Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-09-15
Alex Peters Murders Wife and Chit
6 drsn With Hatehet AID 1S p
@ l Sheets Self sss
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WA$CR Cd! D fllR[l'|o||!M'|l!|FNl0RRy Z R J! M Y.
Poor Crop Conditions Added talother
Financial Responsibilities: j, lilies, Drove
Homesteader Insane I

uSCOu laSC TUESDAY morning. me Will
liston Herald gives the following gra-
phic account of the horror: fy,.>
After mutilating his wife andA six
children with a hatchet Alex Peters,
living near Springbrook, placed the
muzzle of a shot gun to his head, and
was IN eternity. -..'.' @'@.-@ ~
Peters arose before dawn and steal
thily secured the hatchet. He walked
to the bedside of his sleeping wife,
and rained. blow after blow upon her
Her screams brought their son Rus.
sell, aged fourteen down stairs, and
the lad grabbed with his insane faith
er. The elder, Peters then turned up
on his son, who resorted to strategy,
running away and inducing his father
to give chase. Around the house THE
lad sped in his. stocking feet, theaman-
lac father in close pursuit. The boy
finally lodged into the house and clos
ed and locked the door, and he and
90 his mother tried to prevent the faith
ers entrance. :, ,. But his maniacal
. strength trumphed, and he again reach
ed his wife and. with a dull hatchet
struck blow after blow. She sank un-
conscious to the floor. Then the crazed
man turned his attention to the chill
dren, and one after another was hack
edE#.with the dull hatchet, a fearful
cash on the head of ten months old
baby bearing testimony to his purpose
to destroy the entire family. 8
Al. Field was summoned as?special
coroner, and hurried out with physi-
clan. The sight that met his gaze. was
awful. The walls and even the ceiling
spattered, with blood, the crimson sta
ined hatohet, the implement of the in
sane father and. husband, the uncon-
scious wife and children, the dead
form of the father with the head half
blown away, proved a sight that was
sickening to many a sturdy heart, The
wife had thirty wounds from the hat.
chet. A girl Of seventeen had two
fractures of the skull. One little boy
had one cash over the eye The wife
andSchildren were all alive, but it was
plain that day might be required tc
measure the death toll Of the maniac
Alex Peters came here from Darke
county, Ohio, five years ago. He was
brother-in-law Of Fin Pepple, vel
known, in Williston. The family, was
refined and popular, and the husband
enjoyed confidence ana esteem: A ba6
crop, increased financial responsible
!: ties and other untoward conditions
had unbalanced the mind Of the man
+ and his life went out in hisFnt Of mad
ness. ~. 3: .ts.., -. q, \
Mrs. Peters died that evening with
OUT regaining consciousness, and ths
children we're. brought to local haspi
( tal,2 where needed surgical atts.atiol
would be reader. They are. all be
lieved to be out Of danger now.
Relatives in Ohio were telegraphet
to, and responded asking that the re
mains be shipped to Ohio for inter
ment. The remains Of the HUSBAND
@s and wife went east today.
Mr. Peters owed $500 on his home
stead and had given q chattel NOR.
u gage for $1,000. IT is understood tha
foreclosure was intended and that thi
. fact so, preyed upon the mind Of tn
distressed man that he went insane.