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Following World War I, a rash of robberies occurred
throughout North Dakota. Banks and
stores were burglarized. For its
protection Hannaford enlarged its police force by employing a night marshal to
make regular rounds and to discourage or capture any would-be robbers.
Ole Hanson, very obviously of Swedish origin, was given the job. He dutifully made his rounds carrying a
double-barreled 12-gauge shotgun. People
slept well knowing that Ole was on the job and that any criminal he accosted
would be in most deadly danger. One incident in the performance of his duties
enhanced his reputation and earned Ole a very appropriate nickname.
In the dark of night he came upon a burglar backing out of a basement
window at the Hannaford Mercantile. Jamming
the two 12-gauge barrels against the intruder's backside, Ole yelled, "Yew
yump once, yew yump no more!" Needless to say, the burglar didn't jump - except to
the conclusion that the jig was up. Immediately word got around that Hannaford was
dangerous territory for outlaws, and from that time on, that no-nonsense law man
was known as "Yump Ole." This cognomen might have been appropriate for Ole for
another reason, too. Back in Sweden
he had been quite an expert ski-jumper. Here
in America, his son Hans, of Minneapolis, was a national champion, the record
holder in long-standing jump. However,
local people knew exactly why they called him Yump Ole Hanson. Source: Hannaford
Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 256 |