The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-04
MOTHER and SON
IN STRANGEST OF
SUICIDE PACTS
Mystery of Fergus Falls
Tragedy is Solved by
Fathers Statement
SON THREATENED
WITH INSANITY
Mother Agrees to Die With
Him But Son Will Prob
ably Recover

Minneapolis, Aug. 4.-what ap.
pears to have been one of the
strangest suicide pacts in history
an agreement between a mother and
an adult son to die together by pisto
bullets and ehloroform after wadine
far out into a lake was being
investigated by the Minneapolis
police and the Otter Tail county
Hulda Lindberg had been killed and
her 23-year old son, Sigfred. had
been wounded at Long lake, twelve
miles north Of Fergus Falls. The
slain woman was the wife OF Fred
erick Lindberg, 1917 Third street
north, Minneapolis, who is the
wounded youths stepfather.
Young Lindberg's statements since
the shooting have been incoherent
and contradictory. According to
Fergus Falls dispatches, he insisted
that his mother shot herself and that
he shot himself. The Otter Tall
county authorities believe, dispatches
said, that the son did all the shoot
ing. Mr.. Lindberg picked out the
pistol with which she was slain.
Feared for His Sanity.
A hopeless malady that threatened
to dethrone the young mans reason
is believed responsible for the sup
posed death pact, the mother being
willing to perish together with her
son, rather than see him taken to the
state institution for the insane.
Until recently Frederick Lindberg,
his wife and his stepson lived upon
farm near Carlton, MINI. The
young mans condition grew worse,
Finally Lindberg, according to his
story in Minneapolis yesterday,
urged that the young man be cared
for in a state hospital. Mrs. Lind
berg demurred. Lindberg came ia
Minneapolis obtained a room at 1917
Third street north, and went to work
as trainman for the 500 line. His
wife had assured him she never would
consent to having her son placed in
an asylum.
Mother Brings Son Here.
A week ago, returning from trip
out on the road, Lindberg found that
during his absence his room had been
visited by his wife and stepson. They
had left a suitcase and a note stating
that they had been to Rochester
where the son was examined by
state hospital physicians.
Lindberg thought the two had re-
turned to the farm at Carlton and
sought to find them there, but fail
ed No further word was received
until the Minneapolis police yester-
day were told to look up Lindberg
and tell him of the Long lake
tragedy. Lindberg at once identified
the victims as his wife and step
MOTHER PICKS OUT PISTOL.
The woman and her son reached
Fergus Falls Thursday. 1t is now
believed they at first planned a sec
ond examination of the son by the
physicians at the Fergus Falls state
hospital.
Instead of going to the hospital,
however, they went to a hardware
store and purchased a small pistol.
The woman picked it out, yesterdays
dispatches said. Then they went TO
a drugstore and bought four ounces
of chloroform. They explained they
wanted the pistol and chlOroform to
kill cats. Then they were driven out
to Long lake and wandered into the
woods.
1t was late in the day that both
mother and son waded far out into
the lake, to a point where the water
was above their waists. The mother
was fully clad. The son wore only
his undertaking. Out there in the
lake both were shot. A bullet
through the left temple killed the
mother instantly.
A bullet that was sent crashing to
the young mans temple, however,
failed to kill or mostally wound
him.
After waiting for death for some
time, he waded to shore, walked to
summer resort hotel and asked If he
could borrow another pistol, appar-
emily to complete his task of self
Hotel guests told him he would
have to wait while a pistol was be-
ing fixed for him. While he waited
they summoned the police. The
youth was held and his mothers
body was recovered.
At Fergus Falls yesterday the
young man insisted his mother had
shot herself. The police there doubt
I'd this, because the bullet wound
was in the left temple.