The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-04-29
FAMILY OF EIGHT FOUND
MURDERED AT TURTLE LAKE
Valuables Untouched
Continued from Page ~

Valu0DleS OnCOuCne0
That robbery was not the motive
was disclosed last night, according to
]. F. Williams, states attorney, who
said that the safe in the Wolf home
was opened BY himself and other of
ficials, everything in the safe being
untouched. Nothing about the home
was disturbed, except in the kitchen,
which was literally covered with blood
and resembled slaughter house
more than anything else.
Two Men Are Traced
Two men who were seen to be COM
ing from the general direction Of the
Wolf home on Thursday afternoon
have been traced, Mr.. Williams said
today, and they have been found to
be without knowledge Of the case.
Murdered by Unknown
The coroner's jury that investi-
gated the case returned verdict TO
the effect that the eight victims had
been slain by person or persons un-
known.
Think Two Participated
Officials who are Investigating the
affair believe that more than one man
participated in the terrible crime, for
they do not conceive how a single
murderer could go on the farm and
slay the entire family, with the ex-
cepti0n of the infant.
They believe that the murderer or
murderers deliberately went about the
work Of wiping out the entire family
except the infant, so as to block Of
ficials in attempting to track them, as
they would fear Identification had any
one on the farm been left alive.
Hints at Feud
The investigation, which has been
extensive, has so far failed to dis
close anything tangible with respect
to the cause of the murders, except
for hints that there may have been
q feud.
Officials believe that the murderer
or murderers reside in the district,
and for that reason they are making
a thorough search of wide area sur
rounding Turtle Lake for clues that
may lead to the Identification of the
authors of the crimes.
Shotgun Clue
The finding of the shotgun in the
slough was regarded by officials as
the most promising development. The
gun was a double barreled IL gauge
gun of late pattern and was first
located by neighbors. They notified
members of the sheriff's staff, who
recovered the weapon from the slough.
The barrel had been detached from
the stock and the stock was ahoat in
the water.
The inquest was commenced yester-
day morning, number Of witnesses
being examined by Coroner Stucke.
Nav Have Ro-ViSifod Place
Officials believe the slayer or slay-
ers may have revisited the Wolf
home after the murders. The suppo-
sition is based on the fact that the
little baby was found in her crib,
scantily dressed, while the window in
the bedroom was open about eight
inches. Inasmuch as there was no
fire in the house after Thursday after
noon, and the days have been ex-
tremely cold since the murders were
that the child could have lived more
than II or Is hours in the cold room,
SO the authorities believe there is q
possibility that the person or persons
who perpetrated the crimes returned
baby. IA
From the manner in which the five
bodies we're heaped in the cellar the
authorities believe that Mrs. Wolf
WAS hurled there first, the eldest
daughters body next, followed by the
bodies Of the youngest children.
Jake Hofer, the 13-year-Old farm
boy, was the last to be thrown into
the cellar and. his body laid partly
across the bodies of Mrs. Wolf and
the two youngest children while the
eldest girls body had rolled to one
side.
The kitchen floor was covered with
blood, and blood soaked rags were
partly hidden under rugs in the kitch-
en-, while pair of overalls, literally
dripping with blood, was found wedg-
ed under the cellar door where it had
evidently been hastily but Intellectually
hidden.
Dragged Into House
A pool of blood was found midway
between the kitchen door and the door
Of the cowbarn and trail of blood and
marks evidently made by dragging a
body over the ground were traced
from this spot to the kitchen door.
Although some of the bodies found
in the cellar showed signs of wounds
from shotgun fired at close range
no trace of shells or shotgun were
found in the kitchen. Several wads
were found in the yard and in the
cowbarn, and in the latter place the
wall had been penetrated by, dis
charge from a shotgun, while one of
the children found in the barn had a
shotgun wound along the top of her.
head. Her body was found directly
beneath the hole in the wall caused
by shotgun fire.
Crowds at Farm.
All day Saturday crowds of neigh
boring farmers and people from the
town Of Turtle Lake motored to the
Wolf farmstead. The authorities kept
everyone outside Of the space between
the house and the barn.
Wolf was considered well to do and.
his real and personal property here
are estimated to be worth over $780,
600. He had often told friends and
acquaintance that he kept large sums
Of money in the small safe in his
home.