Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-11-25
BOY CONFESSES,
William Hedstrom confesses to
States Attorney Allen and
nayor Patterson.
Struck Her with = Rifle During a
Quarrel and Acted in Self
Defense.
Says He Did not Mean-to Kill Her
III. Z-rNELt -L-.s
Says He Did not Mean~to Kill Her
and the Fatal Result was
Unintentional.

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After the verdict Of tho coroner's jury
was rendered Wednesday, States Attor-
ney Allen, accompanied by Mayor Pat
terson, called upon William Hedstrom,
who was confined in the county Jail, the
states attorney not desiring to interview
the boy until after his evidenceha "a been
given before the jury and until he was
formally accused Of tho crime, should
the jury SO find.
At the first interview with Mr.. Allen
and Mayor Patterson the accused ad-
mitted that he had moved the dead body
of his grand mother from the middle of
the sleeping oom to the place it was
found, behind or at tho foot of her bed,
on the floor, and also admitted he had
hid the rife in the plowed ground, where
found, both which he had denied before
the jury. AT that interview the boy
stated that ho started to put the bodyin
the bed but was unable to do that so
dragged it on the floor at the foot of the
bed. He then states that he hid tho
rifle because he was afraid people would
suspect him if the rifle was found. Mr..
Allen and the mayor then left the jail
and returned Wednesday afternoon, nc
companied by Charles Spetz and Vim.
Couch, at which time the boy again ad-
sL.| 81 Lr.H. ,a.
mitted moving the body and hiding the
rifle. Mr.. SEetz and Mr.. Couch then
left and M. Allen and Mayor Patterson,
went over tho entire ease with the boy
which resulted in his breaking down and
for the first time violently sobbing, and
stating he would tell the truth. After
securing a short statement Mr. Allen Sc
cured II stencgrapher and the boy in de-
tail stated the manner in which she was
killed, several others being present
when the boy told his story.
He stated that his grand mother was
at times very cross to him and was on
the night in question. That he went to
bed, she kept talking to him and calling
him names and at last started toward
the bed with what he thought was the
poker; that he jumped out Of the foot of
the bed and in doing 50 passed the place
whcro the rife stood and grabbed same
as he passed; she chased him out in the
kitchen; he could not get out Of the
kitchen door, as it was locked, before
she reached him, he turned: she struck
at him and he swung the rife to the
right and left: she then turned and went
in the bed room, and he threw the rifle
at her and ran out doors and looked
around each end Of the house to see if
his Uncle Axel was coming; he then re-
turned in the house and took the two
pieces of the rifle and the broken knife
and hid them in the plowed ground. He
states he hid the broken knife as his
grand mother had broken the knife that
night in lifting a stove lid, and if found
it might be thought he killed her with
that. When he returned from the
plowed ground the little girlwas sitting
on the side of the bed crying and asked
if that was Axel lying there. He said
no, some one had come and killed grand
ma. He then moved the body and par
tally dressed the little girl and himself
and started for the nearest neighbors.
He states he made up the story re in
tended totell going to the neighbors.
The blood got on his shirt while NOV
ing the body back Of the bed. The boy
also admits that he attempted to wipe
upthe blood with the little girls dresses,
which accounts for the amount and ma
turc Of the blood thereon.
The circumstances seem to point to the
commission of the crime in almost every
detail as told blythe boy and it is not be.
lieved that the boy premeditated the
crime, but in a moment of anger and re-
voting at an impending chastisement
gave his grandmother blows, which not
meant for that result, caused her death.
Charles Hedstrom and Fred Hedstrom,
the father and uncle ct the boy, arrived
from Joliet, ILL.,, this morning. It was a
sad meeting between the father and son
this morning when the boy sobbingly
told that he had caused tho death Of his
fathers mother.
The community are to be congratu-
lated the facts have been ascertained, as
suspicion might have been thrown on.
innocent parties, and in factinsinuations
had already been cast that undue adj
vantages were being taken against the
boy by the prosecuting officials and that
the witnesses for the state were preju-
diced against him. The protest fledwith.
States Attorney Allen by Linda w.
Slaughter, and published in this issue,
MI. Allen says WIS on uncalled for relec-
ton upon certain witnesses, and greatly
out ofplace as withoutth sincere help Of
many Of the people in Ghylin and Eek
lund thetruth5 might never have been OBJ