Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-12-08
BOYDTOWN man HELD
FOR PENDING Term
Walter NewcOmb Has His Pre-
liminary Hearing.
Examination Brings Out Considerable
Detail. But No New Angles to
Case-NO Bail Allowed.

Walter NewcOmb the BoydtOwn man
confined in the Grant county jail on a
charge of murder, received his prelim-
mary hearing Wednesday and Thurs
day and will remain in Jail until the
pending term of court to be held in
February.
Fred Lechceski of Fennimore, who
was a member of the party on Sunday
afternoon, September 6, which gather
ed on the south bank of the Wlscon-
sin river across from the village OF
BOydtOwn and made merry, was on the
witness stand Wednesday afternoon.
Lechceski was a confusing witness as
he was unable to understand some of
the questions put to him. In the main
he testified that NewcOmb and Faust
had quarreIIed over the formers ab1l-
ity to obtain credit from saloon
keeper for liquor and had a scuff1e.
Later he and NewcOmb and Faust
started back for the Crawford county
side. another quarrel commencing
about fifteen feet from the shore. At
this point Faust came toward New
comb in the boat, using loud language
and the latter struck Faust three times
with the oar Both men went into
the river. and according to Leschceski,
NewcOmb was held by Faust under the
water so long that he was afraid the
man might drown and cautioned Faust
about it.
Benjamin Jones, a store keeper in
the village of BOydtown, testified We'd
nesday that he had been on the north
bank on the Sunday afternoon in CUES
ton and heard the loud talk and
duarrelling on the other side. He saw
something that resembled the oar flash
in the air several times. When the
men came across later he heard Faust
tell NewcOmb, that "he didn't have
any more principle than dog" That
Faust offered Newcomb a pOcketknife
and said that he would need that al
so. That Faust acted very queerly
Faust was a larger and heavier man
than Newcomb, according to the wit
ness
DR.. al. ID. DiIIman of Steuben, who
attended Faust was the next witness.
DR.. DiIlman said that he had exam
II )
the day following the argument He
found four large cuts on Faust's head
and was told that the oar had caused
three of them and a beer bottle in the
hands Of another man in the party
had caused the other. He cautioned
Faust regarding the danger Of head
wounds and advised that he move to a
point near his Office until he recovered.
Faust came twice for treatment and
then went over into Grant county and
was gone for week or so When
next he was called he found Faust at
his fathers house and in serious
condition from infection of the wounds
and an abscess of some nature on the
brain covering. Faust died few days
later.
Chester Faust, a brother of the de-
ceased, took the stand and practically
substantiated the evidence given. He
heard Newcomb say while he was in
the water, "Oh, Wall, don't" Faust
had pursued Newcomb when they
landed on the Crawford county side OF
the stream but Newcomb had run
away. Later he saw Newcomb with
gun and walked home with him.
Mrs. Wallace Faust, widow of the
deceased. took the stand. She spoke
of bad blood between NewcOmb and
Faust previous to the fight and testi-
fed that NewcOmb had told her he
intended TO kill her husband. That on
the evening of the trouble there had
been another drinking bout at the SEN
ior Fausts home and George Faust,
brother. had become intoxicated and
struck the injured Wallace on the
head. That Wallace had taken George
outside and walked him up and down
to sober him.
Mrs. Walter NewcOmb was present
at the hearing with her two months
old infant but was not called upon to
testify. The Newcombs have two 9TH
er children.
The states attorney asked that New
comb be held for trial at the Febru-
airy term of court and while this was
objected to by Mr.. ]. J. Blaine, attor-
ney for the defendant, the court held
NewcOmb over without bail.