The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-06-22
CRUESOME TALE
TOLD BY WOMAN
SAYS SETH BANNER KILLED
JOHN SPROUCE AND WIFE
NEAR MANHATTAN.
Motive Was Robbery and Woman
Was Killed to Cover Up First MUIR
der; Danner in Jail; Authorities
Investigating.

Here is the tale of a gruesome
crime as told by a wife whose
knowledge became too great a bur-
den for her to bear. Seth Ora Dam
Her, according to his wife's allega-
lions, killed John Sprouce No
vember, 1920 when the families of
the two men were camping between
Manhattan and Belgrade. The mo-
tive of the crime was robbery.
After shooting Sprouce according
TO the woman, Danner killed Mrs.
Sprouce to cover up his crime, con-
fessed to his wife and said he would
kill her If she ever told. On Mrs.
banners statement, which follows.
banner was arrested and locked up
in the GalIatin county jail:
Seth Ora Banner and his wife and
their children left Kansas in 1919,
and came by auto to Dillon, where
he was employed for a few months
with threshing crew. Near Mo-
bridge, South Dakota, he and his wife
became acquainted with Mr.. and Mrs.
John Sprouce, the former working
with threshing crews. After the sea-
son ended about the middle of Oc-
tober the two families started to Mon
tana where they hoped to secure en-
ployment. The two men worked oc-
casionally along the way. They
camped November IA, 1920, across
the West Gallatin river from Central
Park, about 400 yards south of the
bridge between Belgrade and Man
haitian, each family having a sep
arate tent and planning to remain in
that vicinity until the men got per-
manent work.
During the afternoon the two men
went fishing, and Banner returned in
the early evening alone. While his
wife was cleaning the fish, he asked
Mrs. Sprouce where her husband was
Mrs. Sprouce asked if he had not seen
Sprouce and he replied that he left
him up the river fishing. Later in
the evening when her husband did
not come, Mrs. Sprouce seemed much
concerned and, according to the
statement of Mrs Banner, Banner
struck Mrs. Sprouce on the head with
a small hunting ak he had been using
and she dropped down dead.
banner then took string and tied
it around her neck and took her to
her own tent. About o'clock he
took his wife to the tent and showed
her what he had done.
Sometime during the night, she
says, Banner got up and went out
and was gone most of the night, APP
parently bringing the body of Sprouce
into the tent as he showed her the
two bodies in the morning, a gunny
sack being over the mans head. Dan
ner said he had shot Sprouce while |
they were out fishing in the after
noon. Mrs. Danner went to bed with |
her clothes on the next night but |
could not sleep. About 10 O'Clock |
1er husband got up and went out
and was gone for about two hours,
when he returned to bed and went to
sleep.
The next morning, when his wife |
noticed the mound of dirt, he told her
he two bodies were buried there,
ind he warned her to keep her
mouth shut or she would suffer
imilar death.
After cleaning up everything about
he camp and packing their belong
ngs and the tent of their former
riends in the two cars, they left the
amp November IT, Banner driving
me car and his wife the other. They
vent to Three Forks, where Banner
lot job in a garage, and the family
las been there ever since.
Mrs. Danner felt that she could not
'ear the burden of the secret any
onger, and when her report of the