(.MISSOURIAN TRIED
FOR KILLING WIFE
TO GET NEW TRIAL
'.hannon County Farmer Sticks to
Story That She Jumped in Cistern
With Baby to End Life.
WOMAN DENIES
FORMER CONFESSION
lornfer Common Law Wife Once
Testified She Choked Legal Wife
to Death and Then Disposed
of Body.
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Van
Buren, Mo.—Frank Welton, a Shan
non county farmer charged with com
plicity in the murder of his wife, Pearl
Welton, on a farm near Teresita last
January, is to be given another trial
at the April term of the Carter
County Court. His first trial on this
charge has just ended in the court
here, after the jury failed to reach an
agreement. The crime was one of the
most sensational in the criminal an
nals of the state. On the final ballot
the jury is understood to have voted
eight to four for acquittal.
Mrs. Carrie Erickson-Hofland -of
O’Neill, Neb,, who lived with Welton
for thirteen years as his common law
wife on a farm at O’Neill and who has
twice confessed tyiat she choked Pearl
Welton to death and threw her body
into the cistern during a fit of
jealousy when she came to Teresita
last January and found Welton mar
ried to her, now denies her former
confession and in her testimony ac
_ —•» used Welton.
Had Shielded Welton.
Mrs. Holland was sentenced to ten
years in the penitentiary by a jury in
the Shannon County Circuit Court last
June, and was brought to Van Buren
from Jefferson City as a witness. Until
Welton’s trial she had steadfastly
shielded Welton in her stories of the
murder, declaring that he was cutting
wood in the timber some distance
from the house, when she killed Mrs.
Welton.
“I nevejj choked Pearl Welton to
death,” JVffs Hoflard testified before
the jury at Van Buren. “I never
struck her with anything.”
Mr. Welton’s story was that Mrs.
Holland, who was deserted by Welton
more than three years ago, followed
him to Teresita last January and
, visited in his home, where he was
/ living with his wife and four-months
old baby. She posed to the young wife
as Welton’s sister, until the day of
the murder, when she says she told
Pearl Welton that she (Mrs. Holland)
was Welton’s wife.
Tells of Fig t.
“When I told Pearl /elton that I
was Frank’s wife she fl w into a rage
and tried to kill me,” Mrs. Hofland
said in her testimony. “She knocked
me down and we scuffh l on the floor.
When I finally freed m self from her
I ran to the bam. Pea 1 was getting
up from the floor when I left the
house. Some time later when I re
turned to the house, Frank met me in
the yard and told me that Pearl had
committed suicide by jumping into the
cistern with the baby in her arms.
“Frank and I then went to the cis
tern and he climed down in the
cistern. He put the baby, which was
alive, in the bucket and I drew it up.
He then tied the rope around her and
we pulled the body out. Frank said
we had better fix up some kind of a
story to tell the neighbors, as we were
likely to get into trouble.”
When cross-examined Mrs. Hofland
was vague and indefinite. Most of
her answers were “I do not remem
ber.” She says she does not remem
ber telling the Coroner’s jury at Ter
esita or Sheriff John By that she
choked Pearl Welton to death.
The woman gave no reasons why
she shielded Welton and took all of
the responsibility of the crime on her
self when she made the confession to
the Coroner’s jury at Teresita and
when she told of the killing at her
trial in Eminence last June. When
cross-questioned about her motive she
hung her head and replied “I do not
know.”
Change of Venue.
Welton’s case was taken to Van
Buren on a change of venue granted
from Sherman county on account of
the sentiment against him there. He
was indicted last June by a special
grand jury. The neighbors doubted
Mrs. Hofland’s story that she killed
Pearl Welton alone.
In his testimony in his own behalf
Welton clung to his first story and
that told by Mrs. Hoflland in her con
fession. He said he was in the timber
cutting wood when the murder oc
curred and that when he returned to
the house Mrs. Hofland told him that
Pearl had jumped into the cistern with
the baby.
Welton’s story to the jury hung to
gether very well with one exception.
A. neighbor, who had been helping him
cut wood for several days prior to the
murder, testified that on the day of
the murder he went to the Welton
home to go with Welton to the timber,
Welton told him that he was not go
ing to cut wood that day. They were
cutting the wood with a cross-cut or
double saw, which requires two men tc
operate it, the neighbor said.
Mrs. Hotlland’s Daughter Present.
Mrs. Hofland’s 18-year-old daughter
Myrtle Hofland, of O’Neill, Neb., whc
until her mother’s arrest and confes
sion to the murder last January did
not know that her rqpther was not
Frank Welton’s legal wife, was a wit
ness for the prosecution. Her testi
mony was delative to the life of her
mother and Welton at O’Neill.
