Minnie Conley Putman (1899-1944)

PUTMAN, CONLEY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/17/2010 at 07:42:00

Maquoketa Community Press, Maquoketa, Iowa, June 15, 1944

TWO MURDERS SUICIDE END FAMILY ROW

Ralph Putman, 52, Former Bellevue Resident, Killed Policeman, Wife and Himself.

The death of Mrs. Ralph Putman, 50, the former Minnie Conley of Bellevue, late Tuesday afternoon in a Pierre, South Dakota hospital, brought to three the number of dead resulting from what Chief of Police Walter Frazer, of Pierre, described as a quarrel between husband and wife.

Mrs. Putman died as the result of burns suffered early Monday evening when her husband drenched her with gasoline and ignited it, the chief said. Putman fleeing to his home, then shot and killed Policeman Alva Burnett, 54, of Pierre who with three other officers were attempting to take him into custody, and then killed himself.

Putman and his wife had been quarreling all afternoon when the woman fled to the home of friends. Putman trailed her there and threw gasoline over her clothing and then set her afire. She died about 22 hours later.

Returning to his home about two blocks away, Putman barricaded himself in the residence and four Pierre officers went there and called upon him to surrender. Putman tossed a pistol outside and Officer Burnett started inside the house when a shotgun blast struck him and killed him outright.

Then Putman fled to the basement and put the shotgun in his mouth, discharging it and blowing away part of his head.

The couple operated a filling station and cabin site outside Pierre. Both will be buried in Bellevue.

Minnie Conley Putman Grave
 

Jackson Obituaries maintained by Nettie Mae Lucas.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen