Hans Thorpe was born in 1834 in Norway. He lived in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. He met and married his wife Ida M. Johnson in Polk County, MN 14 Dec 1898.
Hans Thorpe Minot September 1900
Though still in his thirties, Hans Thorpe had already seen much of the world, following first the career of a seaman and later that of a railroad worker. Thus, when he landed in Minot, N.D., in 1898 he had little difficulty wooing and winning young Ida Johnson, a girl still in her teens. By late 1899, however, the marriage was floundering. Like many men who viewed women basically as property, Thorpe considered his young wife as being unfaithful every time she left the house, even to simply visit a neighbor.
On the evening of December 1st, after a week-long drinking bout, he followed her next door to Mrs. Johanson's house, pulled a revolver and shot her twice in the head. He then turned the gun on himself, the bullet destroying his right eye and disfiguring his face, but doing little other damage. Ida Thorpe died instantly. Neighbors called the authorities and Thorpe was hauled off to jail.
At his trial in late April 1900, the state had little difficulty convicting Thorpe of first degree murder and he was sentenced by Judge David Morgan to death by hanging on May 10th. The execution took place on September 14, 1900, at a point then outside of the city limits, about a half mile southeast of the Ward County courthouse. Thorpe spent his last moments bantering with reporters. Sheriff William Carroll then distracted the doomed man while an assistant sprang the trap. (Source: ndcourts.gov).
Here are the newspaper articles I found:
Here is a You Tube video explaining the Hanging procedure which I will warn you is very graphic, so have been warned!
Also graphic you have been warned:
If he was born in 1834 he would have been 66 in 1900
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