The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-07-20


day afternoon when word was brought
to town that man and woman had
been found dead at the roadside near
the Mcknight residence on the Aurora
road, three miles east OF Brooklngs.
All sorts of rumors were soon lying
and so many stories have since been
told that it is difficult to grasp the
real facts. If fancy alone was required
and rumors were sufficient there is
enough material going to waste to
make "yellow journal" laugh with
glee. The REGISTER will endeavor,
however, to give the plain story and
let the public fancy as much as they
please.
For some time there has been trouble
between Anton Dokken and his wife
purely because Mrs. Dokken was not
as true to her marriage vows as she
should have been. Some time ago she
declared that she would get divorce
from Anton and in fact had engaged a
lawyer for that purpose. For several
months she has been allowing II not
encouraging the attentions OF young
man named Frank Woodbury. and it
is supposed it was their intention to
marry as soon as Mrs. Dokken could
secure a divorce, but for some reason
the latter changed her mind recently
and went to her father-in-law, saying
that she wanted to return to her hus-
band and would have nothing further
to do with Woodbury.. She also said
that Woodbury. had threatened to kill
her and she wanted Anton's father to
protect her. The old gentleman ad-
vised her to leave town and remain
away. Acting on this advice she
went to Watertown week before last
where her mother and sister reside.
1t is said that Woodbury. followed her
and that the twain were seen together
at Watertown on circus day. For
some reason Mrs. Dokken concluded
to come to Brookings last Friday
evening, having previously written
letter to her husband, who was work.
ing at Toronto to meet her here Satur-
day morning. Evidently she also
wrote another to Woodbury. from
Watertown requesting him to meet
her at 9 O'Clock Saturday morning.
This letter Woodbury. read and tore
up, but his widowed mother found the
fragments soon after and knowing
something about the trouble placed
the pieces together. From what she
could make out there was shooting
mentioned in the letter. This and
other evidence greatly alarmed the
mother and she waited anxiously for
the return of her son, for whom she
had secured a loan of money that
morning to square him with the rail-
way news superintendent in whose
employ Frank had been.
THE TRAGEDY
Saturday morning Woodbury., after
securing the money from his mother,
came down town and went to Magrud-
er's store where he had a revolver in
pawn, paid his debt and took the re-
volver, 32 calibre, then went across
the street and purchased some cart
ridges at Gullick & Houses hardware
store. From there he went to Erstad's
livery barn, arriving there at 10
O'Clock, engaged single horse and
carriage "for a short drive south of
the city," He then met Mrs. Dokken
and they were seen driving on differ
ent roads east of here during the fore
noon. They took dinner at Aurora
andsit is reported that when they left
that place they were both under the
influence of liquor, at least Woodbury.
was pretty we'll intoxicated. They
then took the south road toward
Brookings but changed their minds
about coming home and turned north,
crossing the track on the main road
west of the Tom Morris place. Lloyd
Dorcy who was going after load of
sand about 2 o'clock saw the horse
and buggy when they crossed the
track and followed them when they
turned east past the Mcknight and
Morris farm residences. Dorcy was
perhaps a quarter of mile behind.
He saw the horse stop near the small
bridge east OF the Mcknight place;
then next saw the man standing in
the ditch at the side of the road. Look
ing again the man had disappeared.
AS Dorcy drove up he was alarmed to
see a man and woman apparently
dead, lying in the ditch and the horse
and empty buggy in the roadway.
Without making any further investi-
cation he ran his horses east to the
Dancer farm and told what he had
seen. Mr.. and Mrs. Dancer were
ready to come to town and they hast