The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1920-04-30
EIGHT MURDERED
IN \. D. FARM HOME

Turtle Lake, N. D.. April "a
Eight persons were found dead to-
day at the farm home of Jacob Wolf,
three miles north Of here, the vic
tins of a mysterious murder. The
dead:
Jacob Wolf and his wife} their
five daughters. Bertha. aged 13;
Edna. 8; Mary, 10; Lydia, s; and
Martha. 4; and Jake Hofer, 13
years old. who was employed on the
farm.
Only one member OF the family
|. escaped, Emma, eight months old.
Indications are that the crime
was committed in the kitchen Of
the Wolf home and that the weapon
used was hatchet. The bodies of
the mother. three daughters and
the hired hand were thrown into
the cellar by the slayer or slayers.
and those of the father and two
daughters were put in a cow shed
and barn and covered with hay.
1t is believed the tragedy occur
red about noon Thursday. The
day. From the appearance of the
kitchen, the family had just COM
pleted the noon day meal. The table
been served the meal.
Screams of Mrs. Wolf and the
children when attacked in the house
bv the unknown assailant or assail-
ants with the hatchet are believed
to have attracted Wolf. who was
working in the barn. The hatchet,
covered with blood and hair. was
found in the wood box in the kitch-
en-
Traces Of blood in the barnyard
between the house and the barn lead
the authorities to believe that the
father was shot while running to
the house and his body dragged to
the barn.
Several pigs, driven on by the
hunger of two-day fast. had eaten
most Of the flesh on VOLTS face and
were devouring the right arm,
which from the shoulder to the ell
bow had been practically consumed.
No examination of the eight bod
les has been made by the authori-
ties as they desired 20 wait until
daylight tomorrow before disturb
ing anything which might aid in
finding clue to the murderers. 1t
is generally believed that the kill
ing was done by two persons. at
en- and the other in the yard with
a shotgun.
No motive has been discovered
for the deed, it is said. Wolf was
generally known as one of the most
prosperous farmers in this vicinity
but nothing in the house as far as
could be discovered had been remov-
ed.
No arrest has been made, tho
police announced.
John Kraft. the nearest neighbor
living one mile from the Wolf farm,
was the first to discover the killing
Thursday morning Wolf asked Kraft
to let him use Krafys drill which
Kraft agreed to do. Wolf was to
come after the implement that noon
but did not appear. On Friday
Kraft thought it strange that Wolf
had not come after the drill but did
not go over to the Wolf farm. Sat-
urdav just before noon Kraft and
his wife drove past the Wolf farm.
Kraft went to the door of the
house and after failing to receive
an answer to his knocking opened
the door. He saw the blood-soak-
ed floor and heard the starved and
suffering babe crying in the other
roOm.. He took the baby to his
wife who was waiting in the auto
mobile. Attracted by the unnat-
ural ,grunting of the hogs, Kraft
went to the cow shed where he dis
covered several hogs eating the
flesh from VOLTS face and arms.
He notified the authorities.
The cOroner's inquest will prob
ably be made Sunday morning, after
which the authorities will make
more complete and rigid examina-
tion.
States Attorney Williams Of
Washburn and Sheriff Ole Steffer-
um were in Bismarck when the re-
port of the crime reached here and
they left at once for Turtle Lake
to investigate
The crime is one of the most
startling and mysterious ever re-
corded in North Dakota.
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