Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-17
Willard w. Buck Charged With
the killing Of William Pol-
ter at Prairie City
CRIME WAS COLD FLOODED
Tho Defendants Will Plead Insanity
and His Actions, If Not Feisned,
Would Indicate Mental Unbalanoe-
State Will Claim He Has Been
shammins-TriaI at Newton
noeIal 70 r,mes-RenublIcan.

Special 10 llIucS-1tCRu0A'~"''
Newton, Dec. 17--In the case OF the
state of Iowa vs.. M. w. Buck Tor the
murder of one William Porter, May 3,
1904. in the town of Prairie City, Iowa,
the Jury was obtained in about four
hours. out Of fifty jurors. Buck Is in
dicted on the charge Of murder In the
first degree and he will claim insanity
as defense. Six witnesses were used
yesterday afternoon most or them eye
witnesses to the deed.
Judge Preston Is hearing the case.
The defendant is 80 years of age, while
his victim was 6S. veteran Of the
civil war.
The two men lived in Prairie City,
and but one house interviewed between
them. This house was occupied by q
widow, Mrs. Dora williams. Both
Porter and Buck helped her In her
work about the house. and often the
one would laughingly say: well, this
Is your day to help out the widow"
The widow" joke in time grew to be
a serious matter. Porter was wild
over. living with an unmarried daugh-
ter. Buck had pretty young wife and
a baby daughter.
1t Is said Porter started story
about seeing Buck about the Widows
premises, and that Buck while under
retaliated in kind and told that he had
seen Porter coming out Of the Widows
house in the night. The stories were
first circulated in a spirit Of banter.
Buck took the widow story on him as
q very good joke, told his wife about 1t
and every one had a good l,Clgh. Por-
ter demanded a retraction OF the story
about his being seen coming from the
Widows home early in the morning.
The demand brought the joke to sud-
den seriousness, and the two men de-
cided to meet May 9, to settle their
trouble. Porter called upon DR.. Gill in
Prairie City on the morning Of May g.,
and told the doctor he was going to
have the widow story Strengthened out.
The doctor advised caution. Buck was
seen coming down the street and Por-
ter called to him. Buck refused to
come into the Office and said IL there
was to be any settlement 1t would be
out In the open.
Porter left the office of Dr. Gill and
the two men walked to the park thru
the business district of the town, talk
ing earnestly, but with no buster. At
the park the two men stood talking
fully five minutes, when Buck grasped
his revolver and fired killing his neigh
Dor. w. M. Duntley, Porter's son-in-
law, who has livery stable in Prairie
City. saw the entire affray but did not
dream it would eliminate in murder
until the first shot was fired. He ran
to help Porter and was intercepted by
Buck who fired a shot at him. Having
frightened Duntley away Buck shot
Porter again and then stood calmly by
while neighbors came and covered the
remains.
Buck was Immediately arrested and
only the timely appearance of Sheriff
Mobberly prevented demonstration.
Three days after Bucks arrest he be-
gan harping on a story to the effect
that he had killed the devil and was
glad Of 1t. For seven months he has
talked of little else. He works himself
into the most fiendish state of glee at
having disposed of Satan and processes
to believe that he has done all human
ity great favor. The defense will be
that Buck is insane.
The Testimony.
The first witness called was DR.. Nc
Conahev. who testified that he was
standing on the street across from the
Park when his attention was called to
shot from the park. He thought that
the martial was shooting dog, but as
this was followed by two others he
looked round in time to seek Buck with
the gun in his hand and Porter fall to
the ground. He ran MP into his office
for something. He came down immed-
lately and went across the park, but
Porter was dead before he reached the
spot. When he got there Buck, Por-
ter, George Coffee, A. II. Brous and
SOME others were in the park. He sta
ted that he found wound on Porter's
right wrist, one on his left arm, one
in the left side, which may have been
caused by the same ball, and on in his
left breast above the heart.
Mayor GILL of Prairie City was next
called and stated that he and Porter
were in his office Just before the shoot
ing; that Buck came along and was in
the street in front of the Office looking
at a horse, and as soon as Porter saw
him he said, Buck, come in now and
let us settle our difficulty" to which
Buck replied, "If you want to settle
with me, you come with me-" Porter
went out and the two went away walk
ing in the direction Of the park. The
remainder of his testimony was about
the same aus previous witness.
George Coffee was next called and
testified that he heard four or five
shots, ran to the park and saw Buck
with the revolver; lifted up Porter.
asked him If he was badly hurt, but
Porter just looked up at him and could
mouth. then turned to Buck and said
Buck, what have you done?" Buck
said, 81 have killed Satan" I told him
that he had not killed Satan, but that
he had killed a good old soldier. He
said, "No, 1t was Satan" and I said,
mo, you have killed a good old man.
took Buck by the arm, and Brous and
took him UP to the city Jail and lock-
ed him in. / did not examine Pointer
very closely, as, was in too big a
hurry. Some one yelled, Hang the
s. Of b." and we wanted to get
him away as quick as possible. AS
we were closing the door on him he
said to me, Coffee, tell my wife that
I love her dearly, but do not know
2