Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1912-12-05

In recent issue the Hazelton
Republican takes to task those news
papers Of the state whose editors
have criticised the pardoning Of Jo-
seph Remington, the Cass county
murderer. The Republican refers
to Remington as "a penitent and
changed man. The fact ls that the
murder of Fleth by Remington was
one Of the most atrocious crimes
ever committed in the Northwest.
In order that cur readers may know
just what the details of the murder
were. the following salient features
of the account of the murder are re-
printed from the Fargo Forum. 1t
is we'll 10 temper justice with mercy,
and sympathy for even a murderer
may be justified under certain cir
cumstances; but it is also we'll to
have little sympathy for the be.
reaved wife and children and the
old father. so suddenly and barbar-
ously deprived of their natural pro-
tector. And the Record again asserts
: as has been asserted by a large
number of the newspapers of the
state that the pardoning of such
fiends as Remington is undoubtedly
the chief influence in bringing about
lynchings like that of Baker at
Steele Following is the Forum &C.
count Of the murder Of Fleth:
Remington left Fargo at o clock
in the morning. He drove direct to
Mapleton. where he purchased six re-
volver cartridges from dealer.
stating that he was going to kill a
dog. He drove on to Arthur, hid
his team behind a undergrad at the
edge O. the little town and went d.
rect to Fleth's elevator. He told
Flcth that his men we're bringing in
several loads of wheat. and the
agent made preparations for them,
even to the extent of shoveling snow
on to the driveway. that the sleds
might run more easily. On this pre-.
text Remington kept Fleth at the
elevator until late in the afternoon.
awaiting an opportunity to kill him.
Fleth hitched the horses to the turn
power and later went to the hay-loft
which was on level with the of.
fee floor to put down the night s
supply of hay for the horses. Rem
ington followed him into the loft
and shot him in the back Of the
head. When Fleth fell Remington
sought the coveted wallet, extracted
the roll of bills, took the victim s
watch and other minor things Of
slight value in mis- pockets. barred
the front door of the office by plac-
ing a scoop-shovel under the knob OF
the door, sneaked through the barn,
made his way to the place where he
had hidden his team and drove to
Mapleton. There he left the team,
and, after writing the Fargo livery.
man where he could find the rig.
Remington boarded an east-bound
train. arriving in Minneapolis the
next morning. He went direct to
407 NicoIlet avenue and spent the
night with the Gay woman 10 prosti.
tute with whom he was enam0red).
Next day he started for La Crosse,
Wis, where ne expected to find his
sweetheart Ella Dengle and be
married
After he was arrested at La.
Crosse on Feb. oath by Chief Of Pc.
lice Byrne he made confession of
the Fleth murder as follows:
| killed the man single-handed.
He had gone up into the hay-loft
when | followed him. When he
started to go out shot him. He
fell in the hay. and | took the mon
ev, which amounted to $3.50, and his
silver watch. That was all got, and
while was robbing him he was still
alive left him there in the loft
and went to Minneapolis, where
remained two days and then came
on to Lacrosse.
| "Fleth was married man, having
two small children ~ both boys.
When he did not appear at the usual
time for supper. Mrs. Fleth waited
for time. then started for the ele-
vator to see what was keeping her
husband. 10 passing the power
barn she noticed the horses were
still hitched to the power, and she
realized at once that something was
the matter. She summoned Chas.
K. Gale, and together they searched
about the elevator. When they
stumbled upon the body of Fleth
I life was not extinct, but he died be.
fore aid could be summoned.
Mrs. Fleth never recovered from
that first shock OF finding her hus-
band murdered in the hay-mow.
Within short time she gave birth
to premature still.b0rn child. She
never recovered her health. and died
two years later. Fleth's old father
lived with his son. The shock of
the tragedy was too much for the
old man. He failed fast. and within
few months he. too. died. When
it became known that Remington
had confessed the crime the elder
Remington never sat down to his
table to eat meal of victuals again !,
to quote the statement Of one of
the nelghbors. And those who were
intimate with all the facts sur.
rounding the murder of James
FIeth attribute five deaths-indi-
rectly, at least to Joe Remington.
How he escaped the gallows has
always been mystery to the people
Eof North Dakota. He made a weak
defense. and based his claim that he
was hypnotized by this woman with
whom he had been intimate in Min
neapolis that woman upon whom
he had spent the money received
from the load of stolen wheat. and
with whom he spent the night when
he returned from the Fleth murder.
People of Cass county threatened to
lynch Remington. but Sheriff Nc
l4aren kept him well guarded.
Every influence was brought to bear
at the trial. and the jury recon-.
mended a life sentence. while every.
| rod,