The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-16
.HOyT WAS QUARRELS0
Had Made Threats Against the
Life of Lewis.
A VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY
Witnesses for the Defense Show That
Lewis Acted in Self Defense
When Hs Shot Down
Hoyt.
DICT OF NOT GUILTY

Special Correspondence of the Standard
Wallace, Idaho, Feb 14.-After the
examination of one unimportant wit
ness yesterday morning the state rested
it's case in the trial of Thomas Lewis
for the murder of Amos Hoyt The de-
Tense had about dozen witnesses, most
of them unimportant, called to prove
that Hoyt was bad, quarrelsome man
and had made repeated threats to take
the life of Lewis. The last witness on
the stand was Lewis. His story of the
affair was that he had hired Hoyt to
work for him on the day before the
killing, agreeing to put him to work
the next morning. Hoyt wanted some
rubber clothing and said they would not
trust him for them at the store without
an order from Lewis. Witness refused
to give him such an order because he
did not know If Hoyt could do the work
he wanted done Hoyt then became
abusive and made threats against wit
ness. Late at night he came down town
to put on the ii o'clock shift and Hoyt
assaulted him in Murphy's saloon. He
threatened to whip witness and spat in
his face. Witness babe him go away
and refused to fight him. Witness went
up to Desaulniers saloon and Hoyt
came in a moment later and renewed
the quarrel. Lewis left him there and
started home. He stopped in at Pa
gums saloon and couple Of minutes
later Hoyt came in. He Immediately
attacked witness, who made no resist
ance. Hoyt threw him down on the
floor and began chewing his ear and
trying to gouge his eyes out. Witness
cried enough and Paquin took Hoyt off.
Paquin put Hoyt out but he Immediate
ly returned and tried to renew the fight.
Paquin again put him out and he again
returned. When put out the third time
Paquin locked the door. Hoyt then
broke the window and endeavored to
enter, when Paquin dubbed him away.
A half hour after Hoyt had been heard
outside witness started home. He went
outside and as he turned something
struck him in the back of the head.
He turned around, half dazed, and saw
Hoyt approaching him with his hand in
his pocket as though drawing gun.
Witness then fired and Hoyt fell. Lewis
then went down town, woke up the jus
tice of the peace and surrendered him
self, telling the justice that he had been
waylaid while on his way home and had
shot the man. He went back up to the
saloon with the justice and the deputy
deputy sheriff and man named Smith
took the gun away from witness. Smith
knocked him down and together with
several Others there, made threats of
what they would do with the witness
when they got him down town. The
deputy sheriff then took him home,
where he changed clothes and put.ran-
other gun in his pocket, the same gun
found on him when he was found in
yl~;t lx.s,, Il
of the preliminary hearing five or six
days later. He had been drunk all the
time and went up to Whites to get a
little sleep. On c-oss- eXamination, he
said that when Hoyt attacked him at
the time of the shooting he said, Il will
kill you, you -
w. w. Norton was the only eye-wit-
ness of the shooting. His testimony was
that as he was coming up the street
his attention was attracted by a sound
of breaking glass and he say Hoyt in
front of Paquin's saloon. Hoyt then |
stood up by the side of the building, |
and about three minutes later Lewis !
gave the time as half an hour) Lewis |
came out. Some one spoke. Witness !
thought he recognized Hoyt's voice. but /
could not distinguish the words Lewis /
turned, Hoyt approached, there was a |
flash, Eoyt fell and Lewis went into /
the saloon. This agreed with the de- |
position Of Paquin, but Lewis state-
ment was that he Immediately went |
down town.
The location where the killing was
lone is in the upper part of Burke
above the Tiger mill, in the disreputable
quarter, and this killing was the second |
,ne there, one OF the Paquin brothers
having been killed in the adjoining
building three years ago while endaav
bring to whip his mistress, the woman |
shooting him and killing him instantly. |
The case went to the jury tonight |
and a verdict Of not guilty was re-
turned.