cells. The cell door, they added was closed, so that Olson could make no further ‘trouble.’ There were four other prisoners in the block at the time.

If a prisoner has been unruly, it is customary for the cell door to be closed, to avoid further disturbance, Lt. Hugo Sandahl of the police force testified. Sandahl was in charge of the desk at Police headquarters on the night Olson was brought in.

Robert Anderson, 726 avenue C, a cousin of Olson and also a next-door neighbor, and Leonard W. Rogers, whose home at 211 H. street is across the street from the Olson residence, told of watching the arresting officers take Olson from the house to the squad car.

Checked Prisoners

Patrolman Donald Ziems, also on the night shift Saturday, told of checking prisoners in the cell block at about 2 a.m. Sunday. He checked on Olson by going back of the cell, and at that time Olson was sitting on the edge of his bunk smoking a cigaret.

The two men who wre prisoners in the cell block at the time Olson hanged himself, reported they heard nothing out of the way during the night. They could not see Olson, they said, because the cell door was shut, but they were present when officers discovered the Fort Dodger’s body the following morning.

Lt. Marion Lamb, who first found Olson’s body Sunday morning, Capt. Clifford Hollis, officer in charge of the morning shift at the police station and Capt. Willis Belknap, identifation officer, related the events following the discovery of Olson’s body. Belknap also showed the jury pictures he had taken of the cell block that morning.

Assistant Fire Chief Howard Trusty, who is also a first-aid instructor, was the final witness called during the inquest. He was called to the cell block Sunday morning to see if there was any possibility of reviving the dead man, however Olson was ‘beyond help’ at that time, he testified.”

“The Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle”, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Wednesday November 4, 1953, Page 3.

“Ronald Olson Funeral Rites”

“Funeral rites for Ronald Olson, 36, were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock in the chapel of the Laufersweiler funeral home.

The Rev, Arthur E. Enquest, pastor of Grace Luthersn church, officiated. Burial was in St. Olaf Lutheran cemetery.

Walter Anderson, Robert Anderson, Ted Anderson, Robert Knudson, Richard Larson and Melvin Lillig served as pallbearers.

During the service Mrs. Thomas Ward sang ‘Come Unto Me When Shadows Darkly Gather.’ Mrs. Warden W. Clark played the organ accompaniment.

Mrs. E. A. McKinley played an organ prelude and postlude.

Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Alstrand, Mrs. Harry Frantz and Mrs. L. L. Larson arranged the flowers.

Employes of the Geo. A. Hormel & Co. plant office attended the rites in a group.

Mr. Olson was found dead in a cell in the Fort Dodge city jail Sunday morning. A coroner’s jury returned a verdict of suicide by hanging at an inquest Monday night.”