Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1918-07-19
HIS
OWN CHILDREN
JOHN W0zNIAK, A SWAN RIVER
FARMER COMMITS DEED WHILE
CHILDREN SLEEP
POOR CROP POSSIBILITY
THOUGHT WOULD STARVE
WAS VERY LIKELY DEMENTED
SPECIAL GRAND JURY TO
BE CALLED

John Wozniak, prosperous farmer
OF swan River, cut the throats Of three
OF his: children while they lay asleep
about clock last Friday morning. He
committed this brutal act with q razor
which was later found in a stove. Ow:
ing to the dry weather conditions of
late, Wozniak has been brooding over
the possibility of poor crops. This,
with the illness of his wife, it is
thought, eventually degraded his mind
and under the insane impression that
his children would starve to death, he
committed the triple murder. He said
the devil made him do the act. 81:
Wozniak on arising Friday morning
called his two older children and told
them to 60 out and milk the cows. Mrs.
Wozniak stepped out at the same time
and, as there was no other person awake
in the house except himself, this was
probably the chance he was looking
for. r.: ...>
Wozniak had ridded himself of the
razor and had already washed his
hands, after committing the deed, when
Mrs. Wozniak returned to the house.
Mrs. Wozniak on seeing her three MUIR
dered children set to screaming. Her
screams were heard by Peter Wozniak,
a brother of the perpetrator Of the
deed, who lives on an adjoining farm,
and Immediately came to his brother g
farm. He questioned his brother as to
what he meant by his act. He only
said, "You can hang me if you want
to.' After that he would say moth
ing. He was taken to his brother 8
home and the sheriff was summoned.
He made no resistance when the
sheriff said he was Wanted, simply say
ing "allrightJ' and was brought to
the city without trouble. Coroner, s..
Trehby accompanied by County Attor-
ney Rosenmeier and Drs. E. L. Fort1er
and F. B. Hoist, went Immediately to
the scene of the murder where the ne
cessary evidence was secured. A search
was made Of the home in which an
empty razor case was found, the razor
with which Wozniak committed the
crime was found in the stove, where
Wozniak later stated it was. The han
die was burned off, but in some manner,
the razor stuck to the door Of the stove.
The three children who were MUIR
dered were Louis, aged years; Walter,
aged 6 and Tilla, aged 9. The baby,
aged 8 months, which was sleeping in
a cradle in the same room with the
other three, was not touched.
The bodies of the three children were
brought to this city and were placed In
Simonet morgue. An inquest was
held over the bodies Saturday after
noon, the following acting as jurors
and witnesses at the inquest:
Jurors: E. J. Weber, J. w. Stephen
son, George Kiewel, Ed. Lavoie, Jos.
Moeglein, Peter Leon.
Witnesses: Peter Wozniak, Andrew
Freeman, Paul Felix, Sallie Wozniak,
Leo Wozniak, A. M. Stoll, II. Muncy,
Dr.. E. l.. Fortier, DR.. F. B. Hoist.
: At the inquest the jury found that
at the hands Of their father by having
their throats cut.
L. w. Vasaly and County Attorney
Rosenmeier went to st. Cloud Monday
to appear before Judge Roeser for a
special meeting of a grand jury to act
on the hearing Of Wozniak. Mr.. Rosen-
meier was instructed to prepare an or
der calling for a special grand jury to
investigate the matter in order that
the matter may be disposed of before
the November term of court when the
regular grand jury meets. The jury is
to convene Monday afternoon at 2!
o 'clock on August IL. |
Monday afternoon Mr.. Rosenmeier
swore out, warrant against Wozniak
for murder in the first degree. He was
brought before Judge Lyon the same
where he waived hearing
and was sent back to Jail to await ac-
ton of the special grand jury, which
will meet in the near future.
The funeral of the children was held
at Swan River Sunday and was attend
ed by large number of people from
different parts Of the county.