The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-12-13
Murder Will Out

clearly proved than in the case Of the Haven family in
Mckenzie county, news of which has sickened the state
What began as a mystery has ended in the revelation
Of one of the worst tragedies and one of the most ter
rible crimes in the history of North Dakota. AS this
is written 1t is impossible to say who Is to blame, al
though the finger of suspicion points strongly toward
Charles Bannon. neighbor farmer of the Ravens, now
held in jail at Wiliston. -" ~
First came the disclosure. months after the tragedy,
that the Ravens had disappeared. Why the disappear
ance was not investigated sooner will be a mystery to
some persons but to those who know their west end the
conditions which prevail in the remote sections. os. this
state it is easily understood. =: ,4. ~
Apparently the Havens were the kind Of people who
keep their affairs to themselves. They were friendly
but not intimate with their ~neighbors. And SO, when
they disappeared. it probably was not noticed for a few
days. both because of the sparsely settled condition. Of
the country and the cloak which the reticence Of the
Havens had thrown about their actions. The fact that
the people Of the neighborhood had the usually happy
faculty of ninding their own business proved an aid 70
the murderer or inurderers in this case.
Finally. 10 months after the slayinss came the dis
closure that the family was missing, the beginning.of
the search. the investigation of the Ravens financial al
fairs, the questioning the Young Bannon who had been
living On the farm and then the discovery Of the bodies
by following the directions which Bannon gave.
Had Bannon refused to talk it seems that the ~slayings
might well have remained a mystery for . considerably
longer time II not forever. Regardless of whether it was
cleverly conceived, the idea Of burying the bodies beneath
the dirt floor of the COW stable, where thu, trampA4ng Of
animals would remove all traces Of the earth having been
disturbed was clever in effect. 1t is unlikely that ely
one ever would have looked there. =
But Damon talked and the murder was "out."
Standing out from the large number Of men who. bad
a part In the investigation is Andrew jackson Knox, who
entered the case as attorney for Bannon when the latter
faced trial for embezzlement on the charge of disposng
of some of the Haven hogs. We know nothing OF MI.
Knoxs legal attachments but as a man and q citizen he
closely approaches the ideal Of what q lawyer Is sup
posed to be.
Without deserving the interests of his client, lie kept
In mind that the public welfare comes first. And so,
with the aid of Bannons mother and the family spiritual
director. he induced the youth to tell the truth regard
ing. the Ravens disappearance.
The crime will be remembered in North Dakota as one
Of the most horrible and revolving in the history of the
state. It Is virtually q prairie reproduction Of the st.
Valentines day massacre in Chicago where seven gum
men were slaughtered by members of q rival gang, but
with this difference; the Chicago victims were gunner
also and all the participants were outside the law,
whereas the Ravens were peaceable and innocent people
and had done nothing to justify their terrifying end at
the hands of an enemy.
While the crime will be remembered, Mr.. Knox and
his part in solving the crime probably will be forgotten
quickly. But many will remember him as the. lawyer
who was eminently faithful to his trust as an officer of
the courts Of this state and who kept the interests Of the
common welfare above the interests of his client;
Contrasted with the kind of lawyers who infest the
courts in other parts Of this nation and whose principal
duty seems to be to aid guilty persons in evading the
law, MI. Knox stands as a lasting credit to the legal
profession both in this state and elsewhere. If there
were more lawyers like him fewer crimes would go un-
detected and fewer criminals would 60 free.
He has demonstrated how valuable an honest lawyer
can be to a community and even while we shudder at
the Nervousness Of the crime our spirits are lshtened
. bit by the figure Of this public servant in the back
ground. "a