The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-12-19
A ROMANTIC LIFE
History of Josephine GrinneiI
Native american Slave
Twice Sold in Marriage by
an Aboriginal Mother
DeCrced by Destiny To Bring
Her Husbands Death

Eng Liic iHtllCtHlcHu VI hdJ. -. >
Murphy of Minot for swearin!
falsely in making out Il voucher TO
pension money for Mrs. Josephine
CIinnell of Minot, the Grand Fork:
Herald says:
"Owing to the prominence O
Maj. Murphy and the presence il
the city of a score or nor of prom
inent politicians, who have in the
past years been arrayed with ano
against him, his indictment has
caused a great amount of discus.
sion. His friends claim that there
is nothing in it, that his political
and business enemies in the west
err part of the state have taken
this meats to even themselves for
zeal or fancied grievances. 1t is
expected that MAJ. Murphy will be
5ried at the present term of court"
The charges against the Major
is that he knew of his own knowl-
edge that Mrs. Grinnell had not
remarked after the death of her
soldier husband, although, as a
matter of fact, she had been mar
ried and divorced three years before
Che granting Of the pension which
had been secured for her by Major
Murphy. ~.
Mrs. Grinnell is a comedy mixed
blood Indian woman about forty
years old, and appeared before the
grand jury as a witness. Her life
has been filled with exciting expe-
rienrrs that would read like a ro-
mancc il all were told.
She was the daughter Of Chas.
MajnCurie. a .~Frnuchman who died
tast June at E.ipuwnc /, Reserv l.
t1on, Tier early life MAS spent on
or nen that reservation.
She vas, when a little girl, sold
10y her Indian mother to a man and
afterwards married to another man
named Paul Morris, a Canadian
Frenchman. She lived with him
but a short time. She was then
sent to the Industrial School at
Hampton,N Va After she returned,
her mother again made a marriage
for her with Chas. Grinnell, a SOL
die- on the reservation. In 1884,
they went to live on the ranch Of
Grinnell, about 81 miles from Fort
BufoNd. She lived with her hus-
baEd four years.
The FIRST element of tragedy then
entered the life Of Josephine Grin
nell. Her husband returned to
Che ranch one day in an intoxicated
condition and drove her out of the
house. She started to a field nearby
and her husband followed riding
horseback. AS he overlook her.
de leaned forward and struck her a
vicious blow over the head with
his revolver. She was painfully
injured, but managed to get out of
his reach. Several times he over.
took her as they ran across the
prairie and inally as he reached
forward to strike her: Grinnell fel
from his horse. The husband anc
wife struggled for stort time il
plain view of the hired hands il
the field, when Grinnell was see1
to fall forward limp and ~liteless
With a plated leather chain Mrs
Grinnell had choked her husband t,
death. The chain was long enough
TO reach around the neck. In fall
ing thechain had become entanglet
and his wife grabbed the leathe
in her struggle to protect herself
Retaining her hold she gradual,
twisted the guard until life ha'
been choked from her abusive hus
band.
She was taken to Williston wher
an inquest was held, the coroner
jury returning the following vel
dict:-
THAT George W. Grinnell I:
came to his death thru the !:
Providence OF God and at the /:
hands of his wife"
The ranch was sold out by cred
itors the wife having left about $50
worth of household goods, which sh