The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-12
QuARRELS BLAMED
. BY FARM BOY Held
IN BORDULAC CASE
Confession Tells How He Lay in
Wait for Parent and Shot
Him Down
SISTER FURNISHES CLUE
Statement as to When Young
Man Came Home Proves
Break for Officials
SISTER FURNISHES CLUE

Darlington, N. D.. Jan. l2.-R-
How he plotted his fathers death
after series Of quarrels and then
sought to make the Staying look like
a case Of suicide was recounted by
George Hoffman, 2l-year-old Bordu-
lac farm youth. in signed comics.
sion at 3 q. m. Friday.
He was charged with first-degreo
murder following his confession to J.
A. Heder, Bismarck. assistant attor.
ney general, and indicated he Is will.
ing to plead guilty.
Questioning OF the farm youth was
begun by Heder at a. m. Friday and
two hours later the confession was
signed in the presence OF G. P. Van
denoven, Minot, special agent for the
500 line; Sheriff M. ]. O'Neill. Of
Foster county: r. J. Brady. chief Of
police Of Darlington: and Charles
Peccock, who guarded Hoffman at the
Jail here.
Suspicion was directed at the youth
when he and his sister. Anna. q, told
conflicting stories about the boys
whereabouts at the time Of the kill
ing, which occurred shortly before
midnight, January 3. The sister said
she had heard the shots which killed
her father, but that her brother was
in bed at the time. She later changed
her story, declaring the boy came In
after the shots were fired.
Think Girl Was Fearful
Authorities here expressed belief
that the girl may have feared her
brother. Hoffman took all response
bility for the killing. declaring in his
confession he had no accomplices-
| He said he and his father hid
qlarreled often and that he was told
by his parent about six weeks ago
that he could remain home only until
next April l. On several previous
occasions the son had left home.
From the time Of their last quarrel,
Hoffman said, he began to make plans
for killing his father.
The night Of January 3. he said.
his father had gone to the home Of
q brother-in-law. The son said ho
took his gun and shells and hid In q
barn. waiting for the return Of hia
man was returning home and his
assailant fired at him from q boxcar
behind an elevator.
Young Hoffman said he watched
for q time to observe if there were
any persons about. He then placed
the gun over the body OF his father
in such q manner as to indicate sui.
eide. Tracks found In box car from
which the shots were fired led 20.
lice to discard the suicide theory.
Went Home to Bed
The youth said that after shooting
his father he returned home and
went to bed.
The next morning, while he and
three companions were leaving the
farm on horseback. the youth from
q distance pointed to where the body
OF his father was slumped. He turned
to his companions and said he saw
the body Of his father and suggested
the man had apparently committed
suicide. When questioned about this
by authorities, he said he could SEQ
the gun across his fathers body, but
later denied that he could see the
weapon from the distance.
Hoffman said that, although his
father had been missing all night at
the time Of the killing, little was said
about his disappearance at home. He
said he told his sister in the morn
ing his father apparently did not
return home for the evening, but that
little more was said about 1t. Tho
boy explained that he and his sister
seldom carried on extended CONVEX
sations with one another.
The boys mother died in eeptem-
Der, 1882. He and his sister are tho
only children in the family.
The father. John Hoffman. was .
prominent farmer and In comfortable
financial circumstances.
The son was described by authori-
ties as "slow thinking" but apparently
o! normal mentality. He had fin
ished grade school, where his chief
difficulty was with mathematics, and
had attended high school for one
year.
| After the confession had been made
young Hoffman was taken from Car
rington. where he had been held for
several days, to jamestown, for safe
keeping. Feeling against the youth
appeared to be running high. accord
ing to Heder.