Murder of Chrestina Anderson
The following is an account of Chrestina's murder from the Austin Weekly Herald, October 25, 1898.
A Frightful Crime
John Anderson, Living Near Adams, Crushed his Wife's Head with a Sad Iron.
HE TRIED TO TAKE HIS OWN LIFE
Terrible Crime committed Early Sunday Morning in a Log House---Little Children Notify the Neighbors---The Baby Left Alone in the House with its Mother's Mangled Body---The Murderer Lodged in Jail and Says he Wants to Die.
John Anderson, living about three miles north-east of Adams, murdered his wife and then tried to kill himself Sunday morning. The murderer is in jail awaiting trial.
At about 1 o'clock Sunday morning G. N. Finkelson, a well-to-do farmer living about a quarter of a mile south of where the Andersons lived, was awakened by the voices and sobs of children. He got up and opened the door and in rushed three terror-stricken and almost naked children, the only clothing each wore being a shirt. With their teeth chattering with cold and fear they said, "Father and mother are fighting and father says he will kill her and then kill himself."
Mr. Finkelson's women folk were around by this time and the children were placed in the warmest beds they ever had since they came into the world.
Mr. Finkelson roused his hired man, Pete Siverts, and sent him to the farm of Ole Bergene, where he roused Louie Asper.
These two men went over to the Anderson house and peeked in at the window. All was dark and not a sound could be heard except the crying of eleven months old Ada, the youngest child who had tried to rouse the dead body of the mother and who cried for "mama! mama!" and rapped its blood-stained little fists against the door in terror at the silence that followed its call.
Thinking that Anderson himself was in the two men did not try the door but went and got F. A. Baxter's hired man, Sam Boe. The three men then returned to the house and listened. No sound but the crying of the baby and the blows of its little fists on the door. Summoning up all their courage the men opened the door and caught up the child. In the faint light that fell into the room could be seen a dark object lying on the floor. Stepping inside one of the men saw it was the body of a woman, the blood flowing from a great hole in the back of her head and forming a big pool on the floor.
The baby was carried to Mr. Finkelson's home and put to bed and he was notified of the murder. He, Sam Boe and Nels Fimrite drove to Adams. Mr. Finkelson telephoned for Sheriff Johnson and the other men notified Marshall Antonnitt. All then returned to the scene of the murder and waited for the arrival of Sheriff Johnson.
It was after 5 o'clock when Sheriff Johnson was notified but he at once started for the scene of the murder.
The sheriff after visiting the house at once started in search of the murderer. He was found in a straw stack on the farm of Pete Anderson, about a mile north-east from where the murder was committed. When he saw the pursuers closing in on him he drew a new pocket knife and gashed his throat on the left side from the ear, nearly under the chin. He also cut the veins of both wrists. He bled frightfully and Sheriff Johnson bound up the wounds and stopped the flow of blood as well as he could but he had little to work with. Dr. Knight was notified and when he arrived he found Anderson lying on the straw either conscious or pretending to be so. He dressed the wounds and had the prisoner removed to his office.
Sheriff Johnson, after securing certain evidence of guilt ordered the house locked up to await the arrival of Coroner Hollister.
It was about noon when the HERALD man arrived at the scene. The house is one of the few log houses remaining in Mower county. It is situated on the right branch of the road from Rose Creek, where that road reaches its eastern limit and branches to the north and the south. The house sets back from the road about fifty yards or more but is readily recognized at a distance, owing to the lower half being white-washed.
As the HERALD man drove into the yard he found half a dozen men gathered around the door, which was barred up but a window was open, Inside stood a man who seemed afraid to go further than the window. The HERALD man climbed in and a more horrible sight one seldom sees. Near the center of the west room lay the body of a woman, in a night robe which being disarranged left the body partly naked. The body lay face down in a pool of half congealed blood, dark and slimy and about four feet in diameter. The back of the head was crushed in, as one would break an egg. The hair was matted with the vital fluid as it flowed out. About three feet away, and stuck in the congealing blood on the floor lay a piece of skull, nearly two inches square. It glistened with a silvery color as the light fell upon it. smaller pieces, about the size of corn were noticed like shining islands in the gory lake.
The body was that of a frail little woman, not much if any over five feet tall, and weighing not over 100 pounds.
"What did he kill her with?" Asked the HERALD man.
"A flat iron," replied the man who was in the room and added, turning to one of the men out the window, "I can't stay here any longer. I dare not step over the body. I feel like vomiting."
On being asked what he was there for he said he came to get the children's clothing for they were naked at Mr. Finkelson's house. He pointed to some little garments and shoes that lay on the other side of the body near the bed.
When the little folks had gone to bed the night of the terrible deed, they had thrown their little things on the floor. Now many of them showed the dark gruesome spots where their mother's blood had spattered on them. The HERALD man gathered them up. There being so many little garments he asked, "How many children are there?"
"Six" came the answer. "Charlie 13 years old, Henry 12, Willie 10, Emily 9, Annie 7 and little Ada, the baby, but 11 months old. Charlie was working for John Matteson and stayed there and Emily stayed with Mrs. T. A. Baxter who took a fancy to her.
The clothing was all worn and had been much mended. On a string tied across the angle of the chimney, back of the stove hung the change of clothing for some of them. All washed and ironed with the same flat iron that was ...(unreadable)...hours after being used by a loving mother. Everything about the room showed that the woman had done the best she could with the little she had. Poverty showed itself on all sides. The building was divided into two rooms. In one were two beds and an old commode. The other room, where the crime was committed, had a bed, a cook stove, table bureau and a bench. A clock stood on a shelf over the bed. Not a picture of any kind on the walls, not a book or newspaper in the rooms.
