The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1920-05-21
C0NFESSES TO MUIR.
DEa|NG EIGHT

sI. -
Henry Layer. a neighbor4 OF; the
Wolff family, ON Thursday of last
week. confessed to the murder of
eight members of the Wolf family,
and the same day was taken before
the district court where he entered
plea of guilty to first degree mur-
der, ahd was given the maximum
penalty allowed under the law, that
of life imprisonment in the state
penitentiary at Bismarck. He was
taken to the uen at once for fear
ha might be lynched. Following is
his confession giving some OF the
details Of the crime:
I, Henry Layer, being first duly:
sworn depose and say that, make
this statement of my. own free will,
without any promise whatsoever,
that on Thursday, April %, I&left
my own home at about II o'clock
a. IN; and walked. about. one mile
south following the section line and
then ssw alked from the north into
VOLTS farm yard, arriving there at
about II 80 a. M, and, walked into
the house and there found Mr.. Ja-
cob Wolf, Mrs. Wolf. the five chill
drcn and the hired hand, Jacob
:
Wolf, demanding damages for the
injury. done to my COW by Wolf,s
dog.f l told Wolf to come and look.
at the cow and see for himself how
much damage the dog, had done to
nv COW. Wolf then told me 1. to
leave his yard and go away. This
conyersati on-took place, while l ana
Wolf were standing. in the doorway
p,-1 no SfC
house proper. 3
I then told him not to- get mad,
and he (Wolf) got the gun, double
barrelled shotgun, out OF his front
room. l then tried to take the gun
away from him. and in the fight be-.
tween Wolf and myself for the gun,
one shot went off and then another
in quick succession. Ono OF the
shots killed Mrs. Wolf. I did not
see hers fall. but saw her lay there.
then got the gun away from
Wolf and then got more shells out
OF the bureau drawer in the front
room. /. where 4 saw Wolf take two
shells at the time he (Wolf) got the
gun and began sho oting. do not
remenl bers at whom.I shot first, but
believe I shot at Jacob Wolf who
by this time had run out OF S5a tbs
house across the yard toward y the tn q
COW shed, and hit him and h j. saw
Jacob Wolf fall. ,.. B.
& then went out Of the mouse
where Jacob Wolf lay. and fred anS n;
other shot into Wolf body ! then en-
went into the cowshed, saw there ere
VOLTS two girls & and shot them
where they stood in the northwest
corner Of the shed then then sSs. J. re- tes.
turned to the house and there shot not
and killed the rest of VOLTS family lam 4.
then returned to the yard, carl
rying Wolf coal; dragged OILS
body into the shed, first covered. Lhes
bodies Of the two girls with I nag nay
which / took out Of the ,manger
threw VOLTS body. on top ofs THIS
pile and put the coat over ,W ooiiss
body; and then. also S covered ms lla.
iIWolf's) body with hay then a ! q; IS REL
turned to the house. opened Ihsot
trap door leading from the k1tchen /
into the basement and threyY .ss lhe y 1
bodfes&of the dead laying, about tne
Kitchen. one IA fterss another. into the=
then put down the Trap rag /
door. s.
me reason i did not kill the baby q
was sbeliefe. because Sls did not 9o4 Il
into THEREON In ich the baDy lay.I
lien piil He'd loose, the telepho one I
wires from the 4 instrumen Il then |
left olf Oliso,, carrying tne /
gun. closing a o0rs behind me .ass I
Iawalk kad on Before leaving the I
house. picked lp all the empty
Bhelis, carrving en- wi ith me also
sss then hlpke gun carrying [