Newspaper accounts of the murder of Mary Peterson

COLD BLOODED

Details of the Brutal Murder of Mrs. Peterson at Cavalier by Her Husband

FIRED THE SECOND TIME

After Leaving His Victim Lying Helpless on the Ground for an Hour

The Pembina Express, in its account of the murder at Cavalier, says; " On Friday the couple returned from Grand Forks, both of them having been drinking more or less. They quarreled a greater part of the night and in the morning renewed the trouble; at dinner in the presence of several children, Peterson told them that this was the last meal that he and their mother would ever eat together. It seems that Mrs. Peterson had resolved to leave her husband for good and return to Grand Forks.

After dinner, Peterson told his boy to hitch the horse to the buggy and take his mother away. Mrs. Peterson went out into the yard and was about to step into the buggy, when Peterson came out seized her by the arm, drawing it back and shot her in the side with a 38 caliber bull-dog revolver. The woman fell bleeding to the ground. The shooting was done in the presence of several children, some of them grown up, and a hired man John McLellan. They were all frightened and ran away except the oldest girl, Flora. She remained with her mother. The mother asked the daughter not to leave her. She afterward asked for a drink, and when the daughter went in the house after it, Peterson took the cup himself from the girl and went and gave the dying woman a drink.

After about three quarters of an hour, during which it is supposed that Peterson fortified himself with more whiskey, he came out in the yard and finding that his wife was not yet dead he placed the revolver to her heart and fired again, putting the poor woman at once out of her misery, and completing the damning record of himself as a murderer. Peterson has a married daughter in Grand Forks. He had been to Fargo and had paid off a loan on his place of $800. He stopped off at Grand Forks on his way home to visit his daughter. He got drunk as usual, was arrested and was placed in the lock-up at East Grand Forks and was fined $10 in the morning. He has his present crop of wheat on hand unsold yet".

(Source: Grand Forks Weekly Plaindealer; dated Thursday, October 27, 1892, page 7)

A DASTARDLY MURDER

Albert Peterson of Cavalier, Deliberately Shoots His Wife

The report of one of the most horrible crimes ever committed in the state, reached us late Saturday night. As near as we can ascertain, the tragedy occurred on the Peterson farm about four miles from Cavalier. Peterson and his wife were in the habit of quarreling, and the climax was reached last Saturday afternoon when Peterson ordered his wife to leave her home forever. The poor woman gathered together some of her clothing in a bundle and started for the wagon, her son having previously been ordered to hitch up the team. As she placed her bundle in the wagon, Peterson, who had followed her, grasped her by the shoulder and deliberately shot through the body. Mrs. Peterson staggered and fell to the ground, writhing in her agonies, and her son and daughter rushed toward her, but the fiendish father and husband, waving his bloody revolver warned them back, and threatened them with instant death should they try to help her. Coolly surveying his ghastly work for a moment, the fiend turned and entered the house, remaining for fifteen minutes, when he returned and seeing his wife dying slowly (to slowly to suit him) he placed his revolver to her heart and sent a bullet crashing through it.

In the meantime, his son had carried the report to Cavalier and Peterson was promptly arrested and placed under lock and key, by Constable John Trumner. Indignation ran high, and Peterson would have been summarily dealt with had he not been delivered to Sheriff O'Connor, and hurried away to Pembina, where he was placed behind the bars.

(Source: St. Thomas Times, dated October 21, 1892)

COURT CASE: date not listed

The Peterson murder case was called in the afternoon and a notion made by W. J. Kneeshaw to impeach the jury on account of an irregularity in drawing. The motion was over-ruled and the case continued.

COURT CASE: date not listed

Tuesday morning the court room was crowed in anticipation of hearing the Peterson murder trial. When the case was called the attorney for the defendant, W. J. Kneeshaw, Esq., asked the court for permission for defendant to withdraw his plea of "not guilty." The permission was granted and the defendant then plead guilty to murder in the first degree.

COURT CASE: date was not listed

Peterson saved the county lots of money by pleading guilty.

INMATE'S RECORD: Bismarck, North Dakota

NAME: Albert Peterson
DATE RECEIVED: August 10, 1893
CRIME: murder
SENTENCE: Natural life
DATE OF SENTENCE: August 4, 1893
EXPIRATION OF SENTENCE: Death
WHERE CONVICTED: Pembina County
PRIOR COMMITMENTS: One-three years; WHERE: Stony Mountain, Manitoba, Canada

AGE: 57
NATIONALITY: Norwegian
BORN AT: Christiania, Norway
BIRTHPLACE OF MOTHER & FATHER: Christiania, Norway
RESIDENCE IN STATE BEFORE ARREST: Twenty three years

COMPLEXION: Fair
HAIR: Lt. Brown
Eyes: Blue
Forehead: High
Nose: Ordinary
Mouth: Ordinary
Chin: Ordinary
Lips: Thin
Weight: 170 lbs.
Height: 5' 8 1/4"
Size of Hat: 7 1/8
Size of Shoes: 9 1/2

Verdict of Coroners jury is that Albert Peterson came to his death from Apoplexy Predisposed by Arterial Sclerosis.
Died at Penitentiary Hospital, January 8th, 1916.

DISCIPLINARY RECORD:

December 10, 1909: Carrying milk from barn to cell; reported by Officer Buck; no punishment

March 10, 1910: Repeatedly building fire in crematory and cooking meat and smoking; reported by Officer Baker; Sent to cell

May 7, 1910: Smoking in yard back of oil house; reported by Deputy Warden; Locked in his cell