Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-03-21
STATE NEWS

The meeting Of the board of di-
rectors of the State Historical society
has been postponed from March 81 to
April Is, at Grand Forks.
Peter Rustin, a well-to-do farmer
residing at Sweetwater, miles from
this city, committed suicide Saturday
night by cutting his throat with a
razor. He died before medical aid
could reach him. 1t is supposed he
was mentally unbalanced.
Believing that his step-father, Will
liam Summers, was not treating him
with as much fatherly love as he was
entitled to, and laying a portion of the
blame at his mothers door, Jasper
Kemper, fifteen year old lad, made
an assault upon his step-parent with
a % calibre revolver at the Summers
home near Deering, this state. Flour
ishing the gun in the air, young
Kemper entered the house where the
step-father, mother and the remaining
members of the family were at work
and threatened to shoot Summers
While flourishing the loaded weapon,
Kemper informed his mother and the
rest of his family that he was ready
for them ALL The unruly youth was
foverpowered and the revolver taken
from him, before any serious results
occurred.
At Geneseo, N. D., Friday, J. Hazz-
let, wealthy farmer, shot and killed
S. M. Van Buskirk. It appears that
Hazzlet and Van Buskirk had not been
on friendly terms for year. Friday,
| when Hazzlet returned from a hunt
ing trip, he stopped in Fred Foaman's
butcher shop, Van Buskirk was inside
Hazzlet ordered Van Buskirk out of
the place and the latter proceeded to
obey the order. Van Buskirk had not
| gained the street door before Hazzlet
raised his shot gun and fired directly
at Van Buskirk. The latter was in
stantly killed. Hazzlet at once gave
himself up to the authorities He
claims that the shooting was acct
dental. This is not borne out by the
statement of the butcher who was the
only eye witness. The butcher claims
that the act of Hazz1et was cold
| blooded murder, AMI that it was not
done in self defense inasmuch as the
murdered man had his overcuat but
| toned and his mittens on when the
fatal shot was fired. 1t was reported
| that Van Buskirk had repeatedly
threatened that he would shoot Hazz-
let on sight. At the coroner's inquest
tie fact that Van Buskirk had in his
possession loaded revolver at the
time of his death was brought out.
Mrs. George @. Erskin, wife of one
of the founders, and until recently
president of the First National bank
at Fargo, was burned to death at
Crookston. The terrible accident
which caused the death OF Mrs.
Erskine occurred Saturday afternoon
| about $3.50 O'Clock. Mrs. Erskine was
at the home of her daughter, Mrs. S.
W. Vance, and was engaged in the
cleaning of some cloth in gasoline and
the friction caused by brisk rubbing
caused the fire to spread with great
rapidity. Mrs Erskine was a. mass of
| flames and fed to the bath room,
| where her shrieks attracted s. W.
Vance her son-in-law and George
Stone, who came to the rescue Fail.
ing to smother the flames with coat
Mrs. Erslline was laid on the floor
and covered with rug till the flames
were extinguished. The fire started
at the door leading to the hallway and
in an instant the stairway leading to
the second floor was mass of flames
Mrs. W. H. Brown, who resides OF
the second floor smelled smoke and
rushing to the door with her infant
child, saw that all retreat was cut off
In a frenzy she rushed to the window
facing the city hall and not waiting tx
think of the consequences, SMASHED
the inside and storm windows witt
d her hands and shrieked for help. Ths
fire department by this time was OF
the scene and two fremen rushing Vi
the back stairway dashed Through tn,
, flames and Selling the woman ami
, child carried them out by a rear stai1