After leaving the scene of the murder the HERALD man went to Adams where he met County Attorney Catherwood, Coroner Hollister and Sheriff Johnson, They were getting ready to go to the scene of the murder.
We visited the murderer. He lay in an ante room at Dr. Night's office. The brute lay on the floor, his legs bound at the ankles with steel shackles. He lay on his right side and constantly groaned. His wrists and throat were bound up with blood soaked cloths. On the boxes and chairs were clothes red with blood and little puddles of it on the floor where it had dripped from the clothes. Congealed blood was over the murderer's face. He looked to be about 45 years of age, strong and muscular and weighing about 160 pounds or so. He was weak from the loss of blood and in reply to a question he said, "I am cold. I want to die. I want to die. I am so cold."
Dr. Knight said the man would in all probability recover He did not consider the wounds dangerous. He said he could not say whether the man was conscious or not when he first saw him. The prisoner had not talked since his arrest.
Dr. Hollister, in company with Messrs. Catherwood and Johnson went to the scene in the afternoon. It took but a glance to show the doctor that death was from the ugly hole in the skull.
A coroner's jury consisting of Mike Njos, Ole Njos, Ole Anderson, Pete N. Peterson, Frank Blonigan and B. A. Benson was impaneled by Sheriff Johnson. As it was Sunday the jury was excused until this forenoon. Dr. Hollister ordered the Adams undertaker to take charge of the body.
CAUSE OF THE CRIME.
Just what lead up to the crime could not be learned Sunday. The children were suffering from sorrow and terror and said that their father and mother had quarreled all the evening. They had agreed to separate and were coming to Austin Tuesday to arrange for the divorce. It was stated that Mrs. Anderson was in bed when her husband made the threat to take her life and then kill himself. The children were roused by the angry words and were sent by the mother for help. Before help arrived the blow had been struck and the murderer had fled.
Anderson is a native of Sweden and lived on the farm, where he committed the crime, some years but moved away about 18 months ago to a town in Michigan. He has been a sailor and at one time drank but since his return to Adams he has not been known to do so. At the time of the murder he was perfectly sober. He worked up to 7 o'clock the night before for Ole Rogne husking corn. He was of a quarrelsome disposition and quarreled with his wife continually.
In the Williams' murder case there was the bare prospects that Williams might have killed Finn in self defense or as the board of pardons found he did not have time from the moment the attack was made on him by Finn to cool off before he fired the fatal shot. In this murder case there seems to be not the slightest grounds for a defense. It was a cold, deliberate murder of a defenseless woman by a man who made the threat and carried it out in a most horrible manner. It recalls the Joseph Ott murder case at Granite Falls, where he beat his wife's brains out with a club because she displeased him. County Attorney Catherwood says this murder is one of the most brutal that ever took place in the Northwest.
THE INQUEST.
The inquest was held at 9 a.m. Monday and the most important facts were brought out by the three children. Henry, the twelve year old boy, said his father came home at about 7 o'clock. His mother was down on her knees scrubbing the floor. The father at once began quarreling with his mother and they kept it up for some time and at last they...(unreadable)
The man then went to bed and the woman again got down on her knees to finish scrubbing. He got up and took her up bodily from the floor and said he would kill her. She replied that if he did he would hang for it. He treated her roughly and then went and lay on the bed. The baby, little Ada, woke up and began crying The mother quieted the child and it went to sleep and the woman went to bed in the east room, the father laying in the west room cursing and making threats. The boy said he was just going to sleep when his father got up and went to the room where she was. She began to holler and say "he is choking me." I told father to come away and not hurt mother and he told me to get out of the way. Father then took mother by the hair and dragged her into the other room and struck her over the head with the flat iron. I tried to pull his hand away. Then he kept side of her and hammered her head seven or eight times and I and the others ran away to Mr. Finkelson's.
THE PRISONER'S STORY.
The prisoner was brought to this city and lodged in the county jail Monday. He at once sent for Sven Anderson and to him he told his story, although he confessed to Mr. Catherwood and the sheriff Sunday night, His story is as follows: "I and my wife have always quarreled. She wanted me to make the farm over in her name. Last winter we sold eighty acres and went to Michigan. She and the children went to live with her folks at Manistee and I went into the pineries to work. When I came back two weeks ago she had gone and I followed her out here. I went to see her and tried to patch things up so we could live quietly. She wanted to get a divorce and all the property. We quarreled over it Saturday night. We went to bed about 10 o'clock. At about 1 o'clock the baby cried and I got up and covered it up. My wife said "what are you doing with the child" I said I was covering it up. She got up and took the tea kettle and went at me. I grabbed a flat iron and struck her over the head. I don't remember striking her more than once. I could not find a sharp knife in the house to kill myself with. I went out in the shed and stayed awhile and then went to my brother Ole's and when he got up I told him but he watched me or I would have killed myself."
"I guess I am in for life," he remarked.
Mr. Anderson replied, "You are lucky if you are."
A dispatch was sent to her folks by Dr. Hollister and they wired back, "Bury Christina Anderson there. I cannot do anything,"
Anderson has two brothers, Ole of Clayton and A. P., who works on the Decker farm.
It is now said that he has been drinking heavily and is of a peculiar nature and considered by some as weak minded.
