The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-05-01
The Crime Confessed.
Murder of the Splcer Family Near Winona
Cleared Up at Last.

Initiating the fend Hayward the two
latest suspects in the Spicer family mur-
der near Winona, have made several con
feesions. The latest one exouorates the
two suspects BLACK Hawk and Cadotte
now in the Williamsport jail--of any com
plicity in the crime, and take it wholly
upon themselves. All the circumstances
of :he case "a known to the authorities
looking up the matter, point pretty con-
elusive to the last confession as the col
rect story of the crime. Having already
a reprint account of the first confession
from the Bismarck Tribune of Wcdnes-
day-weich after leaving out Black Hawk
and Cadottee, and some details of the des
perate defense of " RS. Rouse for the lives
of her babies, the account stauds as near
ly correct. We quote from tae Tribune:
st he confessions of Alex Confession of
Alex Coudot, partially clearing up the
mystery of the Spicer murders has been
supplemented by a confession from the
Paul Holy Track and Philip ireland, which
explains that grusome affair, and reveals
the perdetrators of one of the most
fiendish crimes eyer committed in the his
tory of the west, where six members of
one family, from the child in the cradle
to the old woman at the edge Of the grave
gave up their lives to the br utieh instincts
of fiends. The particulars of the crime
as they have been received, here are mcst
revolving and show it to have been the
most heprtless, cold booded and premed-
tied murder possible to imagine. The
four persons who we're implicated are now
in jail, two of them at W,lliamport and
two others at Fort Yates, and it is be.
lieved that there is no doubt of the con-
viction of the four persons should they
live to be tried.
After the close of the hearing of the
two Indiaus, Black Hawk and Coudot at
Williamsport, where Coudot made par
tiai confession accusing Black Hawk Of
having instigated and carried out the
crime, the men who have been working
on the case, including Sheriff Scheuer and
A. C. Wells, started to follow up the clue
which was obtained through the Iudi an
Two Hearts, who testified to the authori-
tiles that he raw ring bearing the lni-
tials "E. w." that had come from the
Spicer place in the possion of Paul Holy
Track. This fact revealed to the authori
ties that either Holy Track and Ireland,
who was also known to have had some of
the property that had come from the Spi-
Ger place,were implicated in the mur lers.
or could tell who we're the authors Of the
crime by explaining how they had come
into tho possession of the property in
question. They have been 80 successful
in this matter as to secure from the two
Indians IN question a full confession of
the crime. giving the details.
NJ direct report has been received here
az to the details of the confession, but
from the story which comes from Winona
through those who have coma up from
there in the past day Or two, the crime
was prearranged at the instigation of
Black Hawk, who appeared to be the lead
ing spirit. Thomas Splcer was the first
member of the family to be killed, and
shat was done by Black Hawk, who shot
him in the back with shot gun. Mrs.
Spicer was called out of the house by
Coudot, who met hsr with a pitchfork and
stabbed her, afterward cutting her throat.
In the meantime the Indian boys had
killed Mrs. Waldron with an axe. and when
the other meu reached the inside of the
other men reached the inside of the house
wore struggling with Mrs. Rouse. who
fought desperately, as it will be rcmem
berea appeared from the indications
about the room in which she was found.
hut who finally succumbed to the common
fate of the others of the family, and per-
ished With her children. The four then
r,fled the premises and fed. They secured
$62 in money, some clothing and the
iewelry which led to the detection of the
Younger Indians. As the report comes
from Wlnona, the boys have confessed
everything. admitting their completely in
the affair.
The boys are now in the guard house at
Fort Yates under strong guard, and the
authorities are endeavorlng to get them
to Williamsport or some other place
where they can be kept. The residents OF
Winona are intensely excited and if they
get the murderere into their hands, it Is
thought they will not live to be tried for
the crime.
This confession clears mp the mystery
of tho murder and all that remains to be
done is to try the murderers and establish
their guilt by court. The officers OF
Emmons county and A. q. Wells have
besu indefatigatigable in their prosecu-
tion of the case, and are deserving OF the
greatest credit for having unearthed she
perpetrators of one Of the most diabelical
murders in the history Of the State.