The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-04-29
Turtle Lake Farmer, His Wife,
Five Children and Hired
Boy Found Murdered.
SMALL
Indications Are That Crime Was
Committed in Kitchen Of Home
With a Hatchet-Bodies Scat. -
tered in Various Places.

Turtle Lake.-Eight persons were
found dead Saturday at the farm
home of Jacob Wolf. three miles
north Of here. the victims of a mys-
FERROUS murder. The dead:
Jacob Wolf and his wife; their five
daughters. Bertha. aged 10; Edna, 8;
Mary. 10: Lydia. 5; and Martha, 4;
and Jake Hofer. IL 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
a hatcher. The bodies Of the mother,
three daughters and the hired man
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 occurred
about noon Thursday. The bodies
were not discovered until Saturday.
From the appearance of the kitchen,
the family had just completed the
noon day meal. The table was laden
with dishes on which had been served
the meal.
Screams of Mrs. Wolf and the
children when attacked in the house
by the unknown assailant or assail-
ants with the Ratchet are believed to
have attracted Wolf. who was work.
Ing in the barn. The Ratchet, covered
with blood and hair. was found in
the wood box in the kitchen.
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 Il two-day fast. had eaten
most of the flesh on VOLTS face and
We're devouring the right arm, which
from the shoulder to the elbow had
been practically consumed.
No examination of the eight bodies
has been made by the authorities as
they desired to wait until daylight
Sunday before disturbing anything
which might aid in finding a clue to
the murderers. 1t is generally be-
lieved taat the killing was done by
two persons, at least, one of whom
was in the kitchen and the other in
the yard with a shotgun.
No motive has been discovered for
the deed, it is said. Wolf was gener-
ally known as one of the most pros
porous farmers in this vicinity but
nothing in the house as far as could
be discovered had been removed.
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 Kraft's 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 mo- 20
over to the Wolf farm. Saturday 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
soaked 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 automobile.
Attracted by the unnatural grunting
Of the hogs. Kraft went to the COW
shed where he discovered several hogs
eating the flesh from VOLTS face and
arms. He notified the authorities.