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Austin Daily Herald, October 25, 1898
Person Hammered his Wife's Head to a Jelly After She Was Dead
"It was a brutal fiendish diabolical murder," said County Attorney Catherwood this morning when speaking of the Anderson murder at Marshall. "If I have anything to do with the case the prosecution will not accept any plea of murder in the second degree."
Attorney French was secured yesterday afternoon to defend Anderson, the murderer. He at once gave orders that reporters were to be barred from speaking to the prisoner but the HERALD secured his story before an attorney had been secured for his defense.
Sven Anderson went to Marshall today to look after the little children, who will probably be sent to Owatonna.
The prisoner has not yet been arraigned before a justice.
Below is the complete report of the inquest.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF MOWER.
In coroner's court, before W. L. Hollister, coroner, inquest over the body of Christine Anderson, deceased.
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES.
Charles J. Anderson being first duly sworn and examined on oath, testified as follows:
My name is Charlie J. Anderson; my age if fourteen years next spring; my father's name is John B. Anderson and my mother's Christina Anderson; I am the oldest child; the next brother is Henry, who is twelve years old this last September, 1898; the next is Willie, aged about ten or eleven years; the next is Clarence who is nine years old; the next is Annie, seven years; the next is Ida who is ten or eleven months old.
I was not at home on the night of the trouble. It has been four or five weeks since we came back here from Michigan to our home. On last Saturday night I was at John Matteson's farm about a half a mile away where I was at work. I left home to go there a week ago today. My father was working last week at Sever Rogne's about one-half a mile away from our house. He hadn't been there the whole week. Father and mother were quarreling most all the time since they came back from Michigan. My father would always start about something and get (unreadable) no matter what it was. He wold say everything about her, say things to make her mad. He said millions of times he would murder her and kill himself. He said that to me or I heard it. I have seen him strike mother. One day, some time before we went to Michigan, he licked us boys because we had forgot to water a colt. Mother said "that's enough" and then he struck mother with an oak stick so he made three holes in her head. They would often quarrel at night in the house after bed time; would quarrel a long time, particularly the last year. My father would most always start it; they would keep on about it. They talked about separating and getting a divorce; he went to Austin and when he came back he said she could do as she wanted. Instead of separating she could do what she planned about the property, because he never wanted to separate from her; my father sometimes talked with me about the trouble with my mother; he wanted me to be on his side. He said he would give me the farm if I would. I said we would have to see how it would be later. I didn't know how it would be after all; he wanted me to say everything against her, and in his favor, and such things like that. I was afraid of my father; he has often said he would kill me just as soon as he would kill my mother; my mother was afraid of him - was afraid he would take her life any time; I have heard her say that; she told me so; I had bought three flat irons since we came back from Michigan; I got them at Mike Sinder's (Schneider) hardware store in Adams and took them home to mother; they were like those I see here that you have in the valise.
Signed, CHAS. ANDERSON
Henry O. Anderson, being duly sworn, testified as follows:
My name is Henry O. Anderson and my age is twelve years the 9th of September; Charlie, who has testified, is my oldest brother; he was thirteen the 4th of April; I was at home on the night of the trouble but Charlie was not there; my father came home about 7 or 8 o'clock from Sever Rogne's where he had been working; he started to work there Tuesday I think; he did not come home at night until Saturday night; we children were in bed but mother had not gone to bed; I slept in the little bed in the north side of the east room and Willie, my nine year old brother, slept with me; my mother, the baby and smallest brother generally slept in the big bed in the south end of the little room; my father slept in the west room where the stove was; no one slept with him that night; the first I knew about the trouble, father wanted to take the baby into his bed; he was talking all kinds of bad words to mother; he was talking about going to Austin tomorrow; he said he didn't want to part wither her; she could do what she wanted to with the land; she said she didn't want the land; she couldn't do anything with it, and she didn't want to start up with him again; she was scrubbing the floor and he went up to her and troubled her so she couldn't scrub; he grabbed hold of her and held her and was talking bad words; he swore at her and said if she wouldn't do what he wanted her to he would take and kill her; she said if you kill me it will be a sorry thing for you; you'll have to get paid back; she told him to let her go and he did and went to bed and she started to scrub again; he laid there in bed swearing at her; he laid there for a long while then the baby woke up and mother held it awhile and put it to bed and after awhile mother went to bed herself; then father got up to get the baby out of her bed and wanted mother to come and sleep with him; she got out of bed and father got mad and put some wood in the stove; mother got into my bed and father wanted her to go to his bed and he didn't want her to tell any of the people what he had been talking about and doing; after awhile mother got out of my bed and went to her own bed and went to sleep; then father went over to her and grabbed her and commenced to choke her; she hollered for me; I got up and went and told him to quit; he said "I'm going to kill her now;" he was keeping on choking her; he said I should go away; he choked her so she couldn't talk; I tried to get her away; then he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the bed over to the stove; he reached for something on the stove to hit her with; he grabbed the flat iron, held her by her hair with one hand and struck her hard on the head with other with the flat iron; I tried to shove his hand away and he bit her five or six times; mother made no sound; she was dead after the first strike but he pounded her afterwards then he raised her up with both hands and drove her to the floor and threw the flat iron at her. Then he wept and looked at the baby. Then he wanted to take the hands of my younger brother but he was afraid. Then father took the other flat iron and struck himself on the head and he stared around. Then he gave himself another crack and then he fell down and kicked her - my mother, then me and Willie started to Gilbert's and we heard Clarence crying and waited for him and we all three went to Gilbert's and told the, we left the baby there at home. HENRY O. ANDERSON.
