Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-12-01
KILLING OF WILLIAM HEAD
William Head, Well Known Colored Farmer
and Ranctman, Shot and Instantly
Killed By Albert Scribner,a ~ Wears
Old Boy. n &=SzE}E11SS +" %$

had gone there to turn on 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 the
muzzle pointing upward, and with his
finger on the trigger. He admits he
must have pulled the trigger in some
way, and the weapon was discharged,
the full load striking Head in the
neck, killing him instantly. y
Head fell on his back at the wood
pile, and did not move after the charge
struck him. The boy says that then
he went to Mckenzie to tell what he
had done. He found it difficult to
make NAL the people there believe his
story, but they telegraphed the officials
after driving to Heads place and veri-
flying the boys recital.
From the place where the bow saws
he stood when he fired the shot to
the place Heads body was lying at
the wood pile was found to be a dis
lance of SO feet. Notwithstanding
this distance, the charge of shot had
entered without scattering, and por-
lions OF the gun wads were found in
the wound. There had been a pro-
tuse hemorrhage of blood from the
wound and on one mitten was found a
blotch OF blood. The body lay on the
back, the head slightly turned to one
side, and the hands slightly extended
forward, with the fingers pointing in
ward. Sheriff WEIGH, Acting Coroner
Gilbert, States Attorney Register and
Undertaken Upright reached McKen-
z1e on the arrival of No. 4, and went
at once to the Head ranch, where the
surroundings were viewed, the BODY
taken up and brought to Bismarck.
Scrlbrer was found in the store at
Mckenzie and taken into custody. He
was willing to tell of the tragedy and
gave the particulars related above to
the sheriff and other officials.
1t is stated at Mckenzie that Scrih-
ner had told at one or two places there
that he would get his money from
Head or he would kill him. It is also
said that Scribner told that he aimed
the gun at Head. This he denies now
claiming that the shooting was acct
dental, in that he did not know the
gun was loaded. Scrfbner was out
hunting with the gun on SUNDAY and
when he brought it back says he took
the shells out. When he picked the
gun up yesterday he says he thought
it was in the same condition.
Scribner is a boy of nineteen.
smooth faced and with little indica-
ton of beard. His hair is light
colored and his complexion inclined
to the sandy. His eyes are light blue.
His nose is rather prominent, face
thin, jaw prominent. He is about five
feet eight inches tall, and inclined to
be slender. While not at all pre-
possessing in appearance he does not
look like murderer. He stated last
night that he was an orphan at an
early age and had been adopted by
doctors family at Sparta, Wisconsin.
Head is an old timer in the county
He has lived near Mckenzie for a
number of years. He was married
second time few years ago, but his
| wife left him some months ago, At
the time of the shooting there was no
one on the place but Head and the
boy, so that the latter's story is the
only account of the tragedy that can
| be obtained.