The Northern Pacific farmer., 1882-04-06
DLJTTTON.
Tragedy In Deer Creek.

DLJTTToN.
Tragedy in Deer Creek.
Last Wednesday evening Mr.. IF.
r. Stull, who had been working for
G. NJ. Maltby all winter, settled up
and got his pay and Il suit of clothes,
preparatory to going down to friends
in Illinois. A friend Of his, William
Christie, being in Maltby's store at
tho time, persuaded him to 90 out
to Frank Ransom's, in Compton, to
stay over night so they could take
the train at Wadena Tuesday morn
ing and go down together. Stull
checked his trunk to Wadena, and
they started out abont 4 O'Clock Oh
foot. After passing Mr.. Roper's
house, instead of turning to the left
and going to Mr.. Ransom's, Christie
led Stull, who was not acquainted
with the road, out on a by-road into
tamarac swamp in the edge of Deer
Creek township, about \ mile from
where he should have turned off, and
there shot and robbed him. He used
3S Cali iber, Saith l. Wesson revolver,
and the ball entered just below the
right ear and lodged in tho face be-
side the nose, killing him instantly.
He then picked up the body and car
ried it atout thirty feet into the
swamp and dragged i us mach far
ther, then took everything valuable
and covered it with snow and spruce
boughs. He went back to Ransom's
and ate his supper, and went to bed.
Thursday morning he went south in
stead of going to Wadena, starting
about eight o'clock. About the same
time Mr.. Roper and Horace Keith
started into the swamp after ties, and
taking the same road which was un-
freque nted by anyone else, noticed
some blood on the fatal spot, and
Keith said he thought some one had
killed deer there and maybe the dog
would find it, but in attempting to
set the dog on the track, he found the
dead body. Thinking they had no
right to touch it, they turned their
team around and started back for
help. Finding Geo. Northup with
others he was sent to Bluffton and re-
ported the facts, and that the body
was supposed to be that of Alexander
Lawson, as some threats had been
made against him. Mr. Maltby ad-
vised him to get 4 justice or constable
Of Compton and take care of the body
till the coroner could be got here. He
found AIr. Veden and concluding they
could not take care of the body there
in the swamp, removed it to the Phi
10 school house. w. C. Bedford, the
coroner, was telegraphed for; alse,
deputy sheriff, Austin, at New York
Mills. It was soon discovered by Ed
Philo, who with others had collected
at the place, that it was not Lawson,
but Stull. In fact Lawson himself
came up and said he should not won
der if it was meant for him. AS |
soon as the news reached Bluffton
that the body was Stull, tho inquiry
was made, where is Christie. Maltby
agent Stuart, at Wadena,
asking if he had been seen there, and
received answer that no one of that
had been there. Every
hing seemed to point to Christie as
he murderer, but every body said hs
:ould not be guilty Of such a deed.
But as he was last seen in company
# Stull. he was wanted to explain,
md Ed Philo made complaint to Esq.
Ialtbv, who made out the warrant,
md sent Steve Ward and DR.. Smith
Ifter him. The coroner came Friday
morning and held an inquest, and the
ury brought in verdict that Stull
came to his death at the hands OF
William Christie, by gun shot wound.
The body was brought over to
Maltby's store, and the prisoner who
was found at Spruce Hill, was
brought in the evening to see the
corpse, but manifested little emotion,
Bedford and Maltby took the prisoner
into room alone and succeeded in
drawing out a full confession, in
which he stated hs killed Stull solely
for his money. but that he did not
ind but thirty dollars, and supposed
he must have moro in his trunk at
W adena, so took the check and wrote
; letter to the agent at Wadsna to
forward trunk to Sauk Centre, where
he expected to go and search it. Al
,er confessing he waived examination
,nd at O'Clock Saturday morning,
started in charge of constable Winter
for Fergus Jail. We expected to bury
The remains Sunday but Bedford tsle-
,raphed not to do so till he came, and
morning DR.. Hutton came
over and made post-mortem exanin-
stion, and found the ball as above
stated, then he was buried here in
Bluffton cemetery. Mr.. Stull must
1avo had about one hundred dollars,
ind Christie about two hundred dol
ars. The constable found about two
hundred and twenty on the prisoner
when taken, and they have found
'orty dollars since, hid in the cell Of
he jail. ZEPHYR. /
FEQnd TIE HUE.