Clarence Anderson says: - I was asleep. When I woke by father hollering in a loud voice. I saw him pull my mother out of the bed by the hair and he held her by the hair and grabbed the flat iron and bit her in the head. She didn't make any sound. Then father held her by the hair, and went to punching her in the head with the iron. He punched her hard five or six times. After he had punched her a while he picked her up and drove her to the floor and took the flat iron and drove it at her. Then he took the other flat iron and struck himself over the head twice with it. The first time he struck himself he just looked around then he hit himself again and then he fell and I left the house and went to Gilbert's.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF MOWER:
At an inquisition taken at the village of Adams, in said county on the 24th of October, A. D. 1898, before W. L. Hollister, coroner of said county, upon view of the body of Christina Anderson, lying there dead: By the oaths of the jurors, whose names are hereto subscribed; who being sworn to inquire on behalf of the state of Minnesota, when, how and by what means the said Christina Anderson came to her death: Upon oaths do says: That she, said Christina Anderson at the town of Marshall in said county of Mower was killed and murdered by a deadly weapon, to wit: An instrument commonly known as a flat iron, weighing about four pounds, which weapon one John B. Anderson, her husband, held in his hands and with which he then and there struck, beat and pounded said Christina Anderson upon the head and face, fracturing and breaking in her skull and head and producing her death.
We, said jury further recommend and direct that a warrant of arrest be issued out of this court by the said coroner against said John B. Anderson, charging him with the willful and deliberate murder of said Christina Anderson, his wife, and that John B. Anderson be forthwith apprehended and taken before the proper magistrate to be dealt with according to law.
In witness whereof, we the said jurors and said coroner, have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of October A. D. 1898.
B. A. Benson; Ole A. Johnson; Ole Anderson; Mike Johnson; Frank Blonigan; Pete A. Olson, Jurors; W. L. Hollister, Coroner.
The warrant given to Sheriff Johnson charges John B. Anderson with willfully wrongfully and feloniously, without authority of law and with a premeditated design to effect the death of Christina Anderson did without justification or excuse kill and murder the said Christina Anderson.
Christina (Chrestina) is buried at Little Cedar Cemetery - Find A Grave Memorial Page
John died in Stillwater Prison in 1917 - Find A Grave Memorial Page
Austin Daily Herald, October 27, 1898
And now John Anderson, an Adams farmer, kills his wife, and already has his defense of insanity prepared. Anderson was a hen-pecked husband. His wife used to make him sleep in the barn after they quarreled. Last Sunday the couple had their regular quiet Sabbath afternoon sun dance, and Mr. Anderson was forced to sleep in the barn that night. He became cold along about midnight and then he naturally concluded the affair had gone far enough. He would assert himself and his rights. He used a flat iron to emphasize his arguments. He pounded his wife’s head to a pulp. He says he is insane.
Austin Daily Herald, December 8, 1898
John H Anderson, the Adams wife killer, is recovering slowly from his self-inflicted wounds. He is appearing quite cheerful. The story comes that the former neighbors are saying that he did not kill her soon enough as she was a great scold.
This is an excerpt of a photocopied newspaper article. I am still searching for the rest of the article. It appears that it is from the area where they lived in Michigan:
…which occurred near Adams, Minnesota, on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 20th has called forth many facts concerning the family while they lived here, which throws a somewhat different light on the affair.
Of course every story has two sides to it, and we today give our readers what we have learned from various reliable sources. When the family came here from the west, it seems Anderson had 80 acres of the farm, besides a large amount of stock, etc., at her earnest solicitation, and came here and resided for a while with her sister. She kept up a continued pressure upon Anderson to induce him to make over the balance of the farm in her name. Anderson steadily refused, saying he wanted to keep the farm for the children. Later the family moved into a house in the rear of the Maxwelltown Chapel on 12th street, and Anderson secured a position as sailor on a schooner which runs into this harbor. The neighbors in Maxwelltown, and the captain and crew of the boat affirm Anderson to be a most quiet and inoffensive man, while the reputation of Mrs. Anderson in the neighborhood is far different, very few desiring to neighbor with her on account of her great tendency to quarrel and cause trouble. Anderson was given credit at neighboring grocery stores and she would run big bills which he would settle uncomplainingly as often as pay day came around. He later secured employment in the lumber camps of Louis Sands, and it was while here that he was arrested and brought before Justice Graves on a charge of non-support preferred by his wife. It was before this Justice that all these facts came to light. Undersheriff Chas. Nargesser says that when he went to the camp to arrest Anderson he found all the men loud in the praise of the man. Arriving in the city Anderson asked to be allowed to go home for his dinner. Nargesser went with him and found the table set with as good a meal as a hungry man would want to sit down to. Anderson greeted his wife kindly and sat down to the table, whereupon she took all the eatables from the table and ordered him to leave the house. He went out with the officer, crying like a child.
In the court room he was quiet, while her tongue could with difficulty be curbed by the authorities. It was shown that during the month in which he was arrested she had run a bill at the store of $24. He paid the rent due and settled other bills, and had other money coming on his wages account. The case was dismissed. A month or so later she had him arrested again. His case was adjourned and he was let on his own recognizance, and went back to his work. On the day set for the trial he was on hand, having walked the 27 miles on Sunday in order to be present according to his promise. It is asserted he had sent her $10 in the meantime but she refused to accept it, saying it was not enough. In court he offered to go back on the farm with her where they could make a good living, as $24 a…
A Frightful Crime
John Anderson, Living Near Adams, Crushed his Wife's Head with a Sad Iron.
