Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-11-25
HEARING TODAY.
Preliminary Hearing Of the Williams
Murder Case Takes Place
at Washburn.
Account Of the Tragedy as Given ~
the Washburn Leader from
Facts Learned there.
Various Items Of Local News Gathered
in and Round the Capital
City.
Hearing Today.
No. N--S NM

Inc nearing OF oswald Warner, the
former Burleigh county ranchman who
shot and killed Fred Williams at Wash
burn last week, will begin at Washburn
today. The Washburn Leader gives the
following additional details Of the trag-
edy:
Warner came into Judge Miller's place
about half past one o'clock with two
teams in trailing. Hestated that. he had
Just met and killed Fred Williams. He
had left the body on the prairie. John
Halter, the Washburn stage driver who
had not yet started on his return, was
given some word for the sheriff and cor
oner to come over at once The sheriff
being absent constable Haines went over
instead, accompanied by Coroner Holtan
and his son, the superintendent Of
schools. The party arrived about mid
night and picked up the body and after
consultation concluded to hold the in
quest at the county seat, to which place
they at once started arriving Wednesday
afternoon when an inquest was held, and
later in the evening an informal hearing
was held before Justice Ranard who ad-
journed the same until Monday 2 p. M,
when Warner-now in custody-will
have an opportunity to procure the serv-
ices of an attorney. Warner made no
effort to escape and had voluntarily sur
rendered to the authorities. AS dead
men tell no tales we have a rather one
sided view of this tragedy which VIC here
present, and some obtainable facts about
the parties with the prisoners own yer
sion Of the murder-for murder it GER
tainly was.
Fred Williams cnmc to this part of the
country from Fort Scott, Kansas, about
seven years ago--was unmarried and told
his own age as about 81 years. He has
been staying with Ranchman Pace of
Painted Woods creek the past two years
and was stopping with Constable Hnines
in Washburn a few days previous to his
death, and it was Mr.. Haines' team he
was driving when killed. To those that
knew him we'll, he seemed a quiet, order
ly and i%nofensive kind of Il man, and of
a retiring disposition.
Owald Warner and faa,ily moved up
from Bismarck to the Turtle Lake neigh
borhood about two months ago md
settled upon the Casselman tree
claim at the Lake. They had hired
Fred Williams for a time to assist in
building. He had got through with his
contract, went to Washburn, made ar
rangements to stay with Nj. Haines for
the winter, and had borrowed his team
togo over for his effects and was met by
Warner after his return from the house.
Warner justifes his action by saying he
had been helping Judge Miller butcher
hogs-his little boy came over at two
different times saying his mother had
trouble with Williams who was there.
On his way homo he met Williams with
the wife driving rapidly behind gesticula-
ing in an exciting manner, and on COM
ing up accused Williams of committing
a rape on her person. Having a %
calabre Winchester along, he raised it to
his shoulder and fired three shots, one Of
them as afterward found had entered
Williams heart. The dying man, drop
ping lines, fell forward between the
horses to the ground and the team started
to run away was caught by Warner, his
wife holding his team. The murdered
man did not have as much as a jack
knife to defend himself with and was