Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1912 — A FOREIGN INVASION IN UNION TOWNSHIP. [ARTICLE]

A FOREIGN INVASION IN UNION TOWNSHIP.

Wandering Norwegian Enters Home of Shelby Comer and Spends Sight - Ob Floor Behind Rnsebnrner. ,f; Shelby Comer found a queer visitor st his home la Union towns trip. i o miles north of town. Sunday morning. When he came down stairs from his bedroonrto slide into his shoes by the hasebumer ire saw a man on the floor behind the stove. To say he was surprteed states it mildly. He could hardly believe Ills eyes. He touched the man on the shoulder tp make sure he was alive and the.lntruder upon the hospitality of his home responded with a grunt. He pointed to his feet, which were hadly frozen and. mumbled iu a foreign tongue. tihelby never knew of but one man who had a'similar accent—that man was Dr. Hansson. He called the veterinary by phone and the Comer visit. or ' as put into communication with hrttn. she visitor-seemed a tittle afraid of the phone but it was learned by Dr. Hansson that he was a Norwegian, who had lost his way and had gone imo the Comer house for protec tlon from the cold .ihi stormy night. Dr. M. D. Gwin was making a trip north and lie stopped to see the stricken man and brought him into the eity and left him at Dr. Hknsscn « office. He found that the man’s feet Were iprite badly frozen and that one ear was also frozen. He was dazed from exposure and «’ould give v -ry little count of himself. After bis ph> steal ailments had been seated and he had been given a good dinner by Dr. Hansson lie felt better. There Is a marked similarity between the Swedish and Norwegian tongues and Dr. Hansson obtained a disconnected story from him. He had .etters in his pocket addressed to Carl Gleson Schaw, which he said was 'iiir name. One of the letters was a sort of credential whim set f irth that he was the son o? a piihalamial shoe manufacturer at Christiana, Norway, tie said hi- had been working for a man named i\ A. Peterson, at 1350 West North Avenue. in Chicago, that he got lost in the city and while trying to locate himself he wandered about and finally at night ho had no place to go. A policeman locked him up one night, and turned him loose next day. He thinks that was a Week ago. Since then he. has been walking aliout the country and laboring under the impression that his employer was going to send for him and that some one in a coal wagon was driving about looking for him. He said that he had a sun stroke Inst summer and had suffered pains in his head since then. He seemed like well disposed and well educated foreigner, but was dazed and not quite himself mentally. Fie claimed to be 41 years of age. He refused to touch whiskey which Dr. Hansson offered him, thinking it might help to revive him. He also refused to smoke a cigar. He was very poorly clad, wore an old derby hat and thin overalls. He was able to stand up and walk about a little on bis feet, although they gave him much pain. He will probably not be able to work for some time. He felt sure that P. A. Peterson would be glad to learn where he was and would send for him. He thinks he is still in Chicago and that Peterson will send for him in a coal wagon. Dr. Hansson will make ail effort to get into communication with Peterson and will either send or take the man to Chicago whenever he is able to go. In the meantime he is being well cared for. A number have called in to see him and two or three have given him a little money. He knows what that is, all right Had he not found Mr. Comer's houie unlocked the poor fellow would frozen to death. \