34
FUGITIVE SLAYER
KILLED BY POSSE
Minnesotan, Surrounded Aft
er Several Days’ Hunt,
Falls Before Fusillade.
j>y the Associated Press.
KITTLE MARAIS. Minn., July 27.
—-Bullets from possenaens’ rifles yes
terday ended the hunt for John 'West
blade, who fled into the timber near
here after kinning two highway
patrolmen last Friday, and caused a
price off 2,500 to be posted for him
"dead or alive."
Termed "queer" by his neighbors.
Woslblade apparently became crazed
when the two patrolmen—Alvin Tofte
and Sigurd Ide -removed a sign he
had placed on the highway, offering
Ills farm for sale.
Before he fled, authorities say he
fired his house and destroyed his ap
ple orchard. A coroner's jury quickly
charged him with the double slaving.
Wore Two Revolvers.
Habitually lie wore two revolvers,
and when he fied he also had a rifle.
Known as a crack shot and an ex
pert woodsman, the pursuit was taken
up witli caution, possemen from three
counties joining the hunt.
Through the dense thickets and
heavy limber that had been his
refuge since Friday, possemen stalked
him day and night, four times sight
ing him before bringing him down in
an exchange of shots yesterday.
Even while they were burying
Tofte and Ide late yesterday, the
fugitive assassin was sighted not far
from his farm, but he disappeared
into the brush as two possemen opened
fire, escaping unharmed.
Quickly tiie possemen ringed the
vieiinitv, and waited for the light of
day.
Day was well advanced when they
flushed him. An animal at bay. he
opened fire point blank at 50 feet,
hut his first shot was wild and the
hunters returned a fusillade from be
hind the trunks of large trees.
