The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-02-27

It was at last reported that Hender-
son had Atwater on the door, pum-
melting him and demanding money
from him.
The citizens of 3. began to keep
away from the tavern, except when
they went there to see If the murderer
showed any signs of a guilty con-
science. Strangers who knew nothing
Of the stigma hanging over the house
still came and went. When Hender-
son met his former friends on the
street they looked at him askance and
passed by on the other side. regarding
him rs having blood on his hands.
There was hardly a citizen Of B. but
pictured the popular physician follow
ed by the man to whom he owed
money. struck from behind and drag
ged into an empty field near the
house. where the sick man was wait
ing for him. Curiosity to know how
Henderson had contrived to get rid
Of the body here came in and added
fuel to the fame.
One morning just before daybreak
Henderson's wife heard the sound of
horses hoofs without. She awakened
her husband, who arose and, looking
out through the window. saw that the
house was surrounded by mounted
masked men. Then there was q rap at
the door.
Henderson went down to answer the
summons and asked what was wanted.
A man-leader of the vigilance COM
m~ittee-entered. forced Henderson to
dress and despite the pleadings Of his
wife and children took him from the
house and down the road for a short
distance, where they stopped under a
tree.
Confess that you murdered DR.. At
water" said the leader.
II did not"
A rope was produced. placed around
Henderson's neck and the other end
thrown over a limb of the tree. The
culprit was again called on to confess.
but persisted in his innocence. He
was drawn up slowly until he became
unconscious. then lowered and when
revived called on again to confess.
Believing that he would not live
through another such ordeal. Hender-
Sol to gain time admitted that he had
murdered Atwater. but that two other
men were implicated with him. II
they would give him q trial by law he
would make plain the whole scheme.
which was to force the doctor to tell
them where he had buried a large sum
OF money.
The committee-there were ten of
them-consulted together and agreed
that it would be we'll to get the whole
story and to do this had better stop
the proceedings. So. taking OF their
masks. which, now that Henderson
had confessed. we're not necessary.
they took him to the jail and turned
him W to the sheriff. ,..g,
Henderson secured one delay after
another. while he sent out statements
Of his cas to editors all over the coun-
try begging them to publish 1t in the
hope that Dr.. Atwater would see It
and come back to save him. Several
months passed. and nothing came of
this effort. At last. Henderson could
find no excuse to put his trial OF long
er and made up his mind that. having
confessed. he would have to swing.
The trial came Oh. and. having in
vented the story duplicating others. he
confessed al much. giving as a reason
that had he not done so he would have
been put to death.
The feeling ran 70 high against him
that. though the Judge charged the
jury that there was no real evidence
against the prisoner and though four
Of the twelve jurymen at first voted
for an ~acquittal. q verdict Of guilty
was handed in. by the foreman.
Scarcely was the word spoken when
a man was een elbowing his way
through the crowd. and when he broke
into the open space occupied by the
lawyers an exclamation of astonish-
ment burst forth. He was DR.. At
| water. the supposedly murdered man.
Atwater had seen one Of the notices
of the position in which he had placed
| the man who had befriended him and
0aSt00eO u save ulIu. 1uS TSdSOU OF
his coming to B. and Of his disap-
pearance from there vas that he had
had trouble with his wife and had been
directed by the court to pay her
alimony which had loaded him with
debt. To escape from further demands
he had gone west and practiced his
| profession under an assumed name.
| The letter he had received which had
| disconnected him was from his brother
notifying him that his wife had learn
ed Of his whereabouts. When called
| out on the night Of his disappearance.
| instead of going to visit the patient he
had travelled till morning. turning up.
| after several weeks shifting. In an
| other locality and under another name.
Before leaving the courthouse Hen
derson entered q complaint against the
ten members Of the vigilance commit
tee for '~fel0nious attack with intent to
KILL" claiming $4,000 from each and
every n Of them for barbarous and
inhuman treatment. They were all mr.
| rested the same afternoon and lodged