Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-05-27
Startling Homicide /!
Murder of John +. MeKeea ia Buriina,o

BILE and industrious Saddler OF lllat pace, o.
about 50 years of age. was murdered en-
Saturday night last, under the following
circumstances which we copy from the
Times as follows:
It appears that McKeen, with his late
partner, Henry Nj. Wight, VIM. IL. Logan
and Leonard Bliss, were PLAYING whist in
Ferries store, on Saturday evening About
II O'clock, some one pounded upon The
front door, aud made some opprobous re-
maj thr ugh the key-hole. The deceased
went TO the door, and was f:llowed BY his
companions, when the affray took place,
as related in Mr.. Nights testimony, given
below.
The deceased was stabbed in the right
auiele of the heart and xpired almost i'm
medately. The knife, with which the fa-
tai wound was f.cted. is a onr,hlaled
! Spanish dirk, the blade about three inches
long it is very sharp, and is either new or
had been recently sharp,ned and polished.
We are informed. by the witnesses OF the
affray, that the knife must have been in the
hand of the murd rer, and OPENED, before
/ \. ckeen fell OF any blows ware struck. be-
cause a sufficient time did not elap~e be-
tween the first encounter and the decensrd's
exclamation that he was stabbed, to allow
| knife to be drawn and opened. This cir
Gums, ance and the fact that the a-sailant
disguised his voice, tends to show that the
! XII linz was prrm+ditated. and that the OBJ
j ct of the assailants, in making the noise
at the door, was to cause the deceased. or
some of his companions, to come outside,
aud give them an opportunity TO carry out
their murdcrous designs.
The following is the testimony of Mr..
Wight before the Coroners inquest Sunday
morning:
Henry II Wight II was a partner of
the deceased from May. 1888, until about
four weeks ago. | was with him at the
time of his death at $. S Ferres's store.
Ills death occurred shortly afer twelve
O'Clock at night VIM. II. Logan and
Leonard Bliss were with US in the store.
Some one came to the door and made some
noise al the kev-hole; and bowed in it
and said something, did not understand
what; and he went to he door and toll
owed after him to the door. He went just
out of doors and off thu steps. lie left he
door open. | stepped out Of The door, Just
off the steps. | saw three persons stand
| Jug outside two of them Il little way down
from the other, eight or ten feet south, and
the Others stood quite near deceased. II
was so dark | coul not di tingmi Ii their
features. Twoo OF them were seorfiah me /;
think had caps on and darki,h clothes.
J The third wa, all nun, quite tall, think !;
! had or rather lighter coored coat than
the others thought bis vest and pants
were dark; and he ha on, think, "A Soft
| felt hat. The person nearest t. him wa
one Of the short men. McKren asked
them, first what they we're around there
for. and they made no repy. lie then
asked which one it was tl.at came TO the
door. The one who stood nearest him sad,
Surprising | should say it was me, what
are YOU O. ing to do about i z" Decreased
a-ked, why he was around the door z"
lie made reply, ",hat it was nooe OF his
business" and called him some name like
son Of b--h,' or something like that
Deceased, think, was standing on the
steps at the tim. and stepped down on &c
the walk. a d asked him What was that
you called me p when he fellow rushed
on to him, and no more words passed
( McKren cried 1.-THE Burger is knitting me-
and he was hearing McKeen down toward;
the steps. ! turned ard took the fellow off
, Deceased had fallen quite down on tbs
steps, and that fellow was on top of him
: We were not out of the store three minut,
i, probably. | Just took holl of him, ant
=, threw him off. and he ran off, and aS | dit
so, the tall man stepped ~ in iront of me
: and tier went off. think he came with
e in reach of me, and then lift, | think, upoi
. a run. Nothing was said between then
while the scuffl' went on. They wen
south down Church Street. dih not SCI
the face of the man that | took off de
ceased. / picked dec aSrd right up AM
carried him in. He did not speak agail,
| don't think he lived over three or fnu
: minutes after. picked him up. Tn
!, knife shown me was anded me as | sloot
hchnd the counter, right after the death 0
Mckeen. saw, some five minutes. by a maj
who works for Gilbert Dow. ! know him
/ bat not his name. There was blood on III,
knife AT the time. | hanled the knife t.
! Dr. Thayer, who was then present. Tn,
!, first ! noticed of the man. who handed m,
! the knife was at he time the knife wa,
handed mr. | saw no evidence of utoxi.
!; cation in the three persons, who stood out
+ side when til deceased went out. The
/ man who had the knife said he pi, krd it VI
: on the floor in the store near McKeen,
J, boly. Mckeen was steady, so far as
/. know. e drank liquor ocrasona ". bu
! did not get drunk. / could not say hav,
/ seen any persons about lie store that re
!. semhlrd the three | saw in trent. | hav,
! no opinion who they were. never knew
(; any one about the store, when MrKeer
was up late. except what | have heard TO
/ night from J.. w. Rohy. McKeen was M
I usually at the store so late, but was some
r, times. ! think no one assisted me in carry
!, ing hin in. The persons about the doo
! were there but a f W moments before ",
:, vert 10 the door. am not aware tha
! Mckeen had had any difficulty with an,
one. think Bliss aud Logan both steppe,
i out of doors before Mckeen was stru,k
|" Since writing the above the perpptrator
"a Ills