The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-01-27
BoMBERGER IS EXECUTED.
THE NORTH DAKOTA MURDERI]R
DROPS THROUGH THE TRAP.
He Goes to His Death without
Flinching-His Neck Broken by the
Fall-HlstOry OF the Crime for
Which He Was Hanged.

Cando, N. D., Jan. 20.-At exactly
lao yesterday afternoon the trap fell
and Alfred r. Bombergcr, the murderer
of six members Of the Krcidcr family,
was ~strangled to death.
Sheriff McCuhe with two deputies
drove to the door of the court house q
little after noon and in q few moments
he, with his prisoner and deputies, were
speeding away toward the scaffold, a
short mile away. Bombcrger looked with
interest at the crowd gathered and also
gazed Mt the scaffold.
AS they drew les a hush fell over
the crowd, which numbered fully 2,OU
people. AS the solemn party drove down
the incline and stopped at the door of the
enclosure Bomberger did not lose his
s%elf-control. The party assembled the
steps to the platform above, the prisoner
walking up the steps. His knees smote to-
gether and for an instant his wonderful
nerve, which, till then, has stood by him,
seemed to waver. The trap had already
been put in position and everything was
ready for the final act. Sheriff McCune
asked the prisoner if he wished to make
any remarks.
Bomberger then made the following
statement on the gallows: Gentlemen,
I have a few words to say to you be-
fore I leave you. I am sorry for the
crime which I have committed, and ]
hope none of you will follow in my foot
steps. Furthermore, l wish that no
preacher be allowed on the scaffold. Good
by, gentlemen"
The deputy then put On the black cap
and the sheriff adjusted the moose and
stepped back to the lever and pulled it
ard Bomberger, the murderer, was
launched into eternity.
The body was turned ver to a couple
Of his cousins, the only relatives present.
As soon as the body was cut down the
souvenir iends went to work at the rope
and enclosure. The day was calm and
everything moved off without a hitch.
The body will be inferred within Q
quarter of a mile of the scene of his
crime, in fact, the little girl who rode
into town to give the alarm passed over
the ground in which he will lie.
The crime was committed on the 7th
day of July, 1893, at the family resi-
dence of the Kreiders, one mile edst of
Cando. About z o'clock in the morning
the citizens of Cando were startled by
the sudden appearance of Anna Kreidcr
in their midst, very much excited, con-
veying the more startling news that Al
bert Bombcfger, the hired man, had killed
her father, mother, three sisters and a
brother, and then started off on horse
back Scarcely believing the girls story,
the citizens at once began focking to the
house, some in buggies, others in wagons
and some on foot. There they found the
girls story was true in every particular,
the father having been shot apparently
while asleep, the mother while preparing
the morning meal and the four children
up stairs in their bed room, which pre-
scented a sight never to be forgotten by
any one of the Mortified spectators. The
wound of each n of the six, which pro-
duced death, was instantly fatal, although
some of the children had more than one
wound. Daniel s. Kreider, the father,
was shot in the left corner of the mouth,
the shot penetrating the brain; the moth
er was shot in the throat, the shot tear
ing away the whole trent Of the throat,
and destroying all of the important struc-
lures of the. neck; Beatrice was shot in
the left side of the head, every particle
Of the brain matter being blown out;
Mary received a slight flesh wound in
the left arm, but her fatal wound was
a stab in the throat, us she lay wounded
upon the floor; ;:Mlurbey was killed by a
gun shot. Wapnattin atke back part: of the
head, crushing, the skiull3 while David
was shot:in IT, jaw, the sSot dfS iding, a
part passing sover and a pa$t yJ&R4Ier. sthe
jaw bone penetrating the brain:s:s sssa.
At the inquest it developed that the
father was the first n killed, the mother
next, and then the fiend started up
stairs, and meeting Anna upon the land
ing at the head of the stairway, ordered
her into his room, which was just across
the landing from the room occupied by
the younger children. He then stepped
to the door Of the children's room and
fred three shots in quick succession into
the room, killing Murbey and David and
wornding Mary, while Beatrice escaped
through the window, jumping to the
glourd, without at first being missed, by
the murderer, who, upon finding that
Merry was not fatally woundad, went
down stairs, got the butcher knife. and,
coming back, stabbed the poor girl in the
throat. By that time. he discovered
that Beatrice was missing. and immedi-
ately began search for her, and. found
her at the barn in the act of getting q
pony to give the alarm. Bomberger
stopped, her, and taking her into tho
house allowed her to look ataher parents
who lay dead there; he then marched
go into the room where. Anna was he
puzzled her into the room and fred upon
her, being in such CLOSE proximity that
the fire from the gun burned her dress
sleeve on her left arm with which she
was apparently trying to ward of the
death blow. The murderer, turning to
Anna, remarked ..she dropped like a
cat, didn't sheY' After, the killing. of
Beatrice he went into the. room. where
Anna; was and outraged her, then made
her 60, down stairs and get breakfast for
him, which he ate in the kitchen standing
over the dead. body of Mrs. Kreider, or
only agfew steps from is at most. After
eating the breakfast be! compelled Anna
to put the remainder Of the food into
q packet for his lunch, then. ordered her
to get the 'told mans money and watch
H. also got from her the little money
that she had Of her own, amounting 10
$1.15. After saddling the pony and get
ting ready for.his start he took the girl
into the barnard again outraged her.
Must Care for the child.
Mitchell, s. D., Jan. 22.-The trial Of
Newton Hughes. of Mount Vernon for
being the father Of q child born to Kate
Earl resulted in q verdict Of guilty.
Hughes will be compelled TO support the
child Other suits will follow against
h3r, Roth narfiod 0rol xvo1l nonnncfod