Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1913-03-13
Old Story Of the Man and the Girl.

Walker, who has had an unsavory re-
putation and for the past several years
has been in the clutches of the law
more or less, forged check at Checo,
Calf, in 1910 and was tried and con
victed by the courts of Butte county,
sentenced to San Quentin for term of
five years and released on parole Feb
ruary l of this year with the under
standing that he would at once come
to Grangeville and go to work, report
ing the first of every month in person
to the sheriff of Idaho county and
make written report to the prison
board of California. He arrived here
several weeks ago and seems to have at
once become enamored with Helen Beck,
the eighteen year old daughter of Mrs.
Sophie Beck and after a courtship of
several weeks, appears to have secured
the promise of the girl to marry him.
She was discouraged from entering
into matrimonial alliance with the ex-
convict and his rage over the later turn
down was the direct cause of the
tragedy.
Secures License and Six Shooter.
With the idea of forcing issues, Wal
ker visited the office of the county
clerk at about two O'Clock Monday
afternoon and secured marriage
license. Later on he got shave and
made other arrangements for the con-
templated wedding. There seems to
have been some doubt in Walker IS mind
at this time as to whether the girl
would carry out her part of the contract
and it appears he began to take quite
freely from a bottle of liquor which he
had procured, evidently with the in
tention of nerving himself up for the
bloody work he was later to perform.
He dispatched note to the Beck house
by Robert Pennell and the messenger
returned with the information that Mrs.
Beck refused to receive the note or ad-
init the messenger and stated they
wanted nothing to do with Walker.
At this juncture of the affair he de-
parted for the Lingo secondhand store
to secure gun, stating to Lingo that
dog had been causing them consider
able annoyance up home and he wished
to rent gun with which to kill him.
He was shown drawer of guns of all
kinds and it was suggested that he
take high power and heavy shooting
one as with it were several shells, but
after looking over the lot he picked a
cally, stated he would secure shells up
town and return the gun in an hour
or such matter, remarking as he
stepped from the store: ~ guess
that will kill the dam B."
Have the Girl or Bombard the Place.
With the marriage license in one
pocket and the six shooter in the other,
the prospective groom departed for the
Beck house and without any ceremony,
pushed the door open and walked in.
This was along about half-past three
from the best information available.
Upon his arrival there appears to have
been a family row, the girl, following
the advice of her mother, refusing to
marry him and as the argument con-
tinued Walker s seems to have become
more determined in his demands until
he finally stated he would have the
girl or open up bombardment, threat
ening to blow the brains out of the in
mates of the room, who at this time
consisted of the girl, the mother, a
baby and child of three and Walker.
Fear Of Prison Seixes Him.