Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-24
HELD
TO court FOR
AWFUL n Crime
Dunn CouDty Farmer Alleged
TO Have Committed Incest
With. Daughters

A case Of moral perversion which, in
all probability Is the blackest which has
ever besmirched the fair name of North
Dakota has just come to light in Dunn
county, and as a result of recent in
vestigation one Geo. Lewis. a farmer liv-
ing about 10 miles northeast of Manning
is in the county jail Of that county await
ing action Of the district court, which
will sit next week.
The charge against Lewis Is incest,
as to make men blush, and the recital Of
details are prohibitive. ...
1t is a case Of q father compelling his
little daughters to submit to the awful
ness Of his perverted mind. while they
are left at the mercies of his depraved
guardianship through the unfortunate
death Of the mother. .,
1t seems that Lewis has a second wife,
but, while she has been cognizant of the
awful condition existing, she has not
dared rebel under penalty threatened by
the father of the children.
1t seems that Lewis has three daugh-
ters. Ruth, now 10 years of age, Vera, II
and another Of II years. whose name has
not been ascertained by the reporter
1t seems according to the testimony of
the girls that Lewis began his damnable
practices upon the oldest at the tender
the same age, and has continued the
acts regularly ever since. He has made
repeated attempts upon the person Of
the little 11-year-old daughter foA some
time past but without success, owing to
her very young years. All three of the
girls gave an unwavering line OF testi-
mony against the father who sat in
stolid defiance of 1t all. till the little
child told in childish simplicity tn tale Of
her awful experience. Then it is said he
gave way to the pressure, which was
self-convicting. He now lies in jail at
Manning awaiting trial. The sheriff
takes no chances with him and stays by
the prisoners side "a hours a day.
George Wallace, Of the tax commission,
who has been at Manning during the
past week, and who happened to have
the time, while awaiting developmnts in
the tax case, was called into the case by
States Attorney Alfred o. Nelson, to as
sist in the prosecution, the case being
before Justice of 1!e Peace Geo. Morton.
Mr. wallace says the details were so re-
voting as to shame every member Of
the court and the spectators. He says
the little girl quoted scripture against
her fathers actions He proved equal to
the occasion by quoting. Honor thy
father and thy mother" thereby break
ing down the defense Of the child in her
last resort In hts Ignorance and damn
able desperation he compelled the girls
to take aconite In quantitis. the wonder
Of which is that they were not killed in.
stantly.
The case in all Its horrors will come up
at the term of district court, when 1t Is
probable this old sinner will receive his
just dues. The pity Of 1t is that the
maximum penalty for such an offense is
only ten wears in the pen.
Mr.. Wallace says the only thing which
prevented Lewis being lynched is the
fact that the people Of Manning and sur
rounding country are strictly law-abid-
ing people, and have acquiesced In al
lowing the law to take its course.