The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-15
MOTHER MURDERS HER
SIX YEAR OLD STEP SON
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rear of his home he was startled by
the screams of his son. He turned
around and the sight that mel his
eyes almost Frustrated him. He says
his wife had seated her SteI,son. Ben
ME on the railing of the rear porch
a md while holding him with her LOT,
and was striking him ON the head
with the side of an AK. Hurley says
he saw the woma strike his son ON
the head twice and then hurl the
child to the floor of The porch. Then
Hurley says she began tn chop the
child'S throat with the blade If the
AK in an attempt 10 accapitate him.
Suicide TnmoIcstcd.
Hurley ran back to the house. and
after a short struggle managed To
take the IN from his Wife . He picked
up his sons body and started for the
home of IIirrh. AS he was RUNNING
along the path leadinG To the IIirCh
home he WAS attracted by the screams
of his wife. She WIS standing in tn"
ward in front of thu little home with
a large cash in her throat and a razor
in her hand.
Look what I have ONE" yelled
his wife. as h again slaslled her
throat.
II don't give a damn fired back
i'Iti ICY '''Ill''Iu'tl ON MS WY 10
the Hirch home Arriving there it
Was found his son WAS dead. The
chlld's head WAS hanging by several
shrcds of flesh.
Hurley quickly told Hirch what had
happened and then sank into a chair
still claspins the body of his dead
SON. Hlr"h t"lephoncd To oakdaIe
and Troopers Sturm and Jimcousky
We're rushed Ia the scene in an auto
mobile. After hearing the story of
tn" husband the officers went to the
home of Hurley. On entering the
~earretless kitchen they found the
dead body of the wife ON the floor.
Her two children We're screaming for
their mother to talk t" th"m and
We're trying To lift her To her feet.
Violet Hurley, the husbands daueh-
ter. was oun on the front porch
playing With a little rag doll. Tho
children We're led out of the house
and Montrose was questioned by the
two officers. His story c~nrrnhorated
that told by his stepfather.
Child's Story Of Tragedies.
The child said that after his pop"
ran away from the house With little
Bennie' sbody. his mother went INTO
from a sewing machine drawer. The
- 'tiP ~ wv / ''sIi'I ~
the yard in front of the housc ana
began slashing her throa, with the
razor. The mother then ran nto
the kitchen. and walking to a lookine
glass. again slased her throat. She
fell to the floor. dead. The child led
the two officers to the spot where his
mother first slashod her throat and
the trail of blood was easily followed
o TO room. On the rear
porch the officers found Il large SPOT
of blood. about two feet in diameter.
and Montrose told them it was there
hat his mother had struck "hrother
Eennie' With the az.
Mrs. Jennie Allison. who lives near
by. c~orrohorated in part the story
told by Hurley. She was driving
along the road in a buggy when she
heard Hurley and his wife auarreling.
She said she heard Hurley telling
his two children to go to the Hirch
home. She saw the struggle between
the husband and wife. Mrs. Allison
said that the wife ran back to the
porch at that time and picked up
the AK and began calling her hus-
band and his two children names.
Fearing that she would be a witness
to a murder Mrs. Allison drove on
down the road.
George Grey. another neishlor.
said hat for some time past Mrs.
Hurley had been acting in a STRANGE
manner. He said it was known by
all of the n%eishbors tina Mrs. Hur-
ley abused her stepchildren.
Hurley has always borne a good
reputation. and according to his
neighbors was a hare worker and a
good husband. When the husband
was told that his wife was dead. he
exclaimed: well. | don't want her
body. I won't bury her" Mrs. Hur-
ley weighed only about 40 pounds.
and was about 5 feet 2 inches in
height.
Deputy Coroners Harry T. Ewing
and Samuel Pauline were detailed to
make an investigation. The two dep
uty ascertained that several
days ago Mrs. Hurley beat her step
son Bonnie about the face and dis
colored his left eye. They also
learned that several months ago the
woman held Violet's hands on a red
hot stove. burning them so badly that
the child still carries the scars. Dep