Bowbells Tribune, 6/15/1906
W. B. Walker Declared Insane.
W. B. Walker, the school teacher-printer, was adjudged insane at Towner last week and will be committed to the insane asylum.
Walker seems to be perfectly rational upon all questions, except that pertaining to one particulr {sp} lady, the wife of a lawyer named Owens of Balfour, who was formerly his steady girl.
The fact that the girl who was Miss Mackin, jilted Walker and married his rival, seems to have turned his head, for it is feared that if he is let go at large, he will slay Mr. and Mrs. Owens, and perhaps himself. Walker is a young man of good habits, pleasing address and it is hoped that he will rapidly recover from his hallucination.
Ward County Independent, 12/20/1906
W. B. WALKER'S TROUBLES
Walked Into the Owen's Home at Balfour, Revolver in Hand, and Demanded Money—Is Well-known in Minot.
W. B. Walker, who walked into the home of D. T. Owens, a real estate dealer at Balfour and demanded money at the point of a big 38 calibre revolver, will be tried before Judge Goss at Towner Thursday. This is the third time Walker has been arrested at Balfour for threatening Owens and his wife. The trouble all started over the fact that Walker is infatuoted {sp} with Owen's wife, whom he met at a summer school in Minot four years ago, when both were teachers, and before Mrs. Owens was married. Her maiden name was Miss Mackin. Walker fell in love and kept company with her for some time. She respected him but could not think of him as a lover and Walker lost his suit. Owens, a prominent real estate dealer at Balfour, was more successful and won the lady. Walker then wrote threatening letters to Owens, instructing him to send a certain amount of money to him in Minot or he would wait upon him in Balfour on a certain day. The money did not come, and when Walker arrived in Balfour he was arrested. After lying in jail for sometime he was placed under bonds to keep the peace. This he did until the bonds run out when he again began writing threatening letters. He was again arrested and at his trial before Judge Amidon recently plead guilty but was told to go home and behave himself. This he failed to do.
He dressed in a huge fur overcoat and just as the Owens family were just about to sit at their supper table, walked into the house, pointing the gun at Owens, demanding money. Owens jumped up and running towards the man took the revolver from his hands. Walker refused to leave the house saying he wanted to talk, but was given one minute to leave. He started out and Owens followed. Owens was reinforced and Walker was taken to jail. He stated that he had no intentions of killing Owens and his wife, but he thot {sp} he ought to have money for his sufferings. He said that had he desired, he could have killed Owens from the alley as he sat in the house reading the paper.
Walker is a young man of pleasing appearance and really does not seem to be a bad fellow. He is an ex-printer, having worked for some time in the Independent office. He always conducted himself in a gentlemanly manner. His friends are surprised at his actions.
Ward County Independent, 12/20/1906
