The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-05-13

muRDE RING
Henry Leyer early this morning
confessed to the killing of Mr.. and
Mrs. Jacob Wolf, their five daughters
and the chore boy, Jake Hofer, on the
Wolf farm three miles from Turtle
Lake, N. D., on April e.
Ill feeling of long standing culmi-
mated in the quarrel over injuries ad-
ministered on one of Leyer's cows by
VOLTS dog, Leyer going to the Wolf
farm home shortly before noon. Heat
ed words, followed by VOLTS demand
that Leyer leave the place immediate
ly were the events leading up to the
murder of the eight people, according
to Leyer's confession to the authori-
ties.
When Leyer refused to leave the
place, Wolf went to the sitting room,
getting his double Nbarreled shot gun
and loaded two shells into the breech.
Leyer grabbed the gun and attempted
to wrest it away from Wolf, the strug-
gle taking place in the entrance of the
kitchen, during which time the gun
was discharged twice, Leyer claims in
his confession.
One of these shots killed Mrs. Wolf
and the other the 13-year-0ld chore
hoy, Leyer believes.
BY the time Leyer had succeeded in
Wrestling the gun away from Wolf.
The murderer then darted into the sit.
ting room, got handful of shells
from the bureau and hurried hack to
the kitchen entrance. Wolf was run
ming towards the barn and Leyer fired,
the shots striking Wolf in the back.
Wolf fell to the ground and Leyer
went up to him, placed the muzzle of
the gun against the wounded mans
side and fired again, tearing a huge
hole in VOLTS body.
Two of the smaller daughters,
frightened at the firing and seeing
their mother and the boy dead in the
kitchen ran into the adjoining bed
room and escaped from the house, run
ming to q nearby COW shed. Attracted
by the screams Of the two girls, Leyer
rushed into the barn, firing one shot
which cut furrow in one of the girls
head and splintered the wall. Leyer
jsmmed the muzzle of the shot gun
against the head Of the other girl. Yho
Vas screaming and pleading for mercy
and pressed the trigger. He then
placed another shell into the gun, put
the muzzle against the head of the
first child, who was not dead, and fired
again.
The three little girls in the house
we're screaming. Leyer returned to
the kitchen and deliberately killed the
children, two of them with the shot
gun, with the muzzle of the gun
against their curl-cOvered heads, and
the third was killed with smashing
tlow of hatchet. After seven men,
bers of the family and the chore boy
had been killed, Leyer went to the
COW shed, covered the bodies of the
girls with hay, dragged VOLTS body
into the cOwshed and concealed it with
hay. He then went to the kitchen, Op-
ened the trap door leading into the
iae basement.
Taking the gun, which he broke in
order to better conceal it, he went to
a nearby slough, threw two parts of
the gun and some shells into the wat,
er and by circuitous route returned
to his home. He did not say anything
to his wife and five young children.
While at the slough he washed his
hands and removed all traces of blood
fro mhis clothing.
The solution of the mystery which
had been battling he>authorities hand
icapped as they were, because no clue
had been left by the murderer, and two
days had elapsed since the murders
had been committed and the bodies
were found, were due in large Meas.
ure to Christ Martinson, chief of po.
lice of Bismarck, who has been work
ing on the case. After returning home
from the scene of the murder, Layer
resumed his pl0wing, his farm being
0ne-half mile from the Wolf farm.
Layer did not confess until after
eight hours of severe cross-examining.
A1CS EEeCutuluS HUme 11Oua tNe WuI :
der, Layer farmed all day Friday and
Saturday morning. When q neighbor
told him Saturday that the whole Wolf
family had been killed, he went to the
Wolf farm and was there all after
noon and most of the evening volun-
teering information about self-evident
details concerning the killing.
A morbid curiosity Overcame his
better judgment on Sunday morning
and he went to the Wolf farm at day
break that morning to see the bodies
of Wolf and the two little girls in the
COW shed. Altho VOLTS face and part
of his arm had been eaten by hogs,
Leyer failed to show any signs of
strain, altho even this early he was
being watched by Chief Martinson.
Leyer, accompanied by his wife and
one of his daughters, attended the fu-
nerals of his eight victims the follow
ing Thursday. The coffins were plac-
ed in row in front of the Wolf farm
house. Leyer, watched by the author
tiles, insisted on lifting OF the lids Of
aoc Oh nf tho rnffins and Oa1imv into the