The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1904-12-02
MURDER / IN |, !
I!RL EIGH
YOUNG WHITE BOY She
a NEGRO RAM AN
Youth Claims the killing Was a Result
Of a Bluff to Get Money Due Him,
and He Didn't Know the Gun Was
Loaded.


Bismarck, IN. ID, Dec. William
Head, a rarlchman and farmer living
near Mckenzie, was shot and instantly
killed Wednesday afternoon at ! o'clock
!. in the yard at his ranch by Albert
Scribner, 10 year-old boy who had
been working for him. Head was a.
colored man, and had been resident
and was well known, both in the neigh
borhood in which he lived and in Bis
nlarck. Scribner is a snlooth-faced boy,
not yet out Of his teens, who came
from Selby, S. d., a few weeks ago and
went to work for Head. The shot that.
killed Head was fired from a shotgun
and the heavy charge entered the front
Of the neck at about or a little below
its union with the breast, killing him
instantly. From the nature oil the
wound and the fact that there was lit
tie scattering of the shot, it is proba-
Bile that Head was shot while standing
at no great distance from the weapon
that killed him. After killing Head,
Scribner, the boy slayer, locked up the
house, and went to Mckenzie where
he told the station agent what he had
done and requested him to notify the
officials at Bismarck He then await
ed their coming and gave himself up
to the sheriff without any attempt to
escape either the scene or the conse-
quences Of his crime. He was brought
to Bismarck last evening and now oc-
cupiesi a cell in the county Jail.
Heads death, so Scribner says, was
not intended. The boy claims he did
not intend to kill theYirnan but only.
to bluff him into paying the wages that
were due from Head to Scribner, al
staf4fsuf abUut $fcs e hrs srfrl1, SO ScrIbS
ner says, Head had refused to pay him.
The boy had been working for some
time for Head, but ON one occasion had
refused to haul some hay or do some
other work. Then Head refused to
pay him any wages and, the boy furthA
er declares, threatened to blacksnake
him off the place. Yesterday morning
Scribner went to Mckenzie to- get a
load Of coal for Head. When he return
ed the argument was resumed and
Heads death resulted
The story told by young Scribner to
Sheriff Welch last night is in effect
that two weeks ago he came tip from
@ Selby, S. d., and went to work for
Head After working a while he asked
for his pay and the request was re-
I fused A day or two ago he left Head S
employ and went to Mckenzie On
the day after he left Head came to
Mckenzie and asked him to go back
and haul the coal, which was done yes
terday morning. After that was hauled.
Head told the boy he would settle
} with him. The coal hauling occupied
the forenoon, and the last load was
taken from Nick Kefizie about noon.
When it was unloaded, Head and the
( boy went to the house to get dinner
The argument about wages was re-
surned and Head again refused to pay
what was due the boy Head at this
time went out to the woodpi1e to get a
basket ofwood. The boy followed, and
say the shotgun standing in the storm
Shed. He picked this up, resolved, he
said, to make a bluff at Head, but with
no intention of killing him. He walked
out of the door Of the house and
around where he could see the wind
mill. to see if Head had gone out to
turn OH the water. Not seeing him
there he went around the corner of the
house and saw Head at the Woodpile.
He says he did not take any aim with
the gun, thinking it TO be unloaded
but held it with inuzzle pointing up
ward and with his finger on the trig-
ger. He admits he must have pulled
The trigger in some way and the weap-
ON was discharged, the full load strik-