January 1931
I left Sunday morning about 10 o'clock and visited with Mr. and Mrs. Haven until the boys come home. They come home about 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the Swenson boy was with them. Dan came in first, then Leland and Swenson next. Mrs. and Mr. Haven stay in dinning room talking to me, and the Swenson boy and Leland in the front room. Dan came in and talked to the old folks and me awhile then went out to clean the barn then Leland and Swenson went out and started to help Dan clean the barn and Mrs. Haven says to Albert go out and tell that kid to go home and let the boys do there work, they have had a good time at the party let them work now and he says Oh let them play they will get it done any way so she got up and went out she must have said something because he went home. he went home between 4 and 5 o clock. . that kid comes here for his meals every Sunday but he has got his last meal here they had it about done then they come in and we had supper listened to the radio a while then Mr. Haven and I went out to milk and finish up the chores when we was doing the chores Mr. Haven says what will you take to work awhile for me I says Oh I dont know what will you give me. Well we will talk to Mrs. Haven when we go in. so we went in and sat down while Danny turned the seperator and Haven says Charles says he will work a while But dont know what he is worth. She says it should be worth $ 35.00. But I did not think so so they decided to give me what I asked $ 50.00 they neaded me for around 2 months. so after we listened to the radio awhile I said Well I better go home Know Mr. Haven says you can stay all night, for we would like to have you start in the morning so I did. In the morning Haven called me and Dan and said well get up and start doing up the chores and you get up Leland and get ready for school so me and Dan got up and went out to milk and do the chores up while Mrs. and Mr. Haven got breakfast While Dan and I was milking Leland came down and asked Dan for some milk. Dan says milk your own milk so Leland did start to milk one of the cows with his tin pail I had milked my share any way my pails was full Dan saying in a joking way you son of Bitch and got my gun from my saddel and shot Dan. Seeing what happened I got seared and shot Leland and Leland did not drop then I shot again then he did I then waited for Mrs. and Mr. to come out I was so scared some one might come But Mrs. Haven had called the boys a copel of times already then Mrs. Haven come out again and come into the barn I was standing back by the door by the harness and she walk by me I ran up behind her and she heard me and turned around and I shot her in the forehead some where she made a run at me saying you little devil and I got out of her way she started runing to the house and I after her then Haven come out what the matter what the matter and I shot him in the head and finished her with another shot on the step and hit her with my gun on head Haven got in the house andd grab up the next littel one But my mind seem to be sacared and I shot him and finished the little ones then I draged Haven out of the house and he was heavy But I got him down to a straw pile where the baby was when they got it and Mrs. Haven I draged there too But the boys was in the barn yet I took them back in the hay yard and covered them over with hay the babys was with the rest then I cleaned up the floor and step and the path where Mrs. Haven bleed and then I went in the cow shed thinking of a place to bury them whil I was in there Alec the Finn come went in the house because I heard the door slam he walk by the granery and I see him then went. I then went in the house and seen the coast was clear.
Well I had every thing covered up then I went home and talked to Dad awhile and told him I was working for Haven and that I had rented the place so then I went back and went in the house and I see slim had been there But I did not now who at the time I then started to wash up some dishes and the seperator and dad come over with the team and slay then slim come back with his hay stoped watered put his team in the barn come up and showed me how to wash the sep. dad finished the lunch I had started we all eat then slim went home I don't remember if dad stayed all night or went home But any way tuesday I burried the boys and Mr. Haven then in the afternoon I worked late I did the chores eat and started to finish up and dig a hole for Mrs. Haven and baby just as I had finished up shorty Sempel came I was in the cow barn and he says what are you doing here so late I said there is a lot of chores to do here I tell you then shorty went in the house with me said I am a little chilly I warm up and go so he warm up and said I got to go now. But I told him stay all night and he did
I told him that I was scared of Mrs. Haven coming back, because I told him about the same story I told the rest all a lie But he stade. went next morning I worked around there till about 2 oclock then dad come over and we did up everything there fed watered milked then went over to Mac place and finished up the chores there ate supper talked a while then went to bed I got up early and helped dad milk then eat then went over to Havens to do up the chores again before I went dad said I wont be over tonight you can do up everything stay there and come over here again if your scared But I did not go home that night I stuck there all day until 3 oclock then went over to shortys told him I had got a letter from Dan telling me to go ahead and put the crop in as we planed that which is a lie also I stad there all night went home about nine oclock done up every thing again then dad and I went back for about a week then we moved on the place when Morrison to -- charge of Mac.
The text above is from State v. Bannon, 62 N.D. 517, 542-544, 244 N.W.1 (1932). The text is in the same form as written by Bannon and quoted by the Court.
January 29, 2003