W’hen her mother received the 10
year prison sentence at Eminence last
June the Hofland girl collapsed and
was critically ill for several weeks,
After her recovery she remained in
Eminence, the people of the town
sympathizing with her and showing
her every kindness. She has been
doing stenographic work at the office
oif Attorney Shuck, who assisted in
the defense of her mother and is in
the prosecution of Welton.
Mrs. Hofland was taken back to the
penitentiary at Jefferson City follow
ing the completion of her evidence in
Welton’s case.
ADDITIONAL RULINGS
ON REINSTATEMENTS
A series of decisions issued by the
Director of thij Bureau of War Risk
Insurance with the approval of the
Secretary of the Treasury provides
more liberal conditions for reinstate
ment of lapsed or canceled insurance.
The provisions of Treasury Decision
No. 47, allowing eighteen months from
te date of discharge for reinstatement
upon payment of only two months’
premiums on the amount of insurance
to be reinstated, are retained. That
decision is liberalized, however, by a
new provision that men out of the
service are permitted to reinstate by
merely paying the two months’ pre
miums without making a statement as
to health at any time within three
calendar months following the month
of discharge.
After the three months following
the date of discharge have elapsed, a
statement from the applicant to the
effect that he is in as good health as
at the expiration of the grace period,
whichever is the later date, will be re
quired together with a written ap
plication for reinstatement and the
tender of two months’ premiums on
the amount of insurance he wishes to
reinstate
In order to give all former service
men whose insurance has lapsed or
been canceled, a fair chance to rein
state their insurance, including men
who have been out of the service
eighteen months or more, and who
are therefore barred from reinstate
PUBLIC SALE!
II Having rented my farm and will move to South Dakota I will sell the following
p described property at public auction at my place 1 mile east of Blackbird,
16 miles north and 4 east of O’Neill, commencing at 1 p. m. sharp, on
\J Tuesday, November 25
13 Head of Horses
One team of buckskins, 10 years old; 1 sorrel mare, 5 years old, weight 1400;
| 1 gray gelding, 9 years old, weight 1400; 1 sorrel gelding, 12 years old, weight
1300; 1 sorrel team, 6 years old, weight 2100; 1 gray mare and 2-year-old colt;
3 other colts, good ones; 1 bay pony.
15 Head of Cattle
Seven good milch cows, 4 fresh soon; 1 Hereford bull; 1 red heifer; 5 spring
| calves; 1 dry cow.
29 GOOD SHOTES. 150 CHICKENS
Farm Machinery, Etc.
-1 One farm truck with box complete; 1 steel truck with hayrack; 2 high wheel
wagons; 1 new John Deere mower and rake; 1 Gale Sure Drop corn planter
with 90 rods of wire; 1 new John Deere lister; 1 Janesville lister corn tender;
1 Little Jap 6-shovel riding cultivator; 1 John Deere 4-shovel riding cultivator;
1 John Deere 4-shovel walking cultivator; 1 2-row John Deere corn cutter; 1
8-foot Deering binder; 1 4-section steel harrow; 1 Queen City gumbo slat rid
ing plow; 1 14-inch walking plow; 1 fanning mill and 1 corn grader; 1 12-foot
22 single disc Hoosier drill; 1 good surryand 1 top buggy; 1 tractor attachment
for Ford auto. HARNESS AND OTHER STUFF—1 new set No. 1 Concord
heavy farm harness; 2 set Concord farm harness; 2 set driving harness; 2 sad
dles ; 1 hand corn sheller; 1 coal oil barrel; 1 gasoline steel barrel; 90 pounds Al
falfa seed; 25 bushel prime cane seed; 1 tank heater;*1 hog oiler; 1 Emery tool
grinder; 1 tackle block wire stretcher; 1 washing machine with gas engine; 1
cream separator; 1 incubator, 125 egg size; 100 bushel of oats; some corn; 12
/ tons prairie hay; about 15 tons Alfalfa hay and many other articles too
numerous to mention.
FREE LUNCH AT NOON. BRING YOUR CUPS
’ TERMS—One year’s time will be given on all sums over $10.00 with ap
proved security and 10 per cent interest. $10 and under cash. No property
to be removed until settled for.
N. D. HANSEN, Owrver
Cels. M. T. Elliott & Sorenson, Aucts. C. P. Hancock, Clerk.
■rrTTt-:: -^- ~--.B
ment under the former ruling, a
special blanket ruling is made which
allows all ex-service men to reinstate
their insurance before December 31,
1919, provided that each applicant is
in good health as at date of discharge
or at expiration of the grace period,
•■whichever is the later date, and so
states in his application. Of course
it is nacessry that he tender two
months’ premiums on the amount of
insurance he wishes to reinstate.
