Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-10-12
BRUTAL ATTACK
on AN OLD Man
Sensational Testimony Broush,
Out at Attempted Mur.
der Trial.
OCCURRED IN DAY CouNry
Aged Man Who Had Sold His ca...
and Had the Cash with Him Was
Attacked by Hired Man and
His Own Daughter.

Webster, =. u, Oct. 2.-Ihe Dc.
tails of the case of attempted ,mur.
der for which Charles Alberts, aged is.
and Mrs. Belle Davis, aged IS, have
oeen held for appearance in the state
circuit court OF Day county, show II
20 be m of the most sensational in
The criminal history of South Dakota.
The aged father of the woman was the
victim of the alleged conspiracy.
.Albcrts came to South Dakota from
South 3oardman, Mich, about the
middle of last July and secured en-.
ployment on the farm of Albert Bryant.
near Webster. .A.few weeks after the
appearance of Alberts Mrs. Davis az
rived from the same town in Mica!-
gam. She was accompanied 10y ser
little daughter. aged 3.
The testimony submitted at the pre-
urinary examination of h accused
proved that the father of Mrs. Davis.
Albert Bryant, was selected as the Vie
Jim of the alleged conspiracy and had
furnished his daughter the money t-
he trip from Michigan. The under.
standing was that Mrs. Davis was 10
make her home with he father and
aid in h work of housekeeping.
Fad Large Sum of Money.
On the day of the attempted mur.
der Mr.. Bryant, who is 60 years Of
age. sold cattle to the value of SIt5
and gave the money to his daughter
FOR safe keeping. Bryant was engaged
n milking when Alberts entered the
barn. Alberts waited until the old man
mad completed his task. when. after
demanding that he surrender the sle5
to him, he drew a SiX-Shooter and
opened fire on the old man.
Bryant at the preliminary hearing
testified that just as he finished milk
!ng he heard a voice say: Kill him
Th;. o,,,c. 1;., 10 1oAtr a,,, ..J
he discovered the forms of two persons
near at hand. To the inquiry of The
Did man as to who was there, Alberta
With an oath, replied:
It's me. and you give me h a one
Dr. I'll kill you"
As he said the last word he fired. the
bullet striking Bryant in the right
breast and knocking him down. Bry-
ant scrambled to his feet and Alberts
Kept on shooting. The second and
third shots missed Bryant, one of them
Killing the cow which Bryant had been
milking.
The fourth tore a hole through
Bryant's left arm, the next shot missed
n h sixth struck the old man in
the right leg near h hip. Alberts
revolver being empty, Bryant staggered
out of the barn. and, as he did so, ne
heard Alberts ask:
III the old man gets to the house.
IL lI1oTe dIlylIlYS CueTe ne car SncOt
WITH"
The old man recognized his daugh.
ter's voice when she replied:
No l have taken care OF that"
Bryant learning from this that tbs
W. rifles and the revolver which he
kept in the house had been hidden.
made his way around the barn, hitched
town Of Andover. where he notified the
authorities Of what had happened and
secured medical attention for himself.
Assailant Then Fled.
After the attempted murder .Alberts
ned, but was captured at Pierpont.
Since his arrest he has stoutly nlair-
tanned that Mrs. Davis was not i'm
plcated in the least in his attempted
crime n that she had no advance
information of what he was about TO
do.
Albert's defense will be based upon
the ground that the old man attacked
him in the barn when he demanded a
sum of money which is alleged to be
due him. According to Albert's testi-
old man threw a stool at him. after
which the defendant drew his revolver
and commenced to shoot at Bryant.
He stated he did not intend to kill
him, but only wanted to wake hin
up" Alberts declared the old man hat
previously driven HIN lIOIl lIc lidSs
because he ound Mrs. Davis sitting OF
his lap rubbing one of his arms, which
had been injured.
In striving to make his escape. Al
berts rode a grey pony, which he sub
%seQuently turned loose upon reachin;
the outskirts of Pierpont, where he
VAS found in bed at a hotel and ar
rested. In her testimony Mrs. Davis
stated her father. after her arrival III
South Dakota. had informed her that
he intended leaving all his property 20
her when he died.
After the attempted murder. how
ever, the old man changed his mind.
for after arriving at Andover and re-
ceiving medical attention he made a
will leaving everything ne possessed.
in case of his death, to his son w. a.
Bryant, of South Boardman, Mich.