The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-05-20

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when the warden began to ask him
about his six children. left worse than
fatherless. 3D.
Washburn, N. D.-Because a dog
belonging to Jacob Wolf, his nearby
neighbor, had injured two of his cows.
Henry Layer killed Wolf, his wife and
their five daughters and their chore
boy, according to his confession made
here.
Layer confessed Wednesday night to
killing seven members of the Wolf
family and their cllore boy. The con-
fession was kept secret until he could
be a%rraigned before the Judge, plead
guilty, receive his sentence and be
taken away in a fast automobile.
Fear that the farmers of Mclean
County might attempt to lynch the
murderer caused Sheriff Stefferud and
States Attorney Williams to withhold
any information regarding the confess
sion until Layer had been taken to
Bismarck.
Layer was arrested Tuesday night
and brought to Washburn and placed
in the county Jail without the knowl-
edge of anyone except his family and
the arresting officers.
The quarrel that ended in the whole
sale murder was the elimination of
long standing i'll feeling between him
self and Wolf, Layer said.
Layer told the authorities that he
went to the Wolf farm about noon on
Thursday, April %, to compel Wolf to
pay for the attack of the latter's dog
on the Layer COWS.
The two men q%uarreled and Wolf
ordered Layer to leave the house and
farm. Layer refused and Wolf went
into the next room and returned to the
kitchen with his double-barreled shot
gun and threatened to shoot Layer.
Layer said he grabbed the gun and
while the two were struggling for it's
possession it was twice discharged.
Layer said the first shot killed Mrs.
Wolf and the second struck the chore
boy, Jake HOfer, killing him.
Shot Wolf in Back.
Layer said he took the gun away
from Wolf and that the latter then ran
out of the kitchen toward the barn
while Layer rushed into the Wolf sit
ting room, caught up a handful of
shells and loaded the gun. He saw
Wolf running toward the barn and
shot him in the back.
When Wolf fell, Layer said he ran
out and shot him the second time, plac-
ing the muzzle Of the gun against
VOLTS body.
Two of the girls, according to Lay
er's confession, ran from the house to
the barn. They were followed by
Layer, who shot them both. The first
shot wounded m of the girls. Layer
said he placed the muzzle Of the gun
against the other girls head and in
spite Of her pleas for mercy killed her
and then shot the wounded girl the
second time, killing her.
According to Layers story, he then
returned to the house, loading the
shotgun as he went, and found the
three other girls screaming from fear
and grief. He placed the gun muzzle
against the heads of two of them and
blew out their brains.
Supposed" He Used Hatchet.
Layer said he did not remember kill.
Ing the fifth girl with a Ratchet but
supposed" he must have done so. He
said he would have killed the eight
months-old baby If he had known it
was in the house.
after he had committed the whole.
sale murder Layer said he covered the
girls bodies in the barn with hay,
dragged VOLTS body in there also and
threw hay over. it, returned to the
house and threw the bodies of Mrs.
Wolf, Jake Hpfer and the three other
girls into the cellar through the
kitchen trapdoor. Layer said he took
the shotgun to a nearby slough, where
it was afterwards found, washed his
hands and removed the blood; from his
clothing. He said he then returned
home without telling his wife or chill
uren where he had been. and went to