The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-10-25
THREE MURDERED BY
DRINK CRAZED MAN
ALEXANDRIA SCENE OF TER
RlBLE TRAGEDY LAST FRI
DAY EVENING.
OFFICERS PULL "BONER"
HOME BURNED IN A VAIN At
TEMPT TO DRIVE OUT
THE ASSASSIN.
(By Robert H. Purcell. Staff cores,
pendent of The Minneapolis Tribune6.

ponuenC Oh Inc minneapolis Trlbune)
Alexandria, Mimi, Oct. 2O.-Alex-
andria was aroused tonight over the
burning of the house in which Ed
ward Larson, murderer of Jake Lev,
had barricaded himself, and the find
ing of Larson dead in the ruins. ~
just recovering from the tension
of the 12-hour battle at the Larson
home, the city is counting the dead
tonight and realizing the extent of
the tragedy. -
The death of William Ramsden.
farmer volunteer who fell from bull
let OF gun trained on the trapped
killer, stunned citizens who had been
watching the battle from guarded
homes.
County Officials Criticized
Graups are gathered on every corr
ner tonight and assembled in the
stores, discussing the burning of Lar
sons home on orders of county of
flcials in an attempt to force him into
the open. Considerable adverse criti-
clsm is heard over the incident, while
some hold that the desperate man
might have caused the death of 9TH
ers if he had been allowed to remain
fortified in the house until daylight.
Criticism of the group of sharp
shooters sworn in as special deputies
because of the shooting of -Ramsden
died out when nurse who attended
him at st. Luke's hospital disclosed
that Ramsden made a statement as
Stunning all blame for the accident be-
fore he died.
Il was not instructed to be where
the shooting took place." he is de-
clared to have said. "Don't blame
anyone but me.'
The coroner's jury, which heard
evidence regarding the death of the
three men, returned vedicts tonight,
as follows: ~. -
Jacob Ley was murdered by
Edward Larson -, ....
William Ramsden was acci-
dentally shot by an. unknown
person, the coroner's jury held.
Edward Larson, died of an I'M
known cause, probably shooting,
either by members of posse
surrounding the house, or by sui
eide.
DR.. ]. A. McKomb, corc.ier, said
during the inquest that ne did not be-
lieve Larson could have been alive
when the house in which he was MAX
ing his last stand, was fired, and in
it's verdict the jury discarded the the
Dry that Larson might have burned to
! death.
The tragedy had it's inception in a
family dispute in the Larson home at
the dinner hour Friday night. Larson
an employee of the Great Northern
railway, arrived about e p. m. and
| did not find his wife and two child
rem at home. When they arrived a
few minutes later dispute ended in
Larson threatening to kill his wife
children and commit suicide.
! Mrs. Larson made her escape from
the house and hurried across the
street to the Ley residence, while the
children went to the home of Mrs. A.
Larson, their grandmother, a BLOCK
away. Mrs. Larson APPEALED to Mr.
! Lay to go to her husband, and quiel
him, as he had done on several othei
occasions
| Ley crossed the street to the Lar
son residence. Larson was standing
in an inner doorway.
/ "Now, Ed, let's set down and tall
this thing out" Lay said, according
to Lawrence Larson, brother of thu
murderer, who came to the house a
this time after being told of his bro
theirs threats by the children.
"You get out of here or I'll shoe
] you," Larson replied. Ley hesitated
and Larson took up a rifle and fire,
twice. One bullet struck Ley in tn
neck. ).
Ley started across the street to hi
home and collapsed on the porch. Mrs
Ben Bowers, daughter, rushed out o
the house and found her father. Sh
notified DIR. J. A. McComb, coroner
of Douglas county, and the police.
Claud Olsen, chief of police, an
Jerry Callahan, patrolman, arrived a
the Lev home with DIR. McComb an
another shysician a few minutes late
but Ley was dead when they arrived
; While Dr., McComb took charge o
the body Olson and Callahan went t
, the Larson home with drawn guns.
Entering the front door, the tw
: found Larson in a FRONT bedroom
) holding a rifle aimed at their heads
Z They retreated to get additional fol
ces to approach the house from an OF
posite side.
"I could have shot Larson ther
and might have heat him." Chief O
sen said today, ''but / thought
would get help and take him alive
, possible. / believed he was drunl
, and eventually would get his sense
j together and give himself up when h
realized what he had done."
II Sheriff Emil Lundeen arrived a