Service men who reinstated their
insurance by payment of all back
premiums prior to July 25, 1919, when
the decision requiring payment of
only two months’ premiums went into
effect, upon written application to the
Bureau may have any premium paid
in excess of two applied toward the
payment of future premiums. For
example, if after a policy had lapsed
for six months, a man reinstated and
paid six months’ premiums instead of
two, he may secure credit for four
months’ premiums.
The provisions for reinstatement
no not protect a man until he actually
reinstates. If he waits he may not be
in as good health as he was at the
time of discharge and consequently
•may not be able to secure reinstate
ment.
Don’t put off reinstatement. Do it
now!
USE THE NEWSPAPER
Montana Trade Journal: No business
man in any town should allow a news
paper published in his town to go
without his name and business being
mentioned somewhere in its columns.
This applies to all kinds of business—
general stores, dry goods, grocers,
furniture dealers, manufacturing es
tablishments, automobile merchanics,
professional men and in fact all classes
of business men. This does not mean
that you should have a whole or half
or even a quarter page ad in every
issue of the paper, but your name and
business should be mentioned if you
do not use more than a two line space.
A stranger picking up a newspaper
should be able to tell just what busi
ness is represented in town hv look
ing at the business mentioned in the
paper. This is the best possible town
advertiser. The man who does not
advertise his business does an in
justice to himself and his city. The
man who insists on sharing the busi
ness that comes to town but refuses to
advertise his business is not a valuable
addition to any town.
The life of any town depends upon
the live widewake and liberal ad
vertising business men.
Must Have Her Gab,
The back fence conversation
Has vanished, you’ll allow.
The cause of that? Life in a flat.
There is no back fence now.
But woman is resourceful
And has progressive grown.
She meets the trend, just calls a friend
And gossips on the 'phone.
Compensation.
“Food is very high.”
“Cheer up. That engagement ring
your husband gave you ten years ago
has doubled in value.”—Louisville
Courier-Journal.
1 was there to make n sketch of (Iron’s Hour like a feast. For the
her. Luncheon was just over, and tiny toddlers there is a varied
she was talking to a little knot of menu, sometimes Uneeda Biscuit
women. The tlrst ^trds I heard, as and milk, sometimes Graham Crack
I slid quietly into a^fcrby scat, were ers, Oatmeal Crackers or Lunch Bis
•Natioual Biscuit," ouit. This is changed oil special
nutly my own tasty wkec^jPWcii- occasions to Old Time Sugar Cook
eou. I liked lier.juBSPHTec 1 com- ies oi^jjM^s'ewtous and, rarest of
fortably as sdu^j^^^Biu, my pen aJ^^pWrnre days when we had
and ears wh and Nnbisco, and those
"Betweennhe dark nilmia^p^ were our party days,
she was quoting, "tliei^BBTOys a "Don't think my hour is just a
hit of pause world lunch hour. It started us happily,
seems sure they
Then, when thev^^^^\ Always ready . *^^t0uid
to toddle, i uixd&r always fresh — always wel- ^heir
me in yap come. An appetizer at the be- BC*
chiidrenJr ginning of the meal, making the best Bn
i soup better, and the final touch of satis- Bj
purei^ faction when the cheese and coffee are K
ter'W served. Nothing can take the Jf>
wilf place of Uneeda Biscuit ^n
“You see, al
went on. “are muchlTKWBNjCT^I||B®|lL only National
mats. They are most h>»JMkgg^llftasig?f!fp8Brcan be. During the
most tractable after theC^MMHKlffiilgaiWiiy babies were growing
something to cat. National BisSSMRp^^never missed the Chil
riaiuties always begin our Chil-lrcWi s Hour with its tasty feast.
A man*?!
best pal
is his smoke
i
LIGHT up a Chesterfield. Now you’re in
^luck. No mistake about it, Chesterfields
sure do come through on “Satisfy”!
None but the finest varieties of Turkish
and Domestic tobaccos, specially selected
and expertly blended — is it any wonder
that Chesterfields welcome comparison
with the best you ever smoked?
Ordinary blending brings out flavor, of
course, but blending by Chesterfield’s proc
ess brings out a new flavor — a flavor that
“they” didn’t know was there.
And this blend is exclusive—based on our
private formula. It cannot be duplicated,
or even closely imitated.
You get “Satisfy” in Chesterfields and
nowhere else.
And the special moisture-proof wrapping
lets none of their flavor escape.