Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-01-04
. Gruesome Tale Told By Fred
Roehm, Who Was Arrested
For the Murder.
Says that Mr.. WadswOrth Hired Him
to Kill Ed. %Severson, the Dead
Ranch Hand.
WadswOrth Arranged the Scheme
and Was to Give Him 5000
For the Job.
R0ehm, Wadsworth and His Wife
Held for Trial for the Murder
Without Bail.
Another Foul Murder.

Another Foul Murder.
The readers of the TRIBUNE will re-
member that some days ago it was noted
that one Ed Severson, a ranch hand zeal
Medora, was shot and killed. At first it
was thought that he had been killed by
a kick from a horse, but investigation
revealed the fact that he had been shot.
Suspicion of murder was at once
aroused, and discoveries have been made
since which 60 to show that as foul and
cold-blooded a pre-arranged murder as
the Kent murder at Mandan or the Cling
crime at Minneapolis was carried out in
the case of honest, Woodworking and
kind hearted Ed Severeon.
Wadsworth's ranch, where the murder
occurred, is twenty miles north of Med
ora, and at the time the murder was
committed, there were at the ranch
Wadsworth and his wife, Ed Severson
and a young man, Fred Roehm, about 16
years old. Wadsworth is a man about
go years of age, and partially paralized
on the right side. Severson and the boy
occupied the same room On Friday
morning, the 21st inst, the boy got up
and after making the fires, went to the
barn to do his morning work. About
one hundred yards from this barn is
another, and in this latter Severson kept
a horse for hunting purposes. While
the boy was in the first barn, Severson
passed the door, going to the other barn.
This was the last time he was seen alive
by any u who lives at the ranch. This
young man, after finishing his work went
to the house, and after eating his break
fast, went to turn out the stock. To do
this, he had TO go down to the gate of the
lower corral.
Uponaarriva] there he saw the body of
Severson laying or the ground, about
twenty feet from the stable door. In his
excitement he did not examine the body,
but went to notify the family. Mrs.
Wadsworth went down with the boy,
placed her hand upon the head of Sew
erson and found him dead. She and the
boy seem to have come to the conclusion
that he had been kicked by his horse in
the stable, and had fallen down upon his
way home. The boy then started to
town, or rather to the county seat, to no.
tify the coroner.
THIS WAS THE
which was told the good people Of
Medora and vicinity by young Roehm,
and it was, it appears, all carefully pre-
arranged.
The coroner's jury did not reach the
scene till the following day. They being
under the impression that the mans
death had been caused by the kick of a
horse, and not until they went to change
his clothes find that the man had been
murdered. They brought the body to
town, and on Sunday an autopsy was
held upon the body by DR.. Stickney, of
Dickinson. It was found the man had
been shot in the left arm, the ball pass
inc through the lungs, coming out on
the left side near the NIPPLE severing on
it's way the aorta. On Monday morning
last the jury again visited the scene Of
the murder, and while there the doctor
found a bullet lodged in the barn door.
This showed that Severson had been
shot from inside the barn. Suspicion at
once pointed to Roehm, and he was ar
rested and placed in Jail. Clerk of the
Court James W. Foley piled RoeLm with
questions, after the first examination,
and secured a partial confession. Gen.
Hughes Of this city was at once sum
moned by the county authorities, and
went out to Medora yesterday. He re-
convened the adjourned examination,
and when Roehm was placed upon the
stand he broke down and made a COM
plete confession. He testified that the
night before the murder, Wadsworth had
arranged the details of the plot with
him, and agreed to give him 5000 to do
the shooting. In the morning, just be-
fore the murder, he further testified that
Wadsworth went out with him to the
barn. The two took a loaded rifle
along, and Roehm was stationed
inside the barn door. Wadsworth
went back, and again approached the
barn with Severson the victim. He had
arranged a signal with Roehm, and as
they passed the door behind which
Roehm was concealed, Wadsworth gave
the signal and Roehm fred the shot.
It was a neatly executed murder. Sever
son groaned once or twioe, tottered and
fell dead just at the door of the barn.
The two then picked up the corpse, car.
ried it to the corral, and deposited it