The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-06
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
TWO WOMEN AND A MAN KILLED
AT CANOVA.

Canova, about 20 miles southwest
of Madison, in Miner county, was the
scene of one of the most grewsome
suicidal tragedies aver known in this
section of South Dakota. The triple
killing occurred last evening between
6 and z o'clock. Excitement and
horror prevail and the village has
not yet recovered the shock.
1t appears that the incoming train
of last evening, due somewhere
around 6 p. M, had OF board two
men, one by the name of Williams,
the second a total stranger, also a
strange woman, the three accom-
panied by a demented boy, all of
whom left the train at Canova and
proceeded to the hotel on Main
street. And right at this point of
time quick scenes eclipsing the most
elaborate sensational film ever run.
scenes that shot tremors through the
nerves and chilled the blood. The
quartet entered the office of the ho-
tel a brief space before the opening
chapter or tragedy.
One block west and one block
north of the hotel lived Mrs. Dexter,
a woman in middle life, well known,
and respected by all in Canova. She
is the wife of Mr.. Dexter, of that
place, the latter a gentleman of good
repute and a prominent citizen. Mrs.
Dexter, who was employed in the viii
lage bank, was the one time wife of
Williams, the train arrival, and by
him had a son and daughter. She
had received a divorce from Will
Jams some Is years ago and had
CO me to Canova and remained there.
The stranger who accompanied
Williams was dispatched to the resi-
6ence where Mrs. Dexter was and
called her over to the hotel which
later became a charnel house of
murder and suicide. All Canova was
unaware of what was to transpire.
Upon reaching the hotel office reoc-
curing pistol shots rang out and the
bloody enactment of the succeeding
few seconds vas quickly owe with
its appalling record of death.
Alarm and confusion reigned SUI
preme when citizens realized what
bad happened. Preceding the fatal
event no conversations of a suspi-
cious nature were heard, only the
shots drew attention towards the no
tel. Such a scene! Horrible weakly
expresses it. Sweltering in pools oil
blood, lying where they fell, We're
found the three victims of murder
and suicide.
From the evidence gathered Mrs,
Dexter was shot with leaden missiles
of different pistol caliber-a .32 and
a AS. Two bullets of the AS caliber
struck Mrs. Dexter, m entered the
heart and made its exit through the
spine, the other grilled the elbow and
broke the bones of the upper arm.
A 80 caliber bullet penetrated the
lower right side and swung upward
lodging under the skin of the left
shoulder blade.
The strange woman in the case re.
ceived a mortal shot in the head, but
lived on until 3 o'clock this morning
and then passed away with the awful
story locked within her pale lips.
A wicked looking aperatnre in thu
skull of Williams depicted graphical
ly the manne of his going.
What the plot was, what estrange
ment, what motive for revenge tina
led to this dark climax, nobod!
knows, or seems to know, SO far.
Shortly after the closing chapte
the strange man was arrested an'
lodged in jail pending an investiga
ton. The demented boy is now il
charge of the county authorities.
The at Howard was mott
fled and soon arrived on the scene
and word to Undertaken E. L recl
Of Madison. soon brought him to Ca
nova. His impression of what h
saw might be summed up In th
words. horribly ~grewsome!"