Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-09-05

former place, where 1t awaited an IN
quest under Coroner Wells, of West
Point.
THE STORY OF coPPLEs'
HORRIBLE DOUBLE MURDER
Since the inception Of the little town
of Resale nothing had stirred 1t to
such a high pitch of excitement as the
murder OF Walter Copple and his wife
on the night Of May IL. 1t was COM
mitted in cold blood. Louis Higgins.
who paid for his crime today. shoot
ing both the man and his wife In front
of their home. three mics east OF Rosa
lie. Then, leaving. their bodies where
a mule. He was caught the following
day at Hooper and taken to Omaha for
safe keeping.
Higgins was employed on III Copple
farm for three months before the crime.
He was addicted to the use of cigarets
On the day previous to the murder.
Sunday. Higgins had been drinking
hard. Some difference w him.
self and Couple prayed apo his mind
and under the influence of the liquor
he planned and committed the deed.
The crime took place between mid
night and 9 o'clock in the morning. He
took his shotgun and went to the barn.
Turing Couple out OF the house by fir
Ing a shot. When Couple went to the
barn Higgins accosted him and after
a heated argument. which continued to
the door Of the house. Higgins raised
his gun and sent two shots crashing
through Copple's body. Then. to be
sure that he lac landed his man. with
fendish glee he jumped upon him and
trampled on his lace and head. Ihen.
not satisfied. he picked up a stout hick-
ory clu and beat the man's head to a
pulp. .
Mrs. Couple. the wife. attracted to
the scene by the shots and cries for
help, with a lighted lamp went to the
door and called to her husband and. re-
ceiving no answer. called for Higgins.
For her reply she received u bullet
through the head.
She dropped in her tracks.
While the blood flowed in great streams
from the wound, Higgins placed the muz-
gle of the gun close to her breast and
again fired. the charge literally tearing the
breast away, leaving the organs of the
body exposed. The club was again used
and her head battered, much Of the hair
being torn from the scalp.
During all this time of the terrible trag-
edy, the five small children. the oldest IA.
were in the house and Higgins after his
crime cody walked into the room where
they were, and sitting down on IA chair.
took the twin babies in his arms and
nursed them to sleep. He locked all the
uOOlS ana IL CIIluICn NcIc lOiu Nhat
there were burglars in the barn when they
asked about the shooting.
After the children were asleep Higgins
for over an hour sat at the window with
his gun across his knees. asserting that
he would kill the first man or woman who
tried to enter the house. Just before dawn
he made his ecape on the mule.
1t was not until 6 O'Clock In the morning
F, that the children discovered the crime
They climbed out OF the window and start
y ed to do the chores when they found the
bodies of their father and mother, bespat-
tered with blood and horribly mutilated.
lying in the yard. with the hogs gnawing
at the flesh. The beasts. vicious after their
first taste of human blood. practically had
eaten all the flesh from the head OF Mrs
I Copple.
There nre nc near neighbors of the Cop
I pie family and no one knew of the crime
until late In the morning when the little
I boy. only Z years old. ran three miles tt
I inform a neighbor that papa and nam
ma were dead and he wanted his break
\ fast"
! Pursued by Posses.
The news OF the crime spread like &
\ prairie fire and posse after posse was or
I ganized for the purpose Of capturing thu
fiend. Higgins abandoned the mule earl,
the next day and was hoofng 1t to Omaha
when captured by the town marshall o
I Hooper. At that time. both at Rosali'
\ and at Bancroft, where Copple's brother'
reside. there was talk OF lynching. Rosali,
farmers were %outspoken and stated in TIN
I open that II they could get their hands OIL
the murderer they would string him up.
Thurston county authorities were afrai'
to bring Higgins back TO the county sea
OF Pender. near Resale. 80 took him t
Omaha where he has been kept for SAT
keeping until this morning. The trial wa
to take place today at Pender. and Hig
gins ATTORNEYS were DreDared to arZl