HE TRIED TO TAKE HIS OWN LIFE
Terrible Crime committed Early Sunday Morning in a Log House---Little Children Notify the Neighbors---The Baby Left Alone in the House with its Mother's Mangled Body---The Murderer Lodged in Jail and Says he Wants to Die.
John Anderson, living about three miles north-east of Adams, murdered his wife and then tried to kill himself Sunday morning. The murderer is in jail awaiting trial.
At about 1 o'clock Sunday morning G. N. Finkelson, a well-to-do farmer living about a quarter of a mile south of where the Andersons lived, was awakened by the voices and sobs of children. He got up and opened the door and in rushed three terror-stricken and almost naked children, the only clothing each wore being a shirt. With their teeth chattering with cold and fear they said, "Father and mother are fighting and father says he will kill her and then kill himself."
Mr. Finkelson's women folk were around by this time and the children were placed in the warmest beds they ever had since they came into the world.
Mr. Finkelson roused his hired man, Pete Siverts, and sent him to the farm of Ole Bergene, where he roused Louie Asper.
These two men went over to the Anderson house and peeked in at the window. All was dark and not a sound could be heard except the crying of eleven months old Ada, the youngest child who had tried to rouse the dead body of the mother and who cried for "mama! mama!" and rapped its blood-stained little fists against the door in terror at the silence that followed its call.
Thinking that Anderson himself was in the two men did not try the door but went and got F. A. Baxter's hired man, Sam Boe. The three men then returned to the house and listened. No sound but the crying of the baby and the blows of its little fists on the door. Summoning up all their courage the men opened the door and caught up the child. In the faint light that fell into the room could be seen a dark object lying on the floor. Stepping inside one of the men saw it was the body of a woman, the blood flowing from a great hole in the back of her head and forming a big pool on the floor.
The baby was carried to Mr. Finkelson's home and put to bed and he was notified of the murder. He, Sam Boe and Nels Fimrite drove to Adams. Mr. Finkelson telephoned for Sheriff Johnson and the other men notified Marshall Antonnitt. All then returned to the scene of the murder and waited for the arrival of Sheriff Johnson.
It was after 5 o'clock when Sheriff Johnson was notified but he at once started for the scene of the murder.
The sheriff after visiting the house at once started in search of the murderer. He was found in a straw stack on the farm of Pete Anderson, about a mile north-east from where the murder was committed. When he saw the pursuers closing in on him he drew a new pocket knife and gashed his throat on the left side from the ear, nearly under the chin. He also cut the veins of both wrists. He bled frightfully and Sheriff Johnson bound up the wounds and stopped the flow of blood as well as he could but he had little to work with. Dr. Knight was notified and when he arrived he found Anderson lying on the straw either conscious or pretending to be so. He dressed the wounds and had the prisoner removed to his office.
Sheriff Johnson, after securing certain evidence of guilt ordered the house locked up to await the arrival of Coroner Hollister.
It was about noon when the HERALD man arrived at the scene. The house is one of the few log houses remaining in Mower county. It is situated on the right branch of the road from Rose Creek, where that road reaches its eastern limit and branches to the north and the south. The house sets back from the road about fifty yards or more but is readily recognized at a distance, owing to the lower half being white-washed.
As the HERALD man drove into the yard he found half a dozen men gathered around the door, which was barred up but a window was open, Inside stood a man who seemed afraid to go further than the window. The HERALD man climbed in and a more horrible sight one seldom sees. Near the center of the west room lay the body of a woman, in a night robe which being disarranged left the body partly naked. The body lay face down in a pool of half congealed blood, dark and slimy and about four feet in diameter. The back of the head was crushed in, as one would break an egg. The hair was matted with the vital fluid as it flowed out. About three feet away, and stuck in the congealing blood on the floor lay a piece of skull, nearly two inches square. It glistened with a silvery color as the light fell upon it. smaller pieces, about the size of corn were noticed like shining islands in the gory lake.
The body was that of a frail little woman, not much if any over five feet tall, and weighing not over 100 pounds.
"What did he kill her with?" Asked the HERALD man.
"A flat iron," replied the man who was in the room and added, turning to one of the men out the window, "I can't stay here any longer. I dare not step over the body. I feel like vomiting."
On being asked what he was there for he said he came to get the children's clothing for they were naked at Mr. Finkelson's house. He pointed to some little garments and shoes that lay on the other side of the body near the bed.
When the little folks had gone to bed the night of the terrible deed, they had thrown their little things on the floor. Now many of them showed the dark gruesome spots where their mother's blood had spattered on them. The HERALD man gathered them up. There being so many little garments he asked, "How many children are there?"
"Six" came the answer. "Charlie 13 years old, Henry 12, Willie 10, Emily 9, Annie 7 and little Ada, the baby, but 11 months old. Charlie was working for John Matteson and stayed there and Emily stayed with Mrs. T. A. Baxter who took a fancy to her.
The clothing was all worn and had been much mended. On a string tied across the angle of the chimney, back of the stove hung the change of clothing for some of them. All washed and ironed with the same flat iron that was ...(unreadable)...hours after being used by a loving mother. Everything about the room showed that the woman had done the best she could with the little she had. Poverty showed itself on all sides. The building was divided into two rooms. In one were two beds and an old commode. The other room, where the crime was committed, had a bed, a cook stove, table bureau and a bench. A clock stood on a shelf over the bed. Not a picture of any kind on the walls, not a book or newspaper in the rooms.
