INSANE WOMAN TAKES LIFE OF BABY DAUGHTER

FULLERTON THE SCENE OF TERRIBLE TRAGEDY—DRUNKEN HUSBAND BLAMED

Oakes, N. D., Dec. 13.—-Coroner M. Boardman was called to Fullerton upon receipt of word that a little girl had been murdered. It proved to be Selma, who would have been two years old January 1st, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Griepp, who live in Fullerton.

The dastardly deed was committed by Lucia Griepp, mother of the child, who first gave it a dose of dry strychnine because she did not seem to know just how to dissolve it; following this she took a razor and severed the left jugular vein and cutting about a four inch gash across the throat. After finishing this work the mother went over to a neighbor's and informed her of what she had done, and also told she had come to give herself up. There is no doubt but that the woman is insane, and as soon as the sheriff arrived she was taken to Ellendale.

R. A. Grieppe {sp} is a carpenter by trade, and, so we are informed, imbibes at times too much of the fiery liquor, with the result that his family of wife and three children have suffered in not being properly cared for. Their home is evidence enough, and when one gets so shiftless and careless as indications point out it is about time something was attended to.

Rev. B. G. Jackson went over to Fullerton where he conducted the funeral services.

Valley City Times-Record, 12/19/1912

INSANE WOMAN KILLS OWN CHILD

HORRIBLE CRIME COMMITTED BY INSANE WOMAN AT OAKES.

Oakes, N. D., Dec. 14.—Slashing the throat of her 2-year-old baby girl with a razor after she had already given the child two grains of strychnine, Mrs. R. A. Greiff, insane, was committed to the state asylum for the insane yesterday.

The woman's horrible story was related by her to a neighbor where she went immediately after the affair happened.

She had given the child the poison first, and thinking that it was not working fast enough, she took the razor and slashed the baby's throat.

"No use going over there. It's dead," said the mother to Mrs. James Lawrence when the latter, to whom the woman told her story, suggested that they go back to the house of Mrs. Greiff. Mrs. Lawrence went to the Greiff home and found the baby's body just as the mother had said she would.

Three other children, ranging in age from 4 to 7, were in the house when the murder was committed. When Mrs. Lawrence reached the home the others were huddled about the bed on which the slashed body of the infant was lying.

Over a year ago state authorities made an investigation of conditions in the Greiff home and {illegible} then to take the children from the home because of alleged ill-treatment. No further steps were taken, however.

Because the woman gave the entire story of the affair, the officials did not deem an inquest necessary.

That Mrs. Greiff had intended to ending the lives of her other children is asserted by authorities, and she had searched for a revolved with which to kill them.

Ward County Independent, 12/19/1912