The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-10-06
MANSLAUGHTER
Is the Charge Lodged Against
Sictse BOekOut, Who Kills
His Partner with Il
PitChfOrk.
The Defendant Makes Plea Of
Not Guilty and Is Held for
Trial al the Fall Court.

The community was startled
last Friday afternoon when the
news was circulated that q man
had been killed in quarrel in
Kilborn township. Upon later
investigation it was learned that
a tragedy had indeed been en-.
acted, and that the particulars of
the case were about as follows:
On the southeast quarter of sec.
tion nineteen in the township of
Kilborn, known among the
people of the neighborhood as
the Swain farm, lived Sietse
Boekout and George Konstant.
The latter leased the farm and
rerented on shares to Boekout,
who is a married man, and with
whom Konstant boarded. John
Konstant brother of George,
whose home is at George, Iowa,
has also been living in the
family since harvest with his son
Harry, who is about twelve years
OF age. 1t appears from the
testimony at the inquest and the
preliminary hearing that the
occurrences on the day of the
tragedy were that the two Kon-
slant brothers and the little boy
went to Twin Brooks in the
morning, and while doing some
business in town visited the sa-
loon, where they claimed to have
had three glasses of beer each,
and purchased a bottle of whis-
ky. On their way home early in
the afternoon they met Sietse
Boekout and his wife, also on
their way to town and in passing
told them that they had gotten
the -four. The Konstants re-
turned home, and during the
afternoon dug some post holes
for telephone poles and did other
work until about five o'clock,
when the Boekouts returned to
the farm. Boekout was in the
barn doing some chores when
John KOnstan called to him to
go out with him and gather up
some hay. Boekout retorted
that he, Konst tant, had nothing to
say about the place, and the lat
ter walked away, but George
Konstant, who was near by,
stepped forward and said, "but
| have something to say and
advanced toward Boekout, when
the latter raised the pitchfork to
Konstant's head, one prong
piercing the head on the left side,
and the man Immediately fell
over. Boekout then disappeared,
and John konstant attempted to
revive his brother, but the latter
died in few minutes, and John
and Mrs. Boekout carried the
body into the house. Boekout
went over to the nearby farm of
DeputySheriff Fred Cross and
gave himself into the custody of
Mr.. Cross, who brought him to
Mllbank and lodged him in the
county Jail.
DR.. Kriesel, the coroner, sum-
moned Wallace Wood, Ed. j.
Druecker and George Pinckney
as a coroner's jury and proceed
ed to the place where the fatal
atfray took place, examined the
surroundings and took the testi-
mony of a number of witnesses
in regard to the case. The body
was brought to Emanuels under
taking rooms and the inquest
was concluded the next day when
the following verdict was rem
dered:
State of South Dakota, County of
Grant.
An inquisition holden at the south
west quarter of section nineteen, in
township one hundred and twenty one.
range forty nine, Grant county,
South Dakota, adjourned to Emanuel's
undert aking rooms, at the city of Mil
bank, Grant county, S. D., and ad-
journed to the Office of l.. III. Bentley.
states attornev for Grant county, S.
H., on the 3Oth day Of September,
1905. before w. A. Kriesel coroner of
said county, upon the body Of George
Konstant, deceased, lying dead upon
said section nineteen and in the under
taking rooms of Edward Emanuel, as
aforesaid by the jurors whose names
are hereunto subscribed, and said ju-
rors upon their oaths do say that up
on Friday, Sept. 20, 1905, at about the
time of six O'Clock of said day, by
blow from a fork piercing the brain
struck by Sietse Boekout, by means of
a four. tined fork, caused the death of
said George Konstant, all of which
was done by Sietse Boekout at said
time and place, with said four-tined
fork, in Grant county, South Dakota,
feloniously.
WALLACE WOOD
EDWARD DRUECKER
GEORGE PINCKNEY
! attest w. A. KRIESEL, Coroner.