After leaving the scene of the murder the HERALD man went to Adams where he met County Attorney Catherwood, Coroner Hollister and Sheriff Johnson, They were getting ready to go to the scene of the murder.
We visited the murderer. He lay in an ante room at Dr. Night's office. The brute lay on the floor, his legs bound at the ankles with steel shackles. He lay on his right side and constantly groaned. His wrists and throat were bound up with blood soaked cloths. On the boxes and chairs were clothes red with blood and little puddles of it on the floor where it had dripped from the clothes. Congealed blood was over the murderer's face. He looked to be about 45 years of age, strong and muscular and weighing about 160 pounds or so. He was weak from the loss of blood and in reply to a question he said, "I am cold. I want to die. I want to die. I am so cold."
Dr. Knight said the man would in all probability recover He did not consider the wounds dangerous. He said he could not say whether the man was conscious or not when he first saw him. The prisoner had not talked since his arrest.
Dr. Hollister, in company with Messrs. Catherwood and Johnson went to the scene in the afternoon. It took but a glance to show the doctor that death was from the ugly hole in the skull.
A coroner's jury consisting of Mike Njos, Ole Njos, Ole Anderson, Pete N. Peterson, Frank Blonigan and B. A. Benson was impaneled by Sheriff Johnson. As it was Sunday the jury was excused until this forenoon. Dr. Hollister ordered the Adams undertaker to take charge of the body.
CAUSE OF THE CRIME.
Just what lead up to the crime could not be learned Sunday. The children were suffering from sorrow and terror and said that their father and mother had quarreled all the evening. They had agreed to separate and were coming to Austin Tuesday to arrange for the divorce. It was stated that Mrs. Anderson was in bed when her husband made the threat to take her life and then kill himself. The children were roused by the angry words and were sent by the mother for help. Before help arrived the blow had been struck and the murderer had fled.
Anderson is a native of Sweden and lived on the farm, where he committed the crime, some years but moved away about 18 months ago to a town in Michigan. He has been a sailor and at one time drank but since his return to Adams he has not been known to do so. At the time of the murder he was perfectly sober. He worked up to 7 o'clock the night before for Ole Rogne husking corn. He was of a quarrelsome disposition and quarreled with his wife continually.
In the Williams' murder case there was the bare prospects that Williams might have killed Finn in self defense or as the board of pardons found he did not have time from the moment the attack was made on him by Finn to cool off before he fired the fatal shot. In this murder case there seems to be not the slightest grounds for a defense. It was a cold, deliberate murder of a defenseless woman by a man who made the threat and carried it out in a most horrible manner. It recalls the Joseph Ott murder case at Granite Falls, where he beat his wife's brains out with a club because she displeased him. County Attorney Catherwood says this murder is one of the most brutal that ever took place in the Northwest.
THE INQUEST.
The inquest was held at 9 a.m. Monday and the most important facts were brought out by the three children. Henry, the twelve year old boy, said his father came home at about 7 o'clock. His mother was down on her knees scrubbing the floor. The father at once began quarreling with his mother and they kept it up for some time and at last they...(unreadable)
The man then went to bed and the woman again got down on her knees to finish scrubbing. He got up and took her up bodily from the floor and said he would kill her. She replied that if he did he would hang for it. He treated her roughly and then went and lay on the bed. The baby, little Ada, woke up and began crying The mother quieted the child and it went to sleep and the woman went to bed in the east room, the father laying in the west room cursing and making threats. The boy said he was just going to sleep when his father got up and went to the room where she was. She began to holler and say "he is choking me." I told father to come away and not hurt mother and he told me to get out of the way. Father then took mother by the hair and dragged her into the other room and struck her over the head with the flat iron. I tried to pull his hand away. Then he kept side of her and hammered her head seven or eight times and I and the others ran away to Mr. Finkelson's.
THE PRISONER'S STORY.
The prisoner was brought to this city and lodged in the county jail Monday. He at once sent for Sven Anderson and to him he told his story, although he confessed to Mr. Catherwood and the sheriff Sunday night, His story is as follows: "I and my wife have always quarreled. She wanted me to make the farm over in her name. Last winter we sold eighty acres and went to Michigan. She and the children went to live with her folks at Manistee and I went into the pineries to work. When I came back two weeks ago she had gone and I followed her out here. I went to see her and tried to patch things up so we could live quietly. She wanted to get a divorce and all the property. We quarreled over it Saturday night. We went to bed about 10 o'clock. At about 1 o'clock the baby cried and I got up and covered it up. My wife said "what are you doing with the child" I said I was covering it up. She got up and took the tea kettle and went at me. I grabbed a flat iron and struck her over the head. I don't remember striking her more than once. I could not find a sharp knife in the house to kill myself with. I went out in the shed and stayed awhile and then went to my brother Ole's and when he got up I told him but he watched me or I would have killed myself."
"I guess I am in for life," he remarked.
Mr. Anderson replied, "You are lucky if you are."
A dispatch was sent to her folks by Dr. Hollister and they wired back, "Bury Christina Anderson there. I cannot do anything,"
Anderson has two brothers, Ole of Clayton and A. P., who works on the Decker farm.
It is now said that he has been drinking heavily and is of a peculiar nature and considered by some as weak minded.
