Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-01-24

Drives His Wife and Children Out Into
Special to The Tribune
BELT, Jan. 1S.--Conside able excite
ment was caused in this city on Thurs
day last by the brutal and inhuman con
duct of man known here by the name
of William Shocks. Shocks lives in the
Kennedy addition and has general rep
utation as an al.round tough citizen. II
is alleged that he assaulted his children
in brutal manner and when his wife
interfered he drove her and the children
out of the house into freezing cold and
kept them out till they were nearly
frozen to death But for the assistance
rendered by nelghbore, who finally heard
of what was going on, the family would
have suffered severely, for the wife did
not like to expose the brutality of her
Snooks and he WAS arrested on a charge
of assault and battery and locked up in
a room pending examination before
Judge Fitzgerald on the serious
charges against him Since the turning
of the jail few weeks ago there is no
safe place to contne d prisoner at Belt,
but after locking him IN a room the au-
thorities placed guard at the door, and
considered that they had the prisoner
safe enough. In this they reckoned
without their host, however. for IL some
manner he managed to get out of the
room and when morning came the au-
thOrities found that their bird had flown.
Snooks had been working in the coal
mines, aod his reputation is that of a
very desperate character " hen the
officer appeared to arrest him he seized
a knife and undertook to resist them,
but they were too quick for him. When
he drove the family out of tie house
one Of the frightened children ran away
and hid near the creek and it WAS nearly
frozen TO death when discovered.
Snooks was captured Friday by the
officers, having been forced by the cold
to return To his home, and tonight he
was tiled before Justice Fitzgerald on
the charge Of assault and battery. \
still more serious charge against him
was in contemplation, but the officers
concluded that the evidence was not
sufficient to sustain it. The court, after
listening to the evidence given,
found Snooks guilty of assault and bat
terry, but announced that he would not
pass sentence ON him till Monday morn
ing.
No solution Of the mystery of the
shooting from the bridge INTO one of the
rear buildings Of the CHstner hotel prop
erty, which occurred some time ago, has
yet been found. The matter WAS kept
quiet for some time, with the purpose Of
trying to tind out who was guilty of the
ceCkless acJ. 1t Is not supposed that
there Was any intent to shoot any per
son. although two men occupied the
room when Il couple of bullets came
crashing through the window The
theory generally held is that some reck-
less drunken man tired the shots al ran
dom.
There bias hetn a good deal Of
petty larceny around the town lately
and the law. abiding citizens are agita-
ting the employment of Il night watch
man or policeman TO round up some OF
the criminal characters.
In this connection Il good deal Of dis
satisfaction Was felt over the delay in
making repairs on the county jail. Tn"
contract was let some time ago, but the
contractors seem to be taking their time
about commencing work on it, and in
the meantime the town is without any
place to keep offenders safe.