Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-15
LEAGUE PAPER
STORY BRANDED.
]. ASEALSEHO0D
Fargo Sheet Would !, Take
Credit for Solving Mystery
From Bismarck Man. IS

Bismarck, N. D., May 15.-Consid-
erablc indignation is being expressed
among officials here and at Wash
burn over the claim. in the Fargo
league newspaper that a detective
named John P. Hoy. employed by
|, Governor Lynn J. Frazier had been
responsible for the arrest. confess
sion and conviction Of Henry Layer.
/! the slayer of the eight murder vic
times on the Wolf farm near, Turtle
Lake last month. ,t
! The Fargo league organ stated yes
terday that Hoy after conferring
with Sheriff Ole stenerud Of NC
Lean county. following his two days
Investigation" at Turtle Lake, de-
cided to arrest Layer because evil
dence considered important to jus
tify Layers arrest" had been dis
covered by, the governors private
! operative.
F'alsehood, Says Ohicial. !.
Nothing could be further. from
the truth" said one high official to-
day, who has been closely identified
with the murder mystery from the
day the murders were discovered. III
looks like q deliberate falsehood and
is offered the league readers Of the
Fargo newspaper as propaganda ,tc
bolster up Fraziet's fast 4 dying
\ hopes. III
LAS matter of fact the governor.
private detective made a fool of-him.
self when he arrested young boy
locked him up in the Washburn jat
for three days, and then forgot HI
was in the Jail. The governors de
tective did not even have a ,warran
to justify the holding of the innocen
boy. At no time did the governor
detective cooperate with the Nc
Lean county authorities for the sim
pie reason that the Mclean count!
authorities had the mystery prac
tically solved when the detective ap
peared on the scene."%H: rs H. n
Martineson is the, Mani
States Attorney. JE.SE. Williams o
Mclean county, who. has been active
iy connected with the case from, tn
day the eight dead bodies were dis
covered, gave full credit for the orig
inaliy suspecting Vhe murder to Chic
of Police Chris Martineson of Bis
marck. Chief ,Martineson. at the re
uest of the Mclean county authori
= ties, went to- Turtle Lake the day tn
bodies were found and, with the ex
ception of one or two days spent i
Bismarck has been working contin
uously on the case. (
Sheriff Steffenrud and Chief Mar
I tineson, assisted by States Attorne
, Williams combed the country t
build up a strong case against tn
4 suspected man, who, finally confesse.
s Martineson gave Layer a stir grill
I ing at the cotoner's inquest. the da
I after the bodies were diacoYered.ssA
the 1VneEal,.a Utmost q week after th
i and The sheriff, who on this day wei
d Joined by detective representing th
n attorney generals office, piled 1ayt
e with SO many questions, that the mui
;, derer said, "For Gods. sake don
!, task me any more questions /!
d Hoy Not on Scene.
! It was Marttneson, Steferud an
the attorney generals detective VII
were in the party that arrested L.ay<
e at the latter's home last Tuesday af
n ernoon.! Governor Frazier's detectiv
n Hoy, was nowhere on the scene. TT
is governors detective. as matter !,
d fact, never was admitted to the COZ
J. fidence Of the authorities. :. He d
e not even know the murderer ha
been arrested, confessed. convsste
J. and sentenced to the penitentiary +.
is life until hours after the party wi,
e Thursday afternoon.
The only thing the governors d
Al tective. did, as far as can be four
p. out was to arrest an innocent /
r.! year-old country boy, without wa
" rant. place him in the county ia
without charges and without IL
"a slightest grounds for suspicion. ar
il then go away and, leave the boy
Jail for three days.
>. And vet the league organ at Fart
J. would have it's readers believe tn
n, was the real Sherlock Holmes"
" the Turtle. AXE mvstery s =