Fair Project recounts 1930s murder, Lynching

Mark Hanson Staff-Writer
Wiliston Hearld, July 10, 1985

WATFORD City - The brutal slaying of a family in 1930 Just east of here, about 1 mile from what used to be Schafer, still sits heavy with some of the locals. So much, in fact, that 71-year-old Ivan Johnson tells the story like It hap­pened yesterday.

Albert Haven, his wife and their four children were murdered, probably on Feb. 10,1930. About one year after the murders, Charles Bannon confessed. He later was hanged from the Cherry Creek bridge by the mob.

“The feeling after the people found out that he was hung was that It was too good for him," said Johnson, who was 13 years old at the time. "He should have been burned for what he had done."

The Haven-Bannon case was brought back to life during the McKenzie County Fair as a grand champion 4-H display by

13-year-old Vawnita Hovet of the Keene Lucky Leaf club. Her display included the original gavel and stenographer's notebooks from the trial and the rope used to tie Bannon's hands behind his back before he was hanged.

Although the reports are sometimes conflicting, the general consensus is that Bannon brutally murdered the Haven family.

Rita Hovet, Vawnita's mother, said they received newspaper clippings from Bennett Rust, the nephew of Mrs. Ha­ven. The Iowa resident said there are still questions that remain unanswered.

The following Is a synopsis of the murders:

Charles. Bannon worked for the Havens on and off as a farm hand. One day, while milking cows in the barn, Bannon and two of the Haven boys, 19-year old Daniel and 16-year-old Leland, got Into a scuffle. The start of the argument, however, is still unclear.

Bannon, who was known to have had a short temper, pulled a 25-20 rifle from the Saddle on his horse and shot Daniel. Reportedly frightened, he also shot Leland.

After hearing the gunshots, Albert went to the barn, where he was also shot. It Is reported that Bannon then went to the house and stabbed Mrs. Haven about 15 times before killing her and her 3-year-old son Charles (who was named after Bannon) and an Infant.

During the following days, Bannon buried the family In various sites. The reports are that Bannon cut Mrs. Haven Into pieces, because she was too heavy to carry outside.

The murders were not brought out until almost one year later. After making up numerous stories, Bannon finally confessed to the murders.

"We kind of kept up on it because It was Intriguing," said Johnson, who, since 1946, has owned the Bannon homestead. "No one liked Charles, but his dad (James) was well liked. It was brought out later In the. trial that Charles was an illegitimate child."

Rita Hovet remembers her mother talking about the murders. "It was a scary time. The people kept low profiles and kept their doors locked for quite some time."

The feeling 6f the townspeople was that of shock, Johnson said.

The preliminary trial took place In Watford City, but Bannon was kept In the Crosby Jail because of the local people's feelings, Johnson said. But, because the trial was to start early the next morning, Bannon was kept in the Schafer Jail one night - it would be his last.

That night, Jan.29, 1931, a mob of about 70 people broke Bannon out of the Jail and brought him to the Cherry Creek bridge, where they would hang him.

"It was a strong feeling like that all over," Johnson said. "I would have liked to have been along with the guys who hung him."

Bannon was finally pressured into confessing when he and his father. James, had run the Haven farm for almost one year. They sold most of the cattle, grain an some land. No one heard from the Havens during that period, which caused many close friends to start investigating.

Bannon told those who Inquired that the Havens had take a trip to Oregon. He gave them a address to send mall, but his father, James, was in Oregon intercepting the letters. James was finally caught picking up mail, which linked Charles to the murders.

Bannon was hanged before the trial was completed and the full story may never be known.

Another unclear topic is t] skull of a 16-year-old girl that was found by the remains of Mi Haven in a rock cave.

One possible explanation was that two years before working for the Havens, Bannon worked for family that also had children including a 16-year-old girl. Upon  returning from town one day. The parents found their house burn to the ground and no sign of the children. It is believed by some that Bannon cut the girl's head before burning the house with  the children inside.

The lynching of Bannon believed to be the last one in North Dakota. There were 11 other cases of "frontier Justice" between 1888 and the hanging of Bannon.

According to newspaper reports, the lynching was partially prompted by the knowledge the 22-year-old Bannon could never be executed officially, because capital punishment was abolished in 1915.

No action was taken against the mob that hung Bannon even though it was known who many them were. Johnson, in fact, knew is quite a few who were with the group that night, including it’s  leader.

The self-determined project took Vawnita Hovet about two years to complete. She also re­ceived newspaper clippings from Hans Nelson, the sheriff at the time of the murder, who now e resides in Moorhead, Minn.

Bannon's defense lawyer, W.A Jacobson, still lives in Watford City.

But because Bannon was hanged before the story was told, the complete picture will probably remain a mystery

Record needs to be set straight on 1930s murder

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter to set straight a couple of mis-state­ments in a feature story in tHe July 10 Williston Herald regarding the 193O’s murder and lynching in McKenzie County.

First. of all. Hans Nelson claimed to have been sheriff at the time of the trial and lynching. Hans Nelson was never, never sheriff in McKenzie County. nor was he a deputy sheriff, unless it would be a brief assignment to police at a dance or other public gathering. My dad, S. A. Thompson, was sheriff at that time and Pete Hallan was deputy. 'Also, at no time was Charles Bannon Incarcerated in the Crosby Jail. He was held in the Williams County Jail all during his trial.

However, following the lynching, James Bannon (Charles' father) was tried for complicity in the crime, and he took a change of venue, so his trial was moved to Crosby, with attendant expenses to this county for transporting witnesses and officials to Crosby. James Brannon also demanded protection of the National Guard, and a unit was assigned there throughout his trial. James Ban-non was subsequently found guilty and received a life sentence in. the state prison.

Thanks for letting me set this straight.

Mrs. H.D. (Catherhie) Johnson Watford City

Mob justice means whole story won't be known

To the Editor:

On July 10, your paper published an article recounting the 1930 murder of the Haven family and the subsequent lynching of the suspect, Charles Bannon. According to a nephew of Mrs. Haven. there are still unan­swered questions.

In my humble opinion, there has been and still is too much speculation on all aspects of the case since the mob saw fit to execute the only person who possibly knew everything that happened.

It stated in the article that Charles was not very well liked and that later it came out in the trial that he was illegitimate. May I ask how that can be relevant to the case? There are only irresponsible people who neglect to get married before a child is born. Adoption used to have the same stigma attached. Also, "Bannon was known to have a short temper".

What would you call the tempers of the mob? Why was it so expedient to keep Bannon from testifying? He would. no doubt, have been proven guilty and received Just punishment. 

Rumors have floated about also that Charles Bannon was interested in the daughter of a former employer whose farm home burned down along with four children. It was rumored that Charles had been fired.

It also stated the daughter was 16 years old, and there was specu­lation about the skull in a cave. I know positively, the daughter was 13 years old, her birth date being Jan.20, 1912, and the date of her disappearance or death being Oct. 5 19, 1925, the date the house burned down. This was five years before the Haven murders, which time Charles would have been 17 years of age.

Because Charles was fired by the victim's parents should not reflect on the employer as being unreasonable and deserving revenge, thus making the victim the guilty parties.

Another question I would like have answered is: Who was the leader of the lynch mob, and why was he so intent upon it? We sees often on TV the Iranians being stirred up by a director or leader. Perhaps something can be learned from this, but my opinion is that the whole story will never be known in this life.

The mother of the children died at the age of 95, having lived for 57 years never knowing what happened to her children before or during the fatal fire. These parents is lived with agony and pain. Can't we let this "intriguing" case rest in peace like the victims? So much for lynch and mob            speculations.

Audrey Amlicn Allez

Watford City