School, William

Other Events:

• Marriage Status: Never Married
• 1880 Census: 1880, Freedom, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
• 1920 Census: 1920, Oneida, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
• News Mention: 28 Sep 1926; Appleton Post Crescent
• Obituary: 28 Sep 1926; Appleton Post Crescent
• Obituary: 5 Oct 1926; Kaukauna Times

Notes:

1920 Census:
age 55 single. Listed as Billy.

News Mention:
ONEIDA MAN INSANE, TWO DOCTORS SAY Coroner's Jury Finds Dead Man Was Murdered by His Employer. Complaint charging Steve Gaunt, 37 years old, town of Oneida farmer, with murder in the first degree was prepared Tuesday by District Attorney John A. Lonsdorf after a coroner's jury recommended that Gaunt be held for the murder of William School, 57, a farm hand who had been working for Gaunt, on Sunday. After deliberations of less than half an hour the jury brought in a verdict in which it was found that Mr. School came to his death at the hands of his employer after his skull had been crushed in by some blunt instrument or weapon. It is believed that an axe was used. Members of the jury were Charles Fose, George Walsh, Peter Stark, J. J. Hauert, C. A. Hipp and Oscar Kunitz. Immediately upon being informed of the alleged murder Monday morning the district attorney ordered an in inquiry into the weird death. The jury was called at 10 o'clock by Sheriff Peter G. Schwartz and a trip made to the scene of the alleged atrocity; from there the group was taken to an undertaker's establishment in Little Chute to view the body ,of the slain man. CALL WITNESSES At noon the inquest was Adjourned to 2 o'clock when sessions were resumed in the circuit court room at the courthouse. Witnesses called consisted principally of Gaunt's two brothers, the sheriff and Deputy Jay Bushey, and a neighbor who declared that both men were seen alive early Sunday morning. The crime is supposed to have been committed during the morning hours. The mental condition of the alleged murderer is apparently so unsettled that It was thought useless to even call him at the inquest. Since his incarceration in the county Jail Gaunt is reported to have said nothing of consequence concerning the case. THINKS HE IS DIVINE According to two physicians who have interviewed Gaunt, the prisoner Is insane. He suffers delusions of grandeur, a not uncommon form of neurosis wherein he imagines himself omnipotent, it is reported. One of the delusions he is said to have explained to physicians is that at the time of the slaying he believed himself to be divine and specially ordained to stamp out School's life in the hallucination that his victim was the devil in human form. "I had him down - he was the devil and I had to stamp him out while I could," Gaunt is said to have told physic- clans. ecution of the murder charge would be mornlng that no very strenuous pros- Every indication was Tuesday attempted. In all probability, it was reported, a lunacy commission will be called In to pass on Gaunt's mental condition. "The man gives every appearance of being totally unbalanced mentally and testimony of neighbors and witnesses during the investigation and Inquiry Monday revealed corroborative evidence of this fact," District Attorney Lonsdorf declared. "I have talked to the man twice and am thoroughly convinced that he is Insane." Asked if in his estimation Gaunt could be feigning Insanity the district attorney said he didn't think so. "The testimony of two doctors, although in a way unofficial, bears out every assumption that the man Is deficient in mind and actually suffering terrible delusions," he said. WILL PREFER CHARGE "However, a first degree- murder charge will be placed against Gaunt: he will be granted preliminary hear- Turn to page 10 col. 6 CONTINUED PROM. PAGE 1 Oneida Man Held On Murder Charge ing as is usual and it will rest with the court as to whether a sanity commission will be called - as undoubtedly it will be . "Gaunt is not shamming, he Is not the type of man who at his best would have the type of intelligence necessary to hoodwink justice," Mr. Lonsdorf declared. The punishment, if Gaunt Is found guilty of murder or adjudged insane, amounts to the same in essence. In the* latter event were he to at any time in life regain command of his faculties he would still be under indictment and subject to prosecution on the homicide charge, it was pointed out. Coroner Herbert E. Elsworth presided at the Inquest. Preliminary examination will' be held before Judge Theodore Berg in municipal court. A still,80 gallons of moonshine and a quantity of alleged wine found on Gaunt's premises were destroyed by Sheriff Schwartz. No suspicion had been directed against the place as a manufactory of alcoholic beverage and it was only through the murder that the double purpose of the farm home was brought to light. Monday it was thought that a quarrel over disposition of the profits of the still or perhaps a drunken orgy had led up to fight .in which one of the participants lost his life but this theory was abandoned by the authorities after the investigation. That Gaunt was losing his mind be- came known Saturday when two brothers from Green Bay visited him and later told the authorities here of their suspicion that their brother is mentally unbalanced. They however, had no idea that his mania had reached the point where he might be a menace to human life. Relatives claimed the body of Mr. School. It was released to them by the coroner after the inquest.
Appleton Post-Crescent | Appleton, Wisconsin | Tuesday, September 28, 1926 | Page 10

Another article appears on same page as above & aother on the 30th-all talking about the trial.

Obituary:
SCHOOL Funeral.. The body of William School of Oneida who is believed to have been murdered sometime Sunday by Steve Gaunt, had been taken to the home of Joseph Houle at Freedom. The funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning: at St. Nicholas church at Freedom. Interment will be in St. Nicholas cemetery.
Appleton Post-Crescent | Appleton, Wisconsin | Tuesday, September 28, 1926 | Page 15
WILLIAM SCHOOL, Funeral services for William School, 57,. who was killed at Oneida Sunday night, were held from St Nicholas church at Freedom at 1C 'clock Wednesday morning. The Rev. A. A. Richards of Oneida had charge of the services. Surviving arc three brothers. Martin. George and Jacob of Oneida; and three sisters, Mrs. Alice Laur and Mrs. J. Hools of Appleton. and Mrs. George McDaniel of Lawrence.
Appleton Post-Crescent | Appleton, Wisconsin | Wednesday, September 29, 1926 | Page 15

Obituary:
Freedom Valentine Kramer, William School Kaukauna Times 10/5/1926 2 Obituary