Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-10
Of THREE
TELLS TALE Of Ill
LUCK At INQUEST
Meeting Results in Triple Fun
eral Instead of
Wedding. +.
Special to The Tribune.

Butte, July 9.-Sorry that he slew
his former wife. Mrs. Fred Holmauist.
n his three-year-old son. Tor Holm
gust, but expressing no word of re-
greet for killing his brother. Fred. all
the result of an intra-family tangle.
Axel Holmquist sat in stony silence in
jail here Sunday while triple funeral
services were conducted for his three
victims.
1t takes a lot of nerve TO kill ones
own brother was his only relenting
word as he took the witness stand in
the c%oroner's inquest into the death
of the three Friday. Then he told
the whole story, the events that led
up to the shooting.
Holmquist and the woman whom he
killed were married in Finland IA years
ago, according to his story on the
stand. Shortly after their marriage
they went to Alaska. About four years
ago. he said, his younger brother, Fred.
also came to Alaska and made his home
with them. When a child was born
to Mrs. tiolmquist three years ago.
Axel denied its %parentage. A year
later Mrs. Holmquist obtained a d.
vorce. But that did not completely
break the relationship, and they on
tiibcu UNluS IO4fIUeT LOT d"UIlt, lOT-
getting the trouble of the past.
On February > Mrs. Holmquist and
her brother, Emil Henrickson. came to
Butte. be said, and his (Axel's) brother
Fred followed them.
Mrs. H%olnquist, Axel testified,
agreed TO remarry him in Butte, and
he arrived there about July |, only
to find her married to his brother,
Fred. He then vowed. he said, to kill
the man who had stolen his wife. re-
CARELESS of family ties.
Anticipating a reunion of his fam
lily which would make up for all the
self denial he had practiced, Axel said
he spent all his money in coming to
Butte. Finding his dream shattered.
pressed for lack of money. and in poor
health. he became desperate. That was
on July 3. But a meeting with his
brother would mean death for one of
the two. he said, since on Il previous
occasion Fred had threatened to take
his life. so he evaded his former wife
and her new husband. In the end.
however. he decided to see them. And
he took a gun along.
Axel testified he went to the Holm
quist home and asked his brother and
Mrs. Homlquist for enough money to
return to Alaska. According to his
testimony. his brother. Fred. became
angry during the conversation and adj
vanced th~reateningly.
1T takes a lot of nerve to kill ones
own brother. so | fired two or three
times al the ground to scare him" said
Axel. He said he did not see the wom-
and and the boy when he shot. but the
two or three bullets that he avowedly
fired 10 scare" his brother took the
lives of his former wife and his little
son. But when Fred did not stop his
advance. Axel aimed the gun with
deadly intent, firing the remaining
urges directly at his brother. With
cool determination Axel told of his in
tent TO Kill.
The coroner's jury fixed the blame
of the three deaths upon Axel.
Friday morning Mrs. Holmquist.
mortally wounded. but making a des-
perate fight for life, called her two
brothers 10 her bedside and told them
that she was giving up the fight and
was making ready 10 die. She had
learned only a short time before that
her husband and her little son were
lead. Bidding her brothers good bye.
she lapsed into Inconsistencies and
died at nightfall.