Peter Westerstrøm
Encyclopedia
Peter Westerstrøm was a Swedish
mass murderer who gained notoriety for the Saksebøl Slaughter in Moss, Norway
during the Napoleonic wars.
in Sweden
around 1778. His father Jonas was the local sexton, but died when Peter was 8 years old. His mother died in 1804 and Peter was raised her brother. He started his professional carriere as a man-servant; later on he started training as a tailor, but never became more than an apprentice. He later claimed to have tried to have started an enterprise refining cotton, but he had to borrow money and the enterprise failed. This story was never corroborated as there was a state of war between Norway and Sweden at the time and serious doubt was cast on his curriculum.
By 1806, he had moved to Norway
. By his own confession, the move was in order to avoid being thrown into the debtor's prison after his bankruptcy. An unconfirmed rumour stated that he had fled Sweden after having murdered and robbed his late employer, Lieutenant General Liljehorn. In Norway, he established himself as a tailor in the city of Moss, Norway
, traveling around the local countryside to obtain work from the surrounding peasantry.
. The victims were the station manager Johannes Jensen and his three servants Lars Arvesen, Jens Svensen and Karen Olsdatter. The murder weapon was an axe
he had brought with him for the explicit purpose of murder. The motive was greed; the station manager's strongbox was forced and the house robbed of valuables. Westerstrøm fled with 20 daler in cash, some slothes, some silver spoons, a pair of boots and a pipe. After the crime, he tried to reach Sweden but was hindered by foul weather.
(judge i Follo
), sheriff Jacob Wulfsberg in Christiania (now Oslo), Lieutenant Colonel Hans Jacob von Scheel and the judge in Moss
, Ove Hiorth. A reward of 1000 daler was offered for information that would lead to arrest of the guilty. This reward lead to Westerstrøm being turned in by friends.
On 6 February 1809, Peter Westerstrøm was arrested at Moss, Norway
and brought before the commission. He confessed to the murders after some attempts at denial. The case was open and shut: He was found in possession of much of the stolen goods and could lead the authorities to where he had hidden the rest. As for the motive, Westerstrøm first claimed mental depression, stating that he wanted to commit suicide and this way he could get the state executioner to do the job. His second explanation stated that, as he was an unreformable criminal, he wanted to go down in history as the greatest crook in Norwegian history. His third confession stated that the murder was done out of revenge, as he believed the station manager had been instrumental in breaking up his engagement to a rich heiress..
On 16 August 1809, this sentence was moderated in the Supreme Court. He was sentenced for premeditated homicide only, and the punishment was reduced to simple beheading with axe; the torture was dropped. Only his head would go on the pole.
On 23 September 1809, King Frederik VI approved of the sentence of the Supreme Court.
On 27 October 1809, Westerstrøm was executed in front of the prison in Moss. With him at the scaffold was his parson Niels Wulfsberg. The executioner was Anton Lædel, this being his fifth execution. After 24 hours, the head was taken down again and buried next to the corpse.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
mass murderer who gained notoriety for the Saksebøl Slaughter in Moss, Norway
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
during the Napoleonic wars.
Background
Peter Westerstrøm was born in LjungbyLjungby, Sweden
Ljungby is a locality and the seat of Ljungby Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden, with 14,810 inhabitants in 2005.Ljungby was originally a köping , which did not become a municipality of its own when the first local government acts took effect in 1863, but retained part of the surrounding rural...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
around 1778. His father Jonas was the local sexton, but died when Peter was 8 years old. His mother died in 1804 and Peter was raised her brother. He started his professional carriere as a man-servant; later on he started training as a tailor, but never became more than an apprentice. He later claimed to have tried to have started an enterprise refining cotton, but he had to borrow money and the enterprise failed. This story was never corroborated as there was a state of war between Norway and Sweden at the time and serious doubt was cast on his curriculum.
By 1806, he had moved to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. By his own confession, the move was in order to avoid being thrown into the debtor's prison after his bankruptcy. An unconfirmed rumour stated that he had fled Sweden after having murdered and robbed his late employer, Lieutenant General Liljehorn. In Norway, he established himself as a tailor in the city of Moss, Norway
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, traveling around the local countryside to obtain work from the surrounding peasantry.
The crime
During the night between the 31 December 1808 and the 1 January 1809, he killed the four inhabitants at the station Saksebøl in HobølHobøl
Hobøl is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Elvestad. Hobøl is situated about southeast of Oslo. The parish of Haabøl was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .The largest village in Hobøl is Tomter, whose train...
. The victims were the station manager Johannes Jensen and his three servants Lars Arvesen, Jens Svensen and Karen Olsdatter. The murder weapon was an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
he had brought with him for the explicit purpose of murder. The motive was greed; the station manager's strongbox was forced and the house robbed of valuables. Westerstrøm fled with 20 daler in cash, some slothes, some silver spoons, a pair of boots and a pipe. After the crime, he tried to reach Sweden but was hindered by foul weather.
The investigation
The autopsy was undertaken by Dr Hans Munk. An investigative commission was established consisting of Christian Magnus FalsenChristian Magnus Falsen
Christian Magnus Falsen was a Norwegian constitutional father, statesman, jurist, and historian. He was an important member of the constitutional assembly and was one of the writers of the constitutional laws....
(judge i Follo
Follo
Follo is one of three districts in the county of Akershus, Norway. It is located between Oslo and Østfold and includes the southwestern part of the county's area east of Oslo, namely the municipalities Frogn, Oppegård, Ski, Vestby, Ås, Nesodden, and Enebakk...
), sheriff Jacob Wulfsberg in Christiania (now Oslo), Lieutenant Colonel Hans Jacob von Scheel and the judge in Moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, Ove Hiorth. A reward of 1000 daler was offered for information that would lead to arrest of the guilty. This reward lead to Westerstrøm being turned in by friends.
On 6 February 1809, Peter Westerstrøm was arrested at Moss, Norway
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and brought before the commission. He confessed to the murders after some attempts at denial. The case was open and shut: He was found in possession of much of the stolen goods and could lead the authorities to where he had hidden the rest. As for the motive, Westerstrøm first claimed mental depression, stating that he wanted to commit suicide and this way he could get the state executioner to do the job. His second explanation stated that, as he was an unreformable criminal, he wanted to go down in history as the greatest crook in Norwegian history. His third confession stated that the murder was done out of revenge, as he believed the station manager had been instrumental in breaking up his engagement to a rich heiress..
Trial and execution
On 24 July 1809, he was sentenced by the commission to be pinched five times with red-hot pincers by the executioner, after this his hand would be lopped off with an axe and finally he would be beheaded. The head, the hand and the body would then be publicly displayed on poles until they rotted. This was the punishment recommended for murders within the family (patricides, matricides, but also murders of employers).On 16 August 1809, this sentence was moderated in the Supreme Court. He was sentenced for premeditated homicide only, and the punishment was reduced to simple beheading with axe; the torture was dropped. Only his head would go on the pole.
On 23 September 1809, King Frederik VI approved of the sentence of the Supreme Court.
On 27 October 1809, Westerstrøm was executed in front of the prison in Moss. With him at the scaffold was his parson Niels Wulfsberg. The executioner was Anton Lædel, this being his fifth execution. After 24 hours, the head was taken down again and buried next to the corpse.
Sources/References
- Nanna Thrane: Den sidste Sølvskje. En gammel Historie. Christiania 1912.
- Ole Andreas Øverland: Mordet på Saksebøl. S & Jul Sørensens Bogtrykkeri. Kristiania 1904.
- Collegialtidende: 14.10.1809
- Adresseavisa: 27.01.1809