The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-03-21
HENRY LAYER,
MURDERER OF
EIGHT, DIES
)
Man Who Killed Members of
Wolf Family Succumbs to
Heart Attack
SENTENCED FOR LIFE
Slayer, Who COnfesses Crime,
Was Model Prisoner,
Authorities Say
SENTENCED FOR LIFE

Henry Layer, confessed slayer Of
Jacob Wolf, wife, five daughters
and the Wolf family choreboy, Jacob
Hofer, on the Wolf farm, three miles
from Turtle Lake, on April %, 1920,
who was serving life sentence for
the murders, in the state peniten-
tiary here, died in the prison hos
pital at $40 this morning.
Layer was operated on for appen-
dicitis in the St. Alexius hospital
about ten days ago. He was taken
to the prison hospital Wednesday.
Heart trouble developed and blood
c!ot formed. Heart trouble was CIV
Ell as the cause of death.
Although Layer confessed and
pleaded guilty to the crime, he later
repudiated the confession and said
that he admitted the murders only
.fter being given the third degree.
! Chris Martineson, Bismarck chief
Eof police, who is given credit for
solving the crime, declared today
that third degree methods were not
used to get confession from Layer.
1.-The first lead came from Layer
himself" Chief Martineson said. at
was at the Wolf farm after the
murders. Layer was roasting Wolf,
declaring VOLTS dog killed one of
his sheep. His actions were sus-
picious the morning the bodies were
found and at the funeral We sus-
pect"d him from the first and he
was constantly under surveillance.
We placed him under arrest after
more than a week of work on the
case and after questioning him for
q few hours he broke down and con-
fesscd the crime"
Chief Martineson was called in on
the case by state and county Off
GERS.
The murders we're the most cold
blooded and fi.ndish in the history
of North Dakota. Ill feeling had
long existed between Wolf and Layer
over injuries administered to one of
Layers cows by VOLTS dog.
The Wolf and Layer families were
neighbors, and according to Layers
confession, he went to VOLTS farm
about noon on the day Of the muir
ders, and heated words, followed by
VOLTS demand that Layer leave the
place Immediately, were the events
leading up to the killing of the eight
people.
When Layer refused to leave the
place Wolf went into the sitting
:. room, got his double barreled shot
gun and loaded two shells into the
breech. Layer grasped the gun and
attempted to wrest it away from
Wolf. The struggle took place in
the entrance to the kitchen during
which the gun was discharged twice.
Layer claimed in his confession
that one of these shots killed Mrs.
Wolf and the other the 13 year old
choreboy.
BY this time Layer had succeeded
in wrestling the gun away from
Wolf. The murderer darted into the
sitting room, got handful Of shells
from the bureau and hurried back
to the kitchen entrance.
Wolf was running towards the
barn and Layer fired, the shots
striking Wolf in the back. Wolf
fell to the ground and Layer ran up
to him and placed the muzzle of the
gun against the wounded mans side
and fired again, tearing big hole
in VOLTS body.
Two of the smaller daughters,
frightened at the fighting and seeing
their mother and the boy fall dead
in the kitchen, ran into an adjo:l-
ing room and escaped from the
house, fleeing to 'cowshet. Arrest
ed by the screams of the girls, Lay
er rushed into the barn, firing one
tJhot which cut furrow in one of
the girls head. Layer jammed the
gun N,gainst the head Of the other
girl, who was pleading and scream
ing for mercy, and pressed the
,tsigger.
! The three little girls in the house
were screaming. Layer returned to
the kitchen and deliberately killed
the children, two Of them with the
shot gun and the other with hat
chet.
After seven members of the family
and the choreboy had been killed,
Layer went to the cowshed, covered
the two bodies of the girls with hay,
(ContinuOd on page tkFoe)