Reading Between the Lines

Published by editor on Wed, 02/21/2024 - 1:48pm

By:

The Wright County Monitor

The First Pancake*

Amanda Rink, Editor

* A metaphor that originates from the practice of cooking pancakes, where the first one in a batch is sometimes unevenly cooked or doesn't look as appetizing as the ones that come after.

The majority of Newspaper Editors I know write a weekly column to be published in their respective newspapers. I’ve held off creating my own column because I feel like you all hear enough from me as the only full-time writer at The Wright County Monitor. However, there are times when I wish I could let my creativity flow and deliver to my readers a glimpse inside my clamorous mind. Sure, I love covering events around town but that doesn’t offer much for my creative side. I am foremost a creative writer.

Sometimes there are stories I cover that bring up research into other events that I would like to share and other times I’m stopped on the street with something interesting. A comment from a reader led me to my latest deep dive into a local cold case.

In May of 1888, The Wright County Monitor wrote of “intense excitement” that was, and still is, abnormal for the town of Clarion. Bertha Diggle (Clair) was in town with her husband, George, as she was performing in the traveling opera “The Count of Monte Christo”. It was said that George arrived in town to convince his wife to return home to South Dakota. On May 24th, Bertha visited Hamilton Drug Store. Her goal, as past newspaper clippings suggest, was made apparent when she inquired with the pharmacist regarding the dosage to kill a person.

Bertha later served a beer to her husband and soon after a physician was called to the Overacker Rooming House of Clarion. George Diggle was pronounced dead with the moon in the sky at nine o’clock on May 24th.

Of course, poisoning was assumed and collaborated with the coroner’s report. Bertha continued on the road with the traveling show rather than attending her husband’s burial in Sioux Falls, SD. This tipped off Wright County Attorney W.T.R Humphrey who was said to be relentless in his search for evidence to support his thoughts that Bertha was responsible for her husband’s death. When a morphine-labeled envelope was found, torn into pieces, Humphrey called for the arrest of Bertha in connection with the murder of George. She was found in Tama and brought back to Clarion.

A trial was held in December which gained national attention. The accusation was that Berta did not wish to return to South Dakota with her husband and poisoned him to ensure she could continue being the star of the traveling performance. The defense stated the couple was set to continue back to South Dakota after securing permission for Bertha’s departure from the traveling act. The defense stated the dose was self-inflicted and purposely paired with alcohol.

On December 23, 1888, the widow was found not guilty of the murder of her husband. Reputable public information about Bertha Diggle after her acquittal is nonexistent. A reporter for The Wright County Monitor wrote that they had not seen such strong circumstantial evidence as in this case and were surprised that a jury of such honorable men would find the party not guilty.

After scouring many old newspaper clippings for information on this case, it occurred to me that one day someone might look back on articles I have written to learn about the past of Wright County. What a wild thing to consider! Reporters are certainly historians in their own right.

I do hope my first pancake* of a column is still enjoyable even if the rest of my pancakes might look a bit better, dear readers!

Amanda Rink is the Editor of The Wright County Monitor. When she isn’t caring for her family, writing for the newspaper, or avoiding laundry, she can be found hiding in the woods with a cup of coffee and a romance novel.