The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-08-03
WAS NOT A MURDER.
MAGGIE CRAIGIE's DEATH WAS
THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT.
She Was Killed by the Nine-Year-
Old Son of Earnest LANCE, Who
Was Trying to Show Maggie How
to Fire the SHOTGUN.

Minneapolis, July 2S.-The death of
Maggie Craigie of Minneapolis, whose
body was found on the farm of Ernest
LANCE, near Osseo, was not the result
Of murder. as at first appeared, but OF
an accident. The girl was killed by the
discharge of a shotgun in the hands
Of Fred, the n~ire-year-old son OF
LANCE. The boy admitted the deed.
When the coroner arrived the body
Of the girl was found lying in the
yard near the corner of the granary,
which is situated about thirty feet to
the rear of the house and a little to
the west. 1t was said, however, by
those who had seen it first, that it had
been moved to that position to get it
out of he sun, and that it first lay di-
rectly behind the house and only a few
discovered that death had been intiict-
ed with a shotgun at short range. for
the skull above the right temple was
completely crushed in and the face
was badly powder-burncd. The face
and shoulder were filled with scattered
shot. After making his examination
of the remains the coroner had then re-
moved to the fir )nt room of the house
and properly laid out. The coroner
held m inquest, and the jury's verdict
vas that Maggie Craigie came to her
death from a gunshot wound in the
head, caused by the accidental dis
charge of a gun in the hands of Fred
LANCE, and that the jury does not hold
him guilty of criminal intent. Mr..
Craigie, the father of the unfortunate
girl, fully shares the opinion Of the
jury, and believes that his daughters
death resulted from an accident. No
action whatever will be taken against
Fred LANCE.
The little fellow said that instead Of
being away. as supposed, he was at
home. and after a lot of questioning
he admitted that he himself had killed
the little girl. He said that after his
mother left the house, taking the only
son, Henry, with her, to go to her
father-in-law's house, he. remained in
the yard, playing by himself for some
time, Maggie and the baby being in
the house upstairs. After about ten or
fifteen minutes he went into the house
and Maggie called to- him to come up
stairs. When he went up he found her
playing with the shotgun. She cooked
1t and pointed it at him, but she said
she did not know how to shoot it.
Fred then told her that he would
show her. He took it in his hands for
that purpose, but almost before he
knew it the gun was discharged, the
charge striking Maggie in the head.
She fell to the floor. He Immediately
took hold Of the body and dragged it
down the back stairs and through the
kitchen into the back yard where he
left it. Next he took an old sack and
vest, which he found at hand, and, re-
turning to the room where the tragedy
occurred, wiped up the blood as best
he could, afterward throwing the
bloody articles lie had used as a mop
into the woodpile. He. then went out
to play, and says that he soon forgot
all about the matter, not even think
ing about it any more.
He seemed to have no comprehen-
sion of the terrible deed he had acct
dentally done. When the coroner
asked him if so1ne one had told him to
tell the story he had narrated, he pos
itively declared that he was telling the
truth. He said he had no trouble with
the little girl whatever. The coroner
found the gunny sacy and vest in the
wood pile, where the boy had said he
threw them. The sack was saturated
with blood, and the vest had several
clots of blood gu it. Further investi-
cation showed a big pool of blood in
the fatal chamber, and splashes Of
blood and fragments Of brain on the
walls. There were also q number Of
stains of blood on the kitchen floor.
The boy remained perfectly calm
while he told how the terrible affair
occurred, and is particularly without
any realization Of what he has done,
not v en seeming to exhibit any signs
of remorse or sorrow. Capt. Craigie
was present at tine inquest. He aud
Mrs. Crafgie are nearly Frustrated
with grief over the loss of their
daughter.