The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-01-22
MURDERER CAPTURED
] AT THE bRUAL farm
Red McCrill After His Escape
Spent Night at Simon Ehr Farm
Had Gun But Put Up No
Fight.

'Ke0 McCrill After HIS Escape
Spent Night at Simon Ehr Farm
Had Gun But Put Up No
Fight.
Ward ("Red") McCrill, who shot
and killed Ernie Thompson, Ward
county jailor, last Thursday evening,
making his escape from the bastile
after taking the keys thereto from
the body Of the dead turnkey, was
captured at the home of Chris Bruhl,
a farmer residing in Freedom town.
ship, seventeen miles southwest of
Minot, to whose farm he. had walked
during the day.
After the murder, Minot officers
lost all trace of McCrill, who was be-
lieved to be hiding in the city. Men,
bers from the sheriff's office and from
the Minot police department search
ed every corner of the city thruout
the night but found absolutely no
trace of him. Druing the day, a
farmer named Snyder reported to the
sheriff that man believed to have
been McCrill spent the night at the
home of Simon Ehr, farmer residing
two miles south Of Minot. At four
o'clock Friday afternoon, VIM. Baker,
a farmer residing ten miles south Of
Minot, phoned that man answering
McCrilPs description had just walked
past his farm, and thirty minutes lat
ter, Sheriff Scofield and Deputies Chet
jacobson and Clarence Vandenoever
and Officer John Reed of the city po-
lice department started out for the
Baker farm in an automobile. Sher-
iff Scofield phoned to the James SEQ
field farm and had two good saddle
horses sent over to the Baker farm.
When the rarty arrived at that place
they found that it would not be safe
to attempt to go farther with the auto
SO Chet jacobson and John Reed
mounted the horses and Sheriff S0p-
field and Deputy Vandenoever secur-
ed team and buggy and continued on
the trail Of McCrill. The entire
neighborhood was aroused at the
time. Chris Bruhl has no telephone,
but his neighbor, B. C. Witham has,
and Mr.. Wftham caught sight of Nc
Grill a. he entered Bruhl's home. He
kept the Minot officers left in the
city Informed as to the progress Of
the man hunt. Witham from his home
saW tie officers approaeh the B1uhl
holne anA ssw ORicer Reed with drawn
revolver. ready to shoot IL McCrih
used els own gun in IN attempt to
escape. AZ Reed entsrod the house
he cav Merrill sitting in chair, but
the man made no attempt to combat
Tie oAlcsss. He was ordered to throw
up his hands and they went clear up
close to the ceiling. He was brot back
70 3lDek without handouts, the party
returning within three hours Of the
time that they left the city. McCrill
was back in his cell within about "a
hours sf the time that he had killed
Thompson.
Upon escaping from the county Jail,
McOHll threw the keys on the Jail
steps where they were found later.
He retained the gun that he used in
killing the jailor, ready to use it again
II anyone tried to Illustrate his plans
Of escape. Clad only in thin under
wear, . 0annel shirt and light coat.
with no overshoes, no overcoat or nit
tens, and with only thin summer cap
q his had, HeCfill ran out into The
snow with the weather almost ut zero,
al 0a6e his way TO the Simon Ehr
farm two miles south Of the city.
Mr.. Hhr and his housekeeper had been
Spending the evening with . neiRfbor
eal WAe1 they returned, the noticed
not prints in the snow shout the
house. As they were about to enter
the house. 'HcCrill, shivering from
The cold, came out Of the barn. Mr..
Hhr had heard nothing of the murder
and while he knew McCrill by sight,
he had not learned that he had been
In JAN and therefore thot little Of his
visit. Ehr asked McCrill what he was
doing out at his place and McCrill
said he had just come out for q lit
tie visit. He was taken into the house
where he warmed himself by the fire.
They talked about one thing and an
other, McCrill appearing to be unus-
ually cheerful.
After midnight, McCrill went to bed
upstairs. They arose late the follow
ing morning, had breakfast and Nc
Grill sat about the stove, leaving at
about ten o'clock. Ehr did not ask
him where he was going and Merrill
did not volunteer any statement. Ehr
did not notice the revolver McCrillI
carried, but his housekeeper saw i'll
plainly. Ehr says that he would have
loaned McCrill overshoes and an over
coat had he asked for them, but he
did not and started out Just as he had
arrived. Later, when Ehr heard Of
the murder, he felt that he had BEEN
entertaining very dangerous guest
and informed Snyder, who hurried to
Minot, notifying the officers.
McCrill's feet were badly frosted
and one Of his ears was frozen. No
one knows just what his plans were,
but it is believed that he expected
that some friend with a team would
meet him at Ehr's farm and take him
away. 1t is believed that he was
headed for the reservation. There is
report that plans had been made for
his escape the night before, but for
some reason they did not materialize.
Il Is said that team was ready the
night before to take McCrill away
from the Ehr farm. Three or four
fellows figure in the plan according to
the report.
An Independent representative Wis
tied the jail Saturday after McCTiIl
had been returned. McCrill was sit
ting in his cell, with shoes and socks
of, nursing his painfully frosted feet.
He kept looking down at the floor and