The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-04-09

was the scene of a brutal crime |
Saturday evening, when William
Hawkes., a well known young man of
this county, was fatally injured by
being struck on the head with a Gus
pidor in the hands of Nettie Russell.
The ARRAY occurred about o'clock
Saturday evening, and the victim lin
gered for several hours before he
died.
The dance hall is a large building,
divided into two sections, the saloon
being in one side, while a large room
used for dancing is in the other. The
two rooms are connected by a door,
which is always open for the conven-
fence of the thirsty dancers, who
after tripping the light fantastic toe
with the painted denizens of the
place are always led to the bar to
quench the Unsuitable thirst of their
partners. Above the dance hall are
the bedrooms and sleeping apart
ments, with the stairway leading up
from the hall. In the rear is a res
taurant.
tied the place and, after spending
some time there, he and the Russell
woman became engaged in an alter
cation. About o'clock, after keep
ing up the quarrel for several hours,
the two met at the foot of the steps
and Hawkes. was struck heavy blow
over the head with one of the metal
in no
room at the time as far as can be
learned but hearing the noise, sew
eral men, who were in the saloon,
went into the dance hall, where they
found Hawkes. lying on the steps
leading to the rooms above. At first
he was dazed, but in a short time he
appeared to be all right and asked for
water to wash away the blood that
was pouring from cut on his
head. He was taken to the shed in
the rear of the saloon, and aided by
several he cleansed himself as much
as possible, after which he left the
place.
Hawkes. lives about eight miles
north of Kalispell and had driven into
town and left his team at Rake
straws livery barn on Second ave-
nue. west and Third street. After
leaving the dance hall he went to the
barn and, procuring his team, he
started home.
He had only gone a short distance
from the barn when his peculiar &C
lions attracted attention, but moth
ing was done until he neared the
railroad crossing, when he slipped
from the seat and fell to the bottom
of the wagon.
G. M. Rost, who lives north of the
track was sitting in the house and
saw the team coming down the road
and noticed the driver was swayins
from side to side. A short time aft
erward he saw him fall from the
seat The team turned to one side
of the road and Rost sent his boys
to catch it, for fear it would rur
away.
After the team was stopped, Ros
recognized Hawkes. and spoke to him
but the latter could not answer, al
though he tried to do so. He did no
appear to be injured and it wa!
thought he was in a drunken stupor
Thinking this, one of Rost's brother
drove the team back to town ant
left it at Rakestraw's barn, WHERE
Hawkes. was recognized. A bed wa
made for him and he was left t.
sleep off his supposed drunk.
Sunday morning, when one of thu
men at the barn went to call him, i
was found that he had been dead TO
several hours. The authorities wer
at once notified and the remain
taken to McMahons undertakin
rooms, where an autopsy was he'll
later in the day by Doctors Dunca
and Morrow AS a result of their ez
animation of the body, a warrant
charging Nettie Russell with murde
was sworn out, and she was place
behind the bars.
Yesterday morning the inquest wa
held and several witnesses were e1
amined. The inquest consumed tn
entire forenoon and at II o'clock a
adjournment was taken until tn
afternoon at o'clock.
George Flynn. living at Marsto1
was the first witness called, and test
fed that he was present in the dane
hall Saturday afternoon, but that jus
previous to the fatal ARRAY he ha
stepped into the barroom. Hawke
and the Russell woman were havin
difficulty at the foot of the stairs
The cause of the trouble, he states
was over the attempt of Hawkes.
go up stairs, which the woman wa
determined to prevent. The two wei
using vile language and cursing eac
other, when the woman seized Gu
pidor and struck at him. Flynn We
standing in such a position that
could not see whether or not tn
blow landed What happened afte
ward he did not witness, as whe
the row started he got out.