Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1916-01-06
THREE FARM PEOPLE BEATEN TO DEATH
DEGENERATE MURDERS MOTHER AND SONS

FORMER INMATE OF WASHING
TON STATE REFORMATORY
ENDS OWN CAREER
HALF OF HART FAMILY
KILLED, FATHER ABSENT
Farm West of Ray Scene of One
of Most Appalling Crimes
On Record
A triple murder and suicide, crimes
almost without parallel in local his
tory, marked the close Of the old year.
The Place
The A. M. Hart farm home, about
three miles west of Ray, on the north
side of the main road between Ray
and Williston, just west of the Gun
derson farm.
The Time
Thursday, December 80, probably
between the hours of three and six
p. m.
The Victims
Mrs. A. M. Hart, aged As, probably
third victim.
Roy Hart, aged 10, probably first
victim.
Vain Hart, aged 9, probably Sec
ond victim.
The Murderer and Suicide
Guy Hall, alias Bruce Parkinson,
aged 21, identified as former inmate
Of Washington state reformatory,
who had been employed on the Hart
farm about month to do charos dur
ing the absence of Mr.. Hart in Iowa
where he was called by the pro
tracted illness Of his moth hall
had worked about Ray since last July.
He was of rather good appearance,
it is said, and until the day Of the
crimes had exhibited neither criminal
nor insane tendencies but was at
times addicted to drink. His right
name was Guy Hall and he was iden-
titled through Washington relatives
and officials by general description
and TATTOO marks on his arm.
Motive Theories
Hall had been selling small guam
titles Of grain from the Hart farm
without authority and appropriating
the money. Discovery of this by the
Hart boys may have led their murder
followed by the murder of the mother
when she started to the barn in
answer to outcries.
Hall had been keeping company
with the Hart daughters, Violet and
Doris, aged II and Is, and on account
of his drinking habits his attentions
were objected to by the mother. A
quarrel over this matter may have
thrown Hall into muredrous rage.
Hall had been drinking heavily the
day of the murders and this alone
may have been responsible. Some be-
lieve he may have had wild plan
for disposing Of the others and
abducting one of the girls.
Iron Bar the Weapon
The morning Of Thursday, Decem-
ber 80, Hall took Violet and Doris
Hart to Ray where they wished to
spend the day with their aunt, Mrs.
Addie Mcfarland, after which he re-
turned to the farm. From movements
observed by neighbors it is thought
the three victims were slain during
the latter part Of the afternoon.
An iron rod, sometimes known as
a carpenters pinch bar. was the in
strument of death. The nature of the
wounds and blood on the bar, which
was found near the body of Mrs. Hart,
is ample proof of this. The weapon
is about two and half feet long and
three-fourths of an inch in diameter
with one end bent around like the let
ter J, the curved. end being fashioned
into claw to draw spikes and pry
apart boards. The. curved end was
the one used in striking down the vic
tins. The boys appeared to have been
struck from behind.
The little boys bodies were secreted
in straw stack some distance from
the farm buildings and it is possible
that they were killed at the straw
stack. Blood marks indicated that
Mrs. Hart was struck down in the
door yard. Her body had been drag
ged into the house. Roy Hart is be-
lieved to have been the first killed as
he received a single, but heavy blow.
The heads Of Vain and his mother
were beaten in by numerous blows.
Mrs. Hart had a blackened bruise
on her forearm where she had recelv-
ed heavy blow in trying to protect
herself. Her body bore no evidence OF
having been violated.
Brings the Girls Home