Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-05-06
BACK FROM WOLF FUNERAL
Linton Families Return From Turtle
Lake, Where They Attended Last
Rites of Victims of Wholesale
Killing.

Rites of Victims of Wholesale
Killing.
The Bossert and Naasz families re,
turned Friday night of last week from
Turtle Lake, where they were called
by the murder of ethe Jacob Wolf
family, consisting of the father,
mother, five children, and young
man who made his home with the
Volts.
John Bossert, who is a brother of
the murdered woman, gave the Rec
ord detailed account of the funeral
and of the developments since the
crime. He estimates the attendance
at the funeral as running from three
to five thousand. The entire neigh
borhood was present, and many cars
came from distant points.
No clue has developed that might
lead to the detection of the guilty
parties. No one was known to have
any motive for such a crime. Mr..
Bossert is satisfied that robbery had
something to do with it, despite the
fact that the safe was found locked,
and that there was little change left
in it. The murdered man had
planned on buying eighty acres of
land adjoining him, and had stated
that he would pay cash. He had no
money in any bank, and should have
had some three thousand dollars in
the house. Mr.. Bossert believes that
this fact was known to others, that
they went to the house while Mr..
Wolf was away, forced his wife to
open the safe, taking what money
they discovered, and overlooking a
small amount that was not in the
regular cash drawer. He believes
the safe was then locked, the tele-
phone wires cut, and the members of
the family killed to avoid detection.
Every member of the family who could
identify the criminals was killed, and
the. small baby who could not bring
harm to them was allowed to live.
The weapon used in the crime prob
ably belonged to the murdered man,
and was Seized upon by the murder
ers for their purpose. Even one
man alone may have done the whole
thing. Mrs. Wolf and the two small
girls were probably killed first, two
other children escaping through the
bedroom window. Later, the chore
boy entered the kitchen, and was shot
at close range The two children who
escaped were later overtaken at the
barn where they hai,;. joined their
father, and were killed. Mr.. VOLTS
body had fallen on the body of the
two girls. Mr.. Bossert is satisfied
that the crime wa5 committed by
some one in the neighborhood who
was fe,::.iliar with the personal affairs
of the. Wolf family.
Mr.. Wolf, the murdered woman,
was formerly a resident of Emmons
county. Her brother, John, was liv-
ing on South Prairie when his par
ents and the murdered woman came
from Russia. They at first made
their home with their son on South
Prairie, later moving to Mclean
county. Mrs. Wolf, who was former
'ly Bertha Bossert, went with them.
There she met and married Jacob
Wolf. They made their home on
their farm continuously since that
time, and TIE report that Mrs. Wolf
had been formerly married is without
foundation. The murdered man Wis
tied in the Linton neighborhood about
five years ago. Mrs. Wolf was also
distantly related to number Of other
families here. Jake Hoffart, the
murdered boy, also has relatives here,
and was distantly related to the Wolf
family. The Weishaars are relatives
of Hoffart, Carl Weishaar being an
uncle.
Mr.. Bossert does not believe any Of
the reports connecting the name of
Wolf with that Of neighbor girl, al
though the girl mentioned had worked
on the Wolf place off and on for years.
The families were, however, close
friends. In explaining the fact that
the murder was not discovered for a
couple Of days, Mr.. Bossert refers to
the situation of the farm. The
buildings could only be seen in one
direction because Of tie lay of the
ground, and it was only the wandering
Of harnessed work horses in the neigh
borhood of the farm that finally
aroused the suspicion of a neighbo1
that something was wrong.
The little Wolf baby, who lay only
slightly clad for days in the mur..er