The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-04-22
MRS. r. ROULIER OF VELVA, POISONS
LITTLE DAUGHTER, THEN SUICIDES

Mrs. Emil Roulier, wife OF a prom
inent farmer residing thirteen mile:
due south of ,Velva, caused the deatf
of her little five-year old daughter
Lea, then ended her own life witt
poison Friday afternoon, in a fiele
not far from the farm home, the trag
cdy undoubtedly being the result oi
the poor woman's\ weakened menta
condition.
Mrs. Roulier wrote a letter to he'
four daughters, who are attending the
Velva high school, telling them tt
hurry home if they loved their mother
The girls received the letter Friday
morning and two of the daughters
started for home Immediately in az
auto, thinking their mother was i'll.
Mrs. Roulier evidently was waiting
Cor them and that morning, she IN
formed her husband that she was go
.ng for the mail, the R. F. D. mai
box being located about half mile
fl ON the house. Instead she took Lea
and went to the field. When the girls
arrived firm Velva, the mother told
them to 20 to the house, that she
would come in shortly. The girls left
.ser but the mother did not come in
One of the girls went out to find hel
and founl little Lea in the field dead
The mother told the daughter what
she had done. The daughter went
Immediately to the hourse fer the
father and when she returned the
mother was lying on the ground in
terribly agony.
After the girls had left her first
she had written a note, which was
found pinned to her dress. In the
note she stated that she was tired OF
living and wanted Lea to die also,
as Lea was so young she wanted to
take her with her. She said she did
not want anyone to mourn sfor her
and that members of the. family
should wear white. She said she want
ed to be buried in Velva and selected
Rev. Sargent of Russo to preach the
funeral sermon. Before her death,
she .old her daughter all of the de-
tails of the horrible affair.
The poor woman was without ques-
tion, temporarily insane, her condi-
ton being brot on by worry and i'll
health. She used strychnine that had
been purchased for gopher poison and
which had been in the house for over
a year.
Mrs. Roulier planned her death some
time ahead for when her thirteen
year old son left for school that morn
ing, she kissed him good bye and said
she would not be there when he re-
turned.
The McHenry county coroner was
called to the farm but held no inquest
as he considered it case of insanity.
The double tragedy has cast deep
gloom over the entire community.
Mrs. Roulier was born in Christiana,
Norway and was AZ years of agt
She came to the Mouse river valley
thirty-four years ago to the home of
her uncle, liver Gjellstad. She made
her home with the GjeMstad family
until her marriage. The Gjellstads
came here in the early sos and live
down the river near Falsen. Her
husband, EMIL Roulier, is an old res
ident, being a brother of Mrs. A. G.
Anderson of Velva. Mr.. Ronlier is
a former rancher and from 1907 to
1910 was engaged in the meat busi-
ness in Russo.
There are four girls, all attending
the Velva high school and the father,
left to mourn. One of the daughters,
Edna, is<a member of the 1920 gradu-
ating class Of the Velva high school.