Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-07-15
BRUTAL CRIME
AT PARK RIVER
JEALOUS MAN KILLED PARK
RIVER GIRL AND THEN
SHOOTS HIMSELF

Park River, N. D., July 1T. G.
Moi, aged IS, of Bemidji, Minn., muir
dered Miss Ina Gutterud, aged 10, Of
Thief River Falls, Minn., and then
killed himself, at the David Aitken
farm, two and half miles north Of
Park River, yesterday afternoon.
Insane jealously, revealed in SER
les of notes written by Moi over
period beginning last Friday, the last
being written evidently after he had
killed the girl and just before he slew
himself, caused the double crime.
Prior to his murder Of the girl he
forced her to sign statement, writ
ten by himself, exempting him, Moi,
of blame for the affair, and admitting
that she, herself, was partly to blame
for the trouble.
Two blows upon the head with a
blunt instrument Of some kind, one
of which fractured the girls head,
followed by a revolver shot which
took effect in the left temple, were
used to kill the girl.
One bullet, which he fired into his
own temple, killed Moi.
Tragedy in Bedroom
Both bodies were lying across the
bed in Moi's room. Both were fully
clothed, and evidently, with other
members of the household absent, Moi
had forced the girl into his room
where the terrible tragedy was enact
ed-sometime between the hours Of 2
and 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Dis
covery of the double crime was made
about 5 o'clock by a farm hand, John
Snow, who came home after spend
ing the dav in the city, to find the
house locked. He succeeded in max
ing his way in and found the two dead
bodies. V
jealousy to Blame
That he believed farm hands on the
Aitken farm, of which he was fore
man, and where the girl was employ
ed as a servant maid, had interfered
with his suit for the girls favors, is
shown by Moi's several letters. One
of these is addressed to David Ait
ken, Moi's employer. To Aitkin, Moi
wrote as follows:
"Forgive the trouble I am causing,
but my honor is at stake. l forgive
the BOYS for the trouble they have
caused me this summer. May God
forgive them as hope he will for
give me-"
'Not Going Alone"
To his sister, Mrs. D. L. Sjugstad,
Of Mcintosh, Minn., Moi wrote:
II am going to another world, but
am not going alone. The person
who caused this is going with me, be-
cause it is her choice. May God be
lenient with her."
The statement which Moi forced the
girl to sign follows:
81, the undersigned, do not blame
T. G. Moi for the treatment he gave
me, for I was to blame, in part, my
self" This letter was written by Moi,
the girl writing her own name with
trembling hand, indicating that Moi
probably was then threatening her
with death.
Made Attempt Saturday
Yesterdays tragedy was the culmi-
nation Of an attempt made the day
previous by Moi to kill the girl. Sat
urday afternoon, while Moi and the
girl were in the house alone. Moi at
tackled her, choking her and holding
a gun at her head, when the girls
screams called Moi's attention to the
approach of a neighbor, Mrs. Olaf
Larson. Miss Gutterud told Mrs. Lar
son of the affair, and the latter ad-
vised the girl to leave the place, but
she expressed herself as being with
out fear, not thinking that Moi
would carry out his threat.
An inquest was commenced this
afternoon.