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Austin Daily Herald, October 25, 1898
Person Hammered his Wife's Head to a Jelly After She Was Dead
"It was a brutal fiendish diabolical murder," said County Attorney Catherwood this morning when speaking of the Anderson murder at Marshall. "If I have anything to do with the case the prosecution will not accept any plea of murder in the second degree."
Attorney French was secured yesterday afternoon to defend Anderson, the murderer. He at once gave orders that reporters were to be barred from speaking to the prisoner but the HERALD secured his story before an attorney had been secured for his defense.
Sven Anderson went to Marshall today to look after the little children, who will probably be sent to Owatonna.
The prisoner has not yet been arraigned before a justice.
Below is the complete report of the inquest.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF MOWER.
In coroner's court, before W. L. Hollister, coroner, inquest over the body of Christine Anderson, deceased.
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES.
Charles J. Anderson being first duly sworn and examined on oath, testified as follows:
My name is Charlie J. Anderson; my age if fourteen years next spring; my father's name is John B. Anderson and my mother's Christina Anderson; I am the oldest child; the next brother is Henry, who is twelve years old this last September, 1898; the next is Willie, aged about ten or eleven years; the next is Clarence who is nine years old; the next is Annie, seven years; the next is Ida who is ten or eleven months old.
I was not at home on the night of the trouble. It has been four or five weeks since we came back here from Michigan to our home. On last Saturday night I was at John Matteson's farm about a half a mile away where I was at work. I left home to go there a week ago today. My father was working last week at Sever Rogne's about one-half a mile away from our house. He hadn't been there the whole week. Father and mother were quarreling most all the time since they came back from Michigan. My father would always start about something and get (unreadable) no matter what it was. He wold say everything about her, say things to make her mad. He said millions of times he would murder her and kill himself. He said that to me or I heard it. I have seen him strike mother. One day, some time before we went to Michigan, he licked us boys because we had forgot to water a colt. Mother said "that's enough" and then he struck mother with an oak stick so he made three holes in her head. They would often quarrel at night in the house after bed time; would quarrel a long time, particularly the last year. My father would most always start it; they would keep on about it. They talked about separating and getting a divorce; he went to Austin and when he came back he said she could do as she wanted. Instead of separating she could do what she planned about the property, because he never wanted to separate from her; my father sometimes talked with me about the trouble with my mother; he wanted me to be on his side. He said he would give me the farm if I would. I said we would have to see how it would be later. I didn't know how it would be after all; he wanted me to say everything against her, and in his favor, and such things like that. I was afraid of my father; he has often said he would kill me just as soon as he would kill my mother; my mother was afraid of him - was afraid he would take her life any time; I have heard her say that; she told me so; I had bought three flat irons since we came back from Michigan; I got them at Mike Sinder's (Schneider) hardware store in Adams and took them home to mother; they were like those I see here that you have in the valise.
Signed, CHAS. ANDERSON
Henry O. Anderson, being duly sworn, testified as follows:
My name is Henry O. Anderson and my age is twelve years the 9th of September; Charlie, who has testified, is my oldest brother; he was thirteen the 4th of April; I was at home on the night of the trouble but Charlie was not there; my father came home about 7 or 8 o'clock from Sever Rogne's where he had been working; he started to work there Tuesday I think; he did not come home at night until Saturday night; we children were in bed but mother had not gone to bed; I slept in the little bed in the north side of the east room and Willie, my nine year old brother, slept with me; my mother, the baby and smallest brother generally slept in the big bed in the south end of the little room; my father slept in the west room where the stove was; no one slept with him that night; the first I knew about the trouble, father wanted to take the baby into his bed; he was talking all kinds of bad words to mother; he was talking about going to Austin tomorrow; he said he didn't want to part wither her; she could do what she wanted to with the land; she said she didn't want the land; she couldn't do anything with it, and she didn't want to start up with him again; she was scrubbing the floor and he went up to her and troubled her so she couldn't scrub; he grabbed hold of her and held her and was talking bad words; he swore at her and said if she wouldn't do what he wanted her to he would take and kill her; she said if you kill me it will be a sorry thing for you; you'll have to get paid back; she told him to let her go and he did and went to bed and she started to scrub again; he laid there in bed swearing at her; he laid there for a long while then the baby woke up and mother held it awhile and put it to bed and after awhile mother went to bed herself; then father got up to get the baby out of her bed and wanted mother to come and sleep with him; she got out of bed and father got mad and put some wood in the stove; mother got into my bed and father wanted her to go to his bed and he didn't want her to tell any of the people what he had been talking about and doing; after awhile mother got out of my bed and went to her own bed and went to sleep; then father went over to her and grabbed her and commenced to choke her; she hollered for me; I got up and went and told him to quit; he said "I'm going to kill her now;" he was keeping on choking her; he said I should go away; he choked her so she couldn't talk; I tried to get her away; then he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the bed over to the stove; he reached for something on the stove to hit her with; he grabbed the flat iron, held her by her hair with one hand and struck her hard on the head with other with the flat iron; I tried to shove his hand away and he bit her five or six times; mother made no sound; she was dead after the first strike but he pounded her afterwards then he raised her up with both hands and drove her to the floor and threw the flat iron at her. Then he wept and looked at the baby. Then he wanted to take the hands of my younger brother but he was afraid. Then father took the other flat iron and struck himself on the head and he stared around. Then he gave himself another crack and then he fell down and kicked her - my mother, then me and Willie started to Gilbert's and we heard Clarence crying and waited for him and we all three went to Gilbert's and told the, we left the baby there at home. HENRY O. ANDERSON.
