Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-08-30
MOTIVE UNRAVELED
Mystery Surrounding the Murder Of
Dutch Charlie" Accounted For

A strange and weird story of
mistaken identity has come to
light. 1t has to do with the MUIR
der of Dutch Charlie" harm
less and inofensive character of
Devils Lake, whose dead body
was found lying in the weeds
near the race track south of
town one morning last fall. The
murder, for murder it certainly
was, seemed to be absolutely the
most wanton destruction of hu-
man life that ever occurred in
this part of the country. No
trace of the murderer, or no
cause for the crime, could be
found. Robbery, it certainly was
not, for on the body when found
was the mans gold watch and
small sum of money, the exact
amount he having been known
to have on his person the even
ing of his disappearance.
The dark deed stirred up the
population of the community to
a dangerous pitch. All sorts of
theories were advanced, and
motives for the foul murder
given. None Of them, in the
light of subsequent events, how
ever, seem to have been right.
But soon excitement died down,
the restless public turned to
newer passing events and
dutch Charlie' was forgotten.
Some years ago on the Fort
Totten reservation there lived a
very beautiful Indian maiden.
The girl, like most of her kin,
was wild and unschooled, but
was perfectly developed speci-
men of the Red Woman. Soft
and low was her voice, and beau
tiful black eyes, as black as the
ravens wing, flashed out from
beneath a thick mass of even
darker hair. One fateful day
there came to the reservation a
white man, named Charles Mar
tin. He saw this maiden, Min
nehassan, and Immediately sue
cumbed to her charms. So vio-
lently did he fall in love, that he
proposed marriage to the fair
Indian maid at once. This she
would not consent to, saying that
she was untutored and uncul-
tured. The young man then
made up his mind to send the
maiden to the east to receive an
education fitting to her appear
ance and natural attainments.
When she returned to the reser-
walton she was equipped with an
education sufficient to occupy
any social position in any So
ciety.
| In time a child was born, a
beautiful comely child, for the
twain were certainly a handsome
couple. 1t did not live long,
however, and in less than year
after it's birth, died. Soon after.
the young wife grew tired of her
Indian life, for her higher educa-
ton had fitted her to more grace
fully adorn a drawing room than
to participate in the rough activ.
tiles of camp life. She chafed
under the yoke, grew Indifferent
and at last fled from her hus.
band, it was said, with another
I lover.
Now the Indians of the camp
had watched over the "squav
man" and his beautiful young
wife with a jealousy that was al
, most insane, for only the rec
man knows how to be truly ane
. insanely jealous. Not that they
vented their i'll will and spleel
! openly, but they cast dark look
at Martin and bided their time
= For almost a year he lived b,
himself on the reservation, nurs
= ing his thoughts and broodinl
2 over the old happy times, which
I had fled never to return. The1
J. suddenly he disappeared.
Soon after the murder O
Dutch Charlie" he reappeared
and his coming seemed to Great
great CONSERVATION among tn
O Indians. They approached hin
= and enquired as to his pas
= whereabouts, saying that the
: thought, or understood, that h
y was murdered. This fact CAV
rise to the popular suppositiol
that the murder was intended t
have been perpetrated on Mar
- tin, the "suuaW man" The Tn