The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-04-23
HELD ON MURDER CHARGE
Clarence OrtOn of Glentana, Confess.
es Crime in North Dakota.

NA0A NINC O4tVtt VI SCut0u0S ICOSe
es Crime in North Dakota.
Clarence Orton, former resident
of Glentana has confessed to the MUIR
der of John Scott, at Hansboro, N. D.,
ION December 1st, 1918, and is in Jail
at Cando, N. D., charged with murder
in the first degree.
Orton Is well known in Glasgow and
the north country, having been in the
meat market business at Glentana for
several months last summer. He
came here in the spring of 1914 and
squatted on claim near Richland.
Later he sold the claim to R. r. Breen
and filed on eighty acres few miles
west Of Glentana, which he recently
relinquished. He left last fall to go
back to North Dakota and assured
the mary friends he had made while
here that he would return in a few
months to establish residence on his
homestead. He seemed reluctant to
stay away from the scene of his crime
and this, coupled with his recent sus-
picious actions, is what led the author
ities t. suspect him of the murder of
!. In Scott.
When arrested last week Oorton i'm
mediateiy made a full confession of
the crime and led the sheriff to an old
straw stack where the remains of his
victim were found. He confessed to
havin,. Eilled Scott on the farm of
Orton'' father and told the sheriff
that he shot Scott five times in the
head with large caliber revolver and
robbed him of $41S.0O which he carried
upon his person. He then loaded his
victim upon stone boat and hauled
him to the old straw stack where he
secrcted the remains.
Events just previous to Scott's dis
appearance were such that no suspic-
ions were aroused when he dropped
out of sight. He had lost his farm
throug: mortgage foreclosure; his
wife and five children had been sent
to the institution fo, feeble-minded
at Grafton, N. D. Scott had indica.
ted his intention Of leaving for Cana
da and tho night previous to his mur-
der had said good bye to his neigh.
bors.
Oorton had been farming near Hans
boro prior to his coming here last
! spring and had gone broke in that
pursuit. During his stay here he ex-
hibited draft for three hundred dol.
lars ard roll of bills containing
about hundred dollars. When the
authorities first suspected Orton OF
being implicated in the murder o1
Scott, the county attorney called upor
Frank Murdick, for whom Orton work
ed when he first came here, and wher
he first came here, and when informed
by Mr.. Murdick that Orton had in the
neighborhood of four hundred dollar.
when he came to Glentana, the at
torney fer the county in which Hans
boro is situated Immediately issued q
warrant for Orton's arrest, as his pos
session Of this amount of money point
ed strongly toward his guilt.
Ortoa is being held in tho county
Jail 1t Cando, N. d., for trial; nc oai
being admitted to il; 1t is prob
able that he will draw = life sentence
in the state penitentiary at Dismarcl
should he be found guilty Of fist dc
gree nun der, as seems pr )bable at thi!
time as he has made a complete con.
fession end the murder being de
iberata and cold blocded one, thcr,
seems to be little possibility of lighter
sentence being imposed upon him.
ATT