Clarence Anderson says: - I was asleep. When I woke by father hollering in a loud voice. I saw him pull my mother out of the bed by the hair and he held her by the hair and grabbed the flat iron and bit her in the head. She didn't make any sound. Then father held her by the hair, and went to punching her in the head with the iron. He punched her hard five or six times. After he had punched her a while he picked her up and drove her to the floor and took the flat iron and drove it at her. Then he took the other flat iron and struck himself over the head twice with it. The first time he struck himself he just looked around then he hit himself again and then he fell and I left the house and went to Gilbert's.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF MOWER:
At an inquisition taken at the village of Adams, in said county on the 24th of October, A. D. 1898, before W. L. Hollister, coroner of said county, upon view of the body of Christina Anderson, lying there dead: By the oaths of the jurors, whose names are hereto subscribed; who being sworn to inquire on behalf of the state of Minnesota, when, how and by what means the said Christina Anderson came to her death: Upon oaths do says: That she, said Christina Anderson at the town of Marshall in said county of Mower was killed and murdered by a deadly weapon, to wit: An instrument commonly known as a flat iron, weighing about four pounds, which weapon one John B. Anderson, her husband, held in his hands and with which he then and there struck, beat and pounded said Christina Anderson upon the head and face, fracturing and breaking in her skull and head and producing her death.
We, said jury further recommend and direct that a warrant of arrest be issued out of this court by the said coroner against said John B. Anderson, charging him with the willful and deliberate murder of said Christina Anderson, his wife, and that John B. Anderson be forthwith apprehended and taken before the proper magistrate to be dealt with according to law.
In witness whereof, we the said jurors and said coroner, have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of October A. D. 1898.
B. A. Benson; Ole A. Johnson; Ole Anderson; Mike Johnson; Frank Blonigan; Pete A. Olson, Jurors; W. L. Hollister, Coroner.
The warrant given to Sheriff Johnson charges John B. Anderson with willfully wrongfully and feloniously, without authority of law and with a premeditated design to effect the death of Christina Anderson did without justification or excuse kill and murder the said Christina Anderson.
Christina (Chrestina) is buried at Little Cedar Cemetery - Find A Grave Memorial Page
John died in Stillwater Prison in 1917 - Find A Grave Memorial Page
Austin Daily Herald, October 27, 1898
And now John Anderson, an Adams farmer, kills his wife, and already has his defense of insanity prepared. Anderson was a hen-pecked husband. His wife used to make him sleep in the barn after they quarreled. Last Sunday the couple had their regular quiet Sabbath afternoon sun dance, and Mr. Anderson was forced to sleep in the barn that night. He became cold along about midnight and then he naturally concluded the affair had gone far enough. He would assert himself and his rights. He used a flat iron to emphasize his arguments. He pounded his wife’s head to a pulp. He says he is insane.
Austin Daily Herald, December 8, 1898
John H Anderson, the Adams wife killer, is recovering slowly from his self-inflicted wounds. He is appearing quite cheerful. The story comes that the former neighbors are saying that he did not kill her soon enough as she was a great scold.
This is an excerpt of a photocopied newspaper article. I am still searching for the rest of the article. It appears that it is from the area where they lived in Michigan:
…which occurred near Adams, Minnesota, on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 20th has called forth many facts concerning the family while they lived here, which throws a somewhat different light on the affair.
Of course every story has two sides to it, and we today give our readers what we have learned from various reliable sources. When the family came here from the west, it seems Anderson had 80 acres of the farm, besides a large amount of stock, etc., at her earnest solicitation, and came here and resided for a while with her sister. She kept up a continued pressure upon Anderson to induce him to make over the balance of the farm in her name. Anderson steadily refused, saying he wanted to keep the farm for the children. Later the family moved into a house in the rear of the Maxwelltown Chapel on 12th street, and Anderson secured a position as sailor on a schooner which runs into this harbor. The neighbors in Maxwelltown, and the captain and crew of the boat affirm Anderson to be a most quiet and inoffensive man, while the reputation of Mrs. Anderson in the neighborhood is far different, very few desiring to neighbor with her on account of her great tendency to quarrel and cause trouble. Anderson was given credit at neighboring grocery stores and she would run big bills which he would settle uncomplainingly as often as pay day came around. He later secured employment in the lumber camps of Louis Sands, and it was while here that he was arrested and brought before Justice Graves on a charge of non-support preferred by his wife. It was before this Justice that all these facts came to light. Undersheriff Chas. Nargesser says that when he went to the camp to arrest Anderson he found all the men loud in the praise of the man. Arriving in the city Anderson asked to be allowed to go home for his dinner. Nargesser went with him and found the table set with as good a meal as a hungry man would want to sit down to. Anderson greeted his wife kindly and sat down to the table, whereupon she took all the eatables from the table and ordered him to leave the house. He went out with the officer, crying like a child.
In the court room he was quiet, while her tongue could with difficulty be curbed by the authorities. It was shown that during the month in which he was arrested she had run a bill at the store of $24. He paid the rent due and settled other bills, and had other money coming on his wages account. The case was dismissed. A month or so later she had him arrested again. His case was adjourned and he was let on his own recognizance, and went back to his work. On the day set for the trial he was on hand, having walked the 27 miles on Sunday in order to be present according to his promise. It is asserted he had sent her $10 in the meantime but she refused to accept it, saying it was not enough. In court he offered to go back on the farm with her where they could make a good living, as $24 a…
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Anderson cabin
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John Anderson's Death Certificate
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