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Prairig duo Chien —CP)—The Kicka pool valley still holds to itself the mys tery of the slaying of Clara Olson and of the disappearance of Idman Ol son, her 18-year old lover, today—a year after the girls body was found —remains unsolved. The long-sought Madman, suspected by police of slaying his sweetheart af ter they gathered a mass of evidence against him, still is missing and the reward for his capture, amounting to more than $2,000, still is unclaimed. Though rumors have come from all over the country that he has been found, none of them have proved true. But authorities still wutch for clues, hopeful that some day he will be found, either to admit his guilt, as they believe, or to prove his inno nece, as his father believes. In a shallow grave near Rising Sun, ‘80 miles north of here, searchers De cember 2 found the body of the £ 2 ye: old girl, who had been missing 5: Sept. 9. She had been beaten over the head with a blunt instrument. Olson had disappeared Sept 27 and on Nov. 26 a warrant charging him with mur der and information and belief was sworn out, though the body had not been found. The story of a love affair which ended in Kascdy was reconstricted by authorities tor we girl's body was discovered. She had been a keep ing company with Erdman, Gale col lege student, for about a year before she disappeared. Early in the fall she confided to her parents she was about in became an anther and they tried to persuade her sweetheart to marry her, offering to help him and let the cou ple live at their home for the time be ing. The youth was noncommital and rarely came to the house after this interview. About midnight, Sept. 9 the girl sat up, dressed and went out, presumably to meet Erdman. When she did not return, her room was searched and a note found in which she said she would return in three or four days and have a “glad surprise.” Letters found on her body indicated this “surprise” ,was to have been her marriage to Erdman. Clothing found in a box near the scene of the murder was intended for her wedding, her parents said. A few days after the girlisap peared, her brother and father went, to the Gale college at Galesville, to demand that her whereaours be ex plained. The Youth then said that Ben had seen her the night she left and had taken her to Viroqua, 26 miles north of his home. His parents, however, said that he was home by 1 a.m, made sandwiches and turned on the radio. This was less than an hour after the girl left her home. He had attended a dance that evening with another girl, leaving shortly before 12 o'clock and authorities contend he drove immedi ately to the home of Clara. After Claras father threatened to have Erdman arrested unless the girl was found immediately Erdman dis appeared. He left a note saying he did not know where Clara Olson was but that he did not intend to “wait for the sheriff.” A note im ‘Erdman's handwriting found on the girl's body tald of plans for an elopement and ended by warn ing her 0 “do as 1 told you for if you dort, your chance might be shot and i would make a scarce hubby. If you Wish to avoid disgrace, do as I say and keep mum.” The letter was unsigned. ie Inurder was premeditated, on es believe, and they base their claims on the fact that the shallow grave in which the girl's body was found was one which would take a long time to die. The realm of the unknown came in to the case when “Old Chris , Olson, Clara's father, revealed that he had reamed late in September of seeing his daughter dead, buried face to ward. His dream was confirmed when her body was found. An appeal through the newspapers and the radio to his son was made by Erdman’s father, who asked the boy to “come home and clear yourself.” He steadissily maintained his son's in nocence. 1 Before the girl's body was laid at the little graveyard under the spire of the Werwegian Lutheran church at Kirica, just two miles distant from the place Where she was murdered, the search for Erdman was started. Par ents and friends testified at a coroner's inquest to the relations between the two. All over the country police, sought traces of Erdman. He was reported at various times, in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Minne apolis, Chicago, New York and other widely scattered points. Reports that his family were freezing in touch with him were investigated, but no support for them could be found. Spurred on by the large reward offered the hunt continued until those outside this re gion lost interest. In the Kickanoo valley, however, residents still remember the case and still look for its solution someday, even though a year has passed and mystery is still deep as it was the day Clara Olson's body was discovered.
Newspaper Details
Appleton Post Crescent
Appleton, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Dec 02, 1927
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
John C.
