White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-10-14
FARMER KILLED AND
BODY LEFT TO HOGS
Flimsy Motive for Crime
Seen by Officials.

Seen by Officials.
Hot Springs, S. D.-Has a twenty
year old boy, born and raised on a
South Dakota farm, walked to the
home of neighbor three times his
age, maj of reserved, peaceable hab-
its, and at the edge of the mans own
corn field, in broad daylight, killed
him with shotgun and left his body
to be mangled by hogs released from
their adjoining pasture. And has this
crime been committed, not from any
one of the three ordinary motives, for
money, love or revenge, but merely
to gain possession of truck and
rifle?
The superstition seems incredible.
Yet Gerald Bowker, twenty years
old, slight, round faced, boyish appear
ing, is in Jail at Hot Springs, charged
with the murder of Fred Tisner, fifty
eight, bachelor. whose home Is
few miles from that of Bowker's par
ents, highly respected farm folk who
live near the village of Oral, on the
prairies lying along the east side OF
the Black hills of South Dakota.
Trailed and Arrested.
Bowker was followed by officers
who started on his trail as soon as
the mutilated body of Tisner had been
discovered, several days after his
death, and was arrested by the side
of the girl wife whom he married
last June. They were riding on
truck bearing the license number of
Tisner's truck. And in the truck were
shotgun and a rifle, the latter
corresponding to the description of
one Tisner always kept in his house.
Fred Tisner was bachelor who,
German born, came to America when
seventeen years old, worked on farms
in Iowa and about 20 years ago came
to the southwestern part Of South
Dakota to "take up homestead" He
had titled his ground, raised some
stock, helped sister back in Iowa
who was left widow with eleven
children to bring up, and had in the
years of his hard work, accumulated
little money.
But this year he had 80 head of
hogs which he was getting ready for
market. They were kept in pas
ture at one end of which was a she'd,
not far from his house. Near the
house, also, was his cornfield and far
ther away his hay land.
Friday, August 26, Fred Tisner was
seen by one of his neighbors about
noon, driving load Of hay toward
his house. He was never again seen
alive, so far as is known, except by
the one who killed him.
The Tisner buildings stand on a
rise of ground and are visible for a
considerable distance from several di-
rections. But no one saw any I'M
usual happenings about the place. No
one knew that a tragedy had occurred
at the quiet little farm until August
90, when a neighbor, Bert Thompson,
came up to the house on his way to
look after some of his cattle. On the
edge of the cornfeld, so yards or SO
from the house, lay Fred Tisner's
/ body.
Rifle Is Missing.
T. The gate, made of three boards
which slipped into slots, had been let
down. Hogs had entered from their
pasture and the body was mutilated
almost beyond recognition. On the
boards of the gate were blood stains
On the broken handle of a pitchfork
firmly fixed in the haystacks were
more blood stains. And in the 81 es1
of Tisner's body, when physician ant
coroner examined it, were not less
than % wounds made by bullets from
a shotgun.
In the stable were Tisner's foul
horses harnessed. From the shed be
tween two corn cribs his light truck
always kept there, was missing. And
from his house was missing the 2:
caliber rifle which lie was known tt
: keep there habitually.
That was about all there was to be
learned on the place. But officers
soon heard of a truck answering thu
description of Tisner's which hat
passed along ROAD reading east, TO
ward the Badl;Alds.
On the second day of the pursui
the truck was overtaken. In it wer
the boy and girl couple. Bowlser de
clared he had traded for the trucl
with stranger and was on his. wa,
to a locality called Cuny Table to d
trucking. He had no money on hin
and had stopped a day on the trip t.
work for money with which to bu
gasoline. In the truck were q riff
and shotgun.
Bowker and his wife were brough
to Hot Springs and Bowker put Il
Jail His wife, questioned by officers
told that she was with her parents a
Buffalo Gap when her husband cam
for her late in the day of August &c an,
brought with him the truck he said HI
: had traded for. They then started TO
. Cuny Table.
: Bowker was arraigned for murde
, and is held without bail.