The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-06
BOY KILLED HIS
FATHER TO SAVE
HIS own LIFE
Elder Man Was Chasing the
Younger One With a Large
Knife
DEAD MAN WAS TRYING TO
GET A GUN TO SHOOT Son
Mother Handed Firearm to Boy to
Keep It Away From Father and
When Cornered, the Boy Used 1t
to Defend Himself

to Defend Himself
Great Falls. Mont. May 6.-That he
believed his own life and the lives of
his mother, sister and sweetheart to
be in danger when he shot and in
stantly killed his father at the latter's
ranch mile from Spionkop Saturday
morning will be the defense put for
ward by Elmer Kivinen, who was
brought to the city yesterday after.
noon by Sheriff Collins and lodged in
the county jail with charge of patri-
eide against him.
That young Kivinen was forced to
kill his father, Walle Kivinen, who
was In a drunken frenzy and on muir
der bent. to save his own life was the
statement made yesterday of the
killing by the mother and sister of the
boy when they were questioned before
the coroner's jury.
The substance of the story told by
the boy. his mother and sister is that
Elmer Kivinen and his sweetheart,
Mary Bisala, who lives on her fathers
ranch a short distance from the XVII
nen ranch. went to dance given at
the opening of a dance hall in Spion-
kop by Mike Lynch. .Jr. Tuesday even
ing, to swhich Walle Kivinen, the faith
er, also went. Early in the morning,
about o'clock, young Kivinen return
fN 1,iS fofh d, oh ri. 4
they woke up the boys mother and
sister, who asked Miss Bisala to rest
a few hours before returning home.
The girl went with them into the
house, and the boy, after putting
up the horses in the stable, lay down
for. a. couple of hours, and about s
o'clock got up to do the chores.
About 9 o'clock he saw his father
returning from Spionkop, and he went
toward the gate to meet him, making
scme commonplace remark about the
dance. The father. who had, been
drinking considerably and appeared to
be in ugly humor, pulled his pocket
knife out, and opening it, said to the
going to kill you now" The boy ran
away and was pursued by his father
with the knife in his hand around the
woodpile and around the house, the
man keeping up stream of vile epi-
thets and threats of murder. Mrs.
Kivinen and the two girls went to the
front door Of the house just as the
elder Kivinen announced his inten-
ton of getting the rife from the
house and shooting the boy. Mrs.
Kivinen called to the boy to hurry and
get the rifle and hide it. and she ran
and snatched it down from the wall
and took it to the back door. The
boy took it from her as his father
ran toward him, and the latter again
chased the boy around the house with
the knife in his hand, shouting that he
would kill him. Younk Kivinen
suddenly turned, and at distance of
about twenty-eight feet, fired, the bull
let entering his fathers breast high
up, piercing the upper part of the
right lung and striking the spinal
cord. causing almost instant death.
The boy then informed neighbors
what had occurred and waited at the
ranch until Deputy Sheriff. Duncan
Mcleod arrived and arrested him.
An inquest was held at the ranch
by Justice of the Peace Henry l.. Des
Combes, the jury returning a verdict
to the effect that Kivinen came to his
death as the result of a gunshot
wound caused by rifle in the hands
Of Elmer Kivinen. After the inquest
the boy was taken by Deputy Sheriff
Mcleod to Belt and placed in the
county Jail there. Yesterday. Sheriff
Collins, accompanied by County At
torney Sam Stephenson went to Belt
to look into the affair. and after
learning the facts. brought young
Kivinen to Great Falls and placed him
in the county Jail to await further
proceedings in the case.
Sympathy in the vicinity of Spion-
kop appears to be with the boy. the
general feeling being that the elder
Kivinen had abused his family for SO
long that they were constantly in fear
of their lives. In Belt and Neihart,
where the family has lived at differ
ent times, Kivinen was known as
man of ugly disposition. and it is
said that he made frequent threats to
kill his wife and children. There
are two boys in the family, the
younger. aged 1S years. having been
forced: to run away from home from
fear of his father. He is at present
working on ranch at Choteau, but
has been sent for by his brother, Ell
mer. to look after the family while
the latter is in jail.
Elmer Kivinen, who is charged
with killing his father. bears the rep
utation in the vicinity of his home.
as we'll as elsewhere. of a sober, in
dustrious and well-behaved young
man. For several years he has work.
ed at various places. his wages for
the most part, going to help pay for the
ranch that his father lived on. 1t Is
said. however. that his father spent
much Of the boys earnings in drink