The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-02-21
PARRICIDE!
The Murder of Martin
Riley by His Own Son.

uSO "UU UC1 " "0S SSuu
Riley by His Own Son.
Full Particulars of the un-
natural Deed.
Last weeks ADVANCE gave the main
facts relating to the murder of Martin
Riley, of Lismore township. by his own
son. The statements there given are
substantially correct and confirmed by
the testimony subsequently taken. We
give this week a full and detailed &C.
count of the crime.
The main facts are as follows:
On the morning of February I'd, be-
tween 8 and 10 O'Clock, while Martin
Riley was still lying in bed, his son
William, aged Is, placed shotgun
through a hole cut in the lath of the
partition dividing the kitchen from the
bedroom, and shot his father through
the head. The ball passed through the
head and through the opposite wall and
dropped to the sill below where it was
found. 1t is large ball weighing over
an ounce and was made 10y halnmering
lead into rude bullet which was
placed in one of the barrels of Il double
barreled shot gun. The ball is in the
hands of Co. Attorney Wilson where
we inspected it recently. It has pOr-
tions of the blue wool from blue fam
mel undershirt and also portions OF the
victims hair still clinging to it. The
two girls came down stairs just as the
boy was preparing to shoot. They ran
to the stable and remained until they
heard the report Of the gun.
The body was left IN bed until after
sundown, when the boy and the older
girl took it out through window, put
it on Il hand sled, drew it over thirty
rods to q straw stack in a field. drew it
up to the top of the stack and put it
head down into hole which the boy
had made a week or two before, under
the pretext of making wolf trap.
There the body remained from the I'd
to the 18th of February when it was
found by Judge L. S. Nelson, of Adrian,
and party OF men who went to the
farm to make search.
The boy left home on the 18th and
seems to have been making his way to-
ward Rushmore. lie stopped over
night ut the Torrance place and WAS
found there on the morning of the 14th
by Sheriff Miller and taken TO Adrian.
The girls were also taken to Adrian
and the confessions Of the boy and
older girl were taken. An examination
was had before Justice Hallas and the
boy and older girl were bound oyer to
await the action of the Grand jury
On Friday afternoon Sheriff Miller ar
rived with the prisoners. The boy was
placed with the other prisoners in the
Jail and the girl in the small room for
female prisoners, where SIC has very
comfortable quarters.
County Attorney Wilson conducted
the examination before Justice Uallas
and from his notes we condeuse the
following:
THE TESTIMONY.
DR.. Sullivan examined: Identified
the body us that Of Martin Riley. AS
sisted 1T post mOrtem examination
with coroner. Found no marks or
oh,
wound in which ball entered the left
side of head just above the ear, taking
off the upper portion of tie ear. passed
through both lobes of the brain and
came out about p inches above the
right ear. Wound showed very large
missile and was necessarily fatal.
L. S. Nelson testified: Went to Ri
ley's place with others on the 18th.
Examined premises and at the stable
found traces Of blood on Il straw in
stable used as bedding. Took the trail
leading to place from which straw had
been carried and on the way found
other straws with blood on. Came to
straw stack in field about 80 rods from
house; at stack found some blood on
| straw. Examined around stack and
| then went on top where found some
more blood. Called to one of party to
come up and see blood On the way
| the party stepped on hole and sank
down several feet. They then began
to remove straw and soon came to the
naked feet of the body. Then procured
rope and drew body out, which was in
a nude state except a woolen shirt and
Il gunny sack drawn over head. Placed
| body in sleigh and took it to Adrian
and kept under lock and key until
turned over to coroner.
Testified also. to admissions of the
boy. That on the morning OF Feb. I'd
he shot his father with ball placed in
shot gun. Ball made for him by an
other boy. Father was lying in bed
and boy went into kitchen, placed gun
in opening made by removing lath and
fired. Sisters came down stairs just rs
boy was about to shoot. They went to
barn and heard report of gun.
James Gown testified: AS to admis
brother had been planning for several
weeks to kill their father. Had tried
once to poison him. Girl never con-
sented to the killing save by acquies.
cence. Says that when she and sister
came down stairs boy had gun in
his hands, that she and her sister went
Immediately to the stable and soon
heard report of gun. That night about
sundowu they took the body, loaded it
on Il hand sled, drew it to the straw
stack and put it into the hole head
down.
STATEMENTS OF THE CHILDREN.
William and Mary Riley make the
following statements:
THE BOYS STATEMENT.
We came from Warwickshire, Eng
gland. in 1879, starting April 1st and
arriving May 20. Took land in Lis
more township OH section Is and went
OH the farm III May. Mother died on
the 21st of June. 1880. Father never
whipped mother III this country; did
sometimes in England, once blacking
her eyes. Father Was Irish and motH"eI
English. Was harsh to us, but seldom