On this date in 1910, Charles Moline told Sheriff Erickson what had happened to his father. Charles explained that elder Moline had been in the town of Barton and was intoxicated. As Charles drove his father back to the farm in a sleigh, he gave him a bottle of whiskey laced with strychnine. As the poison took effect, his father got out of the sleigh and collapsed in the snow.
Charles said he left the sleigh and walked back to Barton to get his mother, Ida Moline, and his younger brother. By the time they returned to the sleigh, Moline was dead. They got the body in the sleigh and returned to their farm. They woke the housekeeper, telling her that Moline had died from intoxication. People found it odd that no one called a doctor who could determine the cause of death.
Sheriff Erickson arrested Charles on suspicion of murder. Mrs. Moline was taken into custody and held under guard at a private home. Charles asked to see his mother. The sheriff accompanied him to the house and observed him passing a note to her. Erickson demanded to see the note. It asked his younger brother to smuggle a gun and ammunition into the jail so he could commit suicide.
Ida admitted that she had encouraged Charles to kill his father. She said she had provided him with knives so he could kill himself after killing his father. On March 14, Charles was found guilty of murder. Judge Burr sentenced him to life in prison. Burr told Moline that he had never before met a murderer who was so cool and collected. He said there was virtually no chance that Moline would ever regain his freedom, but he should nevertheless obey all the rules of the prison and be a model prisoner.
The following June, Ida Moline was tried for first degree murder. She was found to be insane, and was sent to the asylum in Jamestown. It was not considered possible that she would ever regain her sanity.If she ever did, she would be returned to Rugby for trial. It seemed more likely that she would remain in the asylum until she died.
Dakota Datebook by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Oakes Times. “Put Poison in the Whiskey.” Oakes ND. 2/10/1910. Page 7.
Bottineau Courrant. “Chas. Moline Found Guilty.” Bottineau ND. 3/18/1910. Page 1.
Ward County Independent. “Mrs. Ida Moline Insane.” Minot ND. 6/23/1910. Page 16.
