The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-06-01

S"AiJ y" R""Ny HhOihhiS VI ldSp NSSh'
We have since received full reports of the
examination by the coroner, and give the
evidence from two witnesses. Several
others were examined, but the substance
Of the testimony is in the following {:
Henry N. WSght:--T was a partner
Of the deceased from May 1858, until
about four weeks ago. | was with him
at the time Of his death at s. S. Ferre's
store. His death occurred shortly after
twelve O'Clock at night. Wm. H. Logan
and Leonard Bliss were with us in the
store,-Some one came to the door and
made some noise at the key-hole and
bowed in it and said something | e did
not understand what and he went to the
door and | followed after him to the door.
He went just out of doors and off the
steps. He left the door open. I stepped
out of the door, just off the steps. l saw
three persons standing outside +; two Of
them a little way down from the other,
eight or ten feet south, and the others
stood quite near deceased. 1t was so
dark | could not distinguish their features,
Two of them were shortish men l think
had caps on and darkish clothes. The
third was a tall man, quite tall, l think !;
had on rather a lighter colored coat than
the others. l thought his vest and pants
were dark and he had on, l think, a soft
felt hat. The person nearest to him was
one of the short men. McKeen asked
them, first, what they were around there
for, and they made no r ply. He then
asked which one it was that came to the
door, The one who stood nearest him
said, supposing | should say it was me,
what are you a going to do about it 2"
Deceased asked, Why he was around
the doorF He made reply, " that it was
none Of his business" and called him some
name like son of a b-h,' or something
like that. Deceased l think, was stand.
ing on the steps at the time, and stepped
down on the walk, and asked him What
was that you called me ?" when the fellow
rushed on to him, and no more words
passed. McKeen cried 'the is
knitting me-" and he was bearing McKeen
down towards the steps. turned and
took the fellow of. Deceased had fallen
quite down on the steps, and that fellow
was on top Of him. We we're not out of
the store three minutes probably. 1 Just
took hold Of him, and threw him of. and
he ran of, and as ! did so, the tall man
stepped up in front of me. and then went
off. l think he came within reach of me.
and then left, | think, upon a run. Moth
ing was said between them, while the
scufhe went on They went south down
Church Street. l did not see the face of
the man that | took off deceased. I
picked deceased right up and carried him
in, He did not speak again. I don't
think he lived over three or four minutes
after. I picked him up. The knife shown
me was handed me as l stood behind the
counter, right after the death of McKeen
say some five minutes, by a mau who
works for Gilbert Dow. | know him, but
not his name. There was blood on the
knife at the time. | handed the knife TO
DR.. Thayer, who was then present. The
first noticed OF the man, who handed me
the knife was at the time the knife was
handed me, saw no evidence of intoxi.
cation in the three persons who stood out
side when the deceased went out. The
man who had the knife said he picked it
up on the floor in the store near McKeen's
body. McKeen was steady, so far as l
know. He drank liquor occasionally, but
did not get drunk. ] could not say | have
seen any persons about the store that re.
sembled the three | saw in front. have
no opinion who they were. | never knew
any one about the store, when McKeen
was up late except what | have heard tc
night from j. w. Roby. McKeen was
not usually at the store so late, but was
sometimes. | think no one assisted me in
carrying him in, The persons about the
door were there but a few moments before
we went to the door. am not aware
that McKecn had any d ~ficulty tn any
one. | think Bliss and Logan both stop.
ped out Of doors before McKeen was
struck,
Peter Ne Do0ncH was called. l was
at work in the Free Press Office Saturday
afternoon, left there at 6 O'Clock. went to
SCOTS Bndery, staid there about Is
minutes and then went home, staid there
about two hours, went to Bain's stand
about 10 minutes and then went down
town, walked from the Post Office round
the square " or three times. Witness
told what places he went to afterwards ;
but don't know what time be reached
Faiths staid at Faiths till almost one
O'Clock, with Kelly and Balm knew them
both well, had been with them before :
played baga'elle with them that night,
drank beer with them at Blackman's,
Peterson's and Fath-don't know how
many times, perhaps six. We left Faiths
intending to travel round outside and then
90 home, About half an hour before I
asked Balm to go home and he said he did
not intend TO 90 home yet after we went
out we turned under the awning Of San.
ford's store and crossed the street, struck
the sidewalk On the other side between
Warmers and Ferries. Don't know who
went ahead. l was the last. After we
crossed we turned and walkek up the
street by Pages store. l did not see Balm
at Ferries store, but as we passed up, he
told me he looked in at the key-hole we
were between Fuller'h and Pages stores.