The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-11-19
VICTOR PAYS
THE PENALTY
SLAYER OF THE CHRISTIE FAM.
lily ExPlATES TO LAW FOR
AWFUL CRIME
MURDERED -FOUR PEOPLE
ON A FARM NEAR RUDOLPH IN
BROWN COUNTY WITH IN
TENT TO ROB
MURDERED -FOUR PEOPLE

man formerly of East Aurora, n. Y,
was officially executed in this city on
Tuesday for the fanton killing Of four
persons. His victims were J. w. Chris
tie. grain buyer at the little town OF
Rudolph. Brown county: Mrs. Christie
Mildred Christie, aged 10, and Michael
ROnayne, young man. The quadru-
pie murder was committed on the
morning of July 3, the motive being
robbery.
In confessio' made by Victor he
slater that he hid during the night in
the Christie barn, awaiting the cOminc
OF Christie to do the morning chores.
when he intended 10 pound him into
insensibility and rob him of the large
sum which he expected to find in his
possession However. he killed Chris
tie, and, young Ronayne appearing up
on the scene. he also killed him in or
der to cover up the first crime. and
then also felt compelled to Kill Mrs
Christie and her daughter so there
would be no living witnesses against
him. Victor secured only about s1S H.
cash and jewelry as the fruit of the
murders.
Victor was the seventh person 70 die
on the gallows in South Dakota since
the state was admitted TO the union
The six who have be en- hanged were:
John B. Lehman. Jay Hicks, Two
Sticks "a Sioux Indian. Gorge Bear
and Allen Walking Shield, also Sioux
Indians, and Nathaniel X. Thompson
Lehman was executed for the muir
der on uly IL, 1889. of James II
Burns, a constable. Burns had gon;
to the home of Lehman to arrest MIN
on a minor charge Lehman had beer
warned by friends. and as soon as
Burns appeared he fired upon him,
the charge passing through the Of
ficer's body and causing almost in
stant death.
The murderer fled and was not CAP
tured until Sept. |, 1889. when he was
found at Rushville, Sheridan county,
Neb., near which place he Rad secured
employment on a farm. The case was
a remarkable one in several respects,
one of which was the fact that Len
man was sentenced to death no less
than three times.
Jay Hicks was hanged at Sturgis on
Nov. IS, 1894, for the cOldDlOOied
murder OF an old Meade county cat
tleman named Meyers, whom he killed
for purpose Of robbery.
Nathaniel K Thompson suffere'
death on the gallows at DeSmet on Get
7. 1893. closing one Of the most brutal
chapters of crime In the history Of the
state. ThOmpson's wife had obtained
a divorce from him and had gone tC
the home OF Mrs. Electra J. Bliton. a
resident of the town Of Arlington.
Thompson went to the Bliton home tc
see her. After brief interview. at
which Mrs Bliton was present, Tfomn-
son drew a knife and attemDted to
stab his former wife Mrs. BlitOn. tC
protect her friend, threw her arms
around Thomson and received the
knife intended for Mrs. Thompson
She soon died from the wound.
The murder created intense excite
ment throughout Kingsbury county
of which DeSmet IS the county seat
and Arlington one Of the Drinct
towns, and for time there was strnnN
talk OF lynching THOMPSON. But wise
counsel prevailed and the law was PER
mitted to take its course.
Two Sticks, Sioux warrior whose
home was on TIE irne RIDGE res"rva
ton. was hanged at DeadwODd for tn
murder of some boys at the ranch OF
Isaac Humphreys. near the border o
the reservation Georre Bea". Brnl
Sioux Indian. whose home was on thu
Rosebud reservation. was -aneed ir
Sioux Falls in the fall Of 1902 for the
murder OF his nephew and govern
ment employee named ]. w. Tavloe
VITO was tire government AGENT IN
charge Of the district where Bear re
sided.
Allen Walking Shield. who also was
Rrule Sioux Indian. with his him
on the Rosebud. was harg"d in SiouN
Fails on Oct. "a. 1902. for the murd I
of an Indian woman. whose daughter
he forciblv abducted after killing TIE
mother. who objected to the attention.
paid by him 10 her daughter
It Is an interesting coincidence thar
NJ the six persons hanged In Sorth Da-
kota since statehood. three were ex'
ecuted by the state authorities. while
the other three were evPcutah by the
United States authorities f'r South
Dakota. The three executed by the
state authorities werc white men
while the three executed bv the feder
N authorities were Sioux Indians