Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1897-05-13
CAUGHT AT LAST
The Murderer Norman Cap
tured in RoIette County
Monday Afternoon.
A Man Who Knew Him Had
Little Difficulty in Making
the Arrest.
Norman Makes a Full ConfeS-
sion-Says He Acted In
q Dream.

sion-Says He Acted in
a Dream.
TowsER, N. D., May 1l-AuRust Nor
mand, the murderer Of the Hillsted
family, at Larimore. was captured
about twelve miles south Of town by
Chas. Thruen yesterday morning about
9o'clock. He came to the ranch camp
and wanted breakfast and was immedi.
ately recognized by Mr.. Thruen, who
had known him number Of years.
Thruen treated him kindly and engaged
him in conversation until he could
secure his Normandy gun. He made
the excuse Of cleaningsit up for him, and
o. Thruen was cleaning his own gun,
the ruse worked. After securing the
gun, email 80 rusty rifle, he produced
his own revolver and commanded Nor
mand to surrender, which he did.
Seeing that the jig was up, he coolly
gave up and confessed to the m1rder of
the family, and told of bis many hard
chips since the murder. Mr.. Thruen
roped him on horse and brought him
to Towner, and be is now in the jsil in
charge of Deputy Sheriff Pendry. In an
interview after his incarceration he said
he had dreamed Of killing the family dur
ing the night, and got up and carried out
the dream.
He said he did not know Why he killed
the children, for he liked them 20 much
that he had played with them the day
before. He ssid lie had been having
trouble with his wife. She had been
..Ay" with him and it troubled hlm. He
said be was sorry he had done it. and
lwas now ready to die. He said the res-
fson he gave up 90 easy was that he did
4 not want to cause any more trouble;
that il he stole another gun and horse
and robbed house to get money that
there would be $4,000 reward for him
and they would get him sooner or later
any way. He had gone for days and
nights without sleeping or eating.
Thruen ls an old timer in the state and
learned on Sunday that man answer
ing the description OF Normand was
south Of town some seven miles. This
information was given by Senator Hans.
som. Thruen mounted horse and
started south. 1t seems that he had
known Normand for the past thirteen
years. phruen stopped with one Hans
Brooten over night, and went to sheep
camp near there at 4 o'clock yesterday
morning. Normand came to the camp
for breakfast about six O'Clock end
while he was eating Thruen secured his
gun and ordered him to hold up his
hands. An assistant from the outside
came to hand and the prisoner was tied
to horse and brought to Towner where
he was delivered to the deputy sheriff
and the Grand Forks authorities were
potifed.
J. A dispatch from Devils Lake says that
| Saturday last Norman was located by
'e the Indian police in grove OF poplars
on the Colsteen ranch, about twelve
miles south Of Ft. Yotten, near the
Sheyenne river. The grove contains
about forty acres of brush and timber
and was we'll adapted for purposes of
concealment and as fighting ground
for fugitive.
N Norman was armed with shot gun,
Tor which he traded his black pony. No
attempt was made to drive him cut Of
the grove, az it was sure that one or
more would be killed if such an attempt
was made and it was thought better to
try and starve him out.
Major Hall, Indian agent at Fort Tot
ten, left for the scene with his Indian
police force to assist in the capture.
Deputy sheriffs and deputy marshals
we're also on the ground, and the place
,sss watched so closely that escape was
practically impossible
The hunting party had hard work in
tracing Norman, being constantly thrown
off the scent by Indians, who told
, all sorts OF misleading stories in the hope
OF being able to catch Norman them
selves and securing the reward.
There is . stretch OF country thirty
miles long and fifteen vide southwest OF
Fort Totten, which is very wild. and for
which Norman bad been steadily steer
ing. He is we'll acquainted with tho
country aud evidently hoped to evsde
al pursuit there.
The chase has lasted week, and Nor
mans conduct during it e6ectually dis.
poses Of any insanity talk in his behalf.
Norman escaped from the poplar grove
and evsdsd oil pursuers % successfully
l.shat he had gone folly GO miles since
saturday bsfore being caught. Towner,