Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-10-03
Trial for Murder

Commonwealth.
W. A. Wallace, Swoope, and MCuls
Tough, for defence.
The case was called up Wednesday Sept.
Goth, and after very many challenges, the
following Jury was selected
&. w. Long, Levi Draucner, Daniel
Goodlander, David Horn, Philip Neff, Da-
yid Halnes Joab Ogden, Adam Spackman,
G. B. Caldwell, Jno. Rorabaugh, Isaac
Goss, Geo. Morgan.
The Jury being sworn, tho prisoner ar
raigned, and the case opened to the Court
on the part Of the Commonwealth by Dis,
trict Attorney RI Wallace Esq, the
| following witnesses wore called.
IHos. b. 7eppieton who said, word CAME
to my house that Mrs Kethcart was shot
the latter part Of July about o'clock in
the afternoon, ran over, John Kethcart
was setting on the bed | said my God
John what is this, to which he replied,
Just got home half an hour ago, and took
my gun down to go to deer lick, and was
looking at it TO see if the charge was fit
for business and it went off, and when Il
went it went off it blowed all TO the devil,
the but Of gun laid on the floor and the
balance stood 10y the door. The gun was
broken Oft behind the breach, Iasked him
! if physician had been sent for he said
brother Thomas had gone 7 ofan hour ago.
John was lamentingo her--sbe said,
90 awoy John and don't be crying here
you did shoot me, She then looked him
/ fair in the face and said, John little did
think that you ever would shoot me. !
then left for DR.. Fetzer, Elizabeth Raw
and Lydia Ray were in the room during
this conversation. Before | went she said
John, want you 10 live u better life and
raise my two poor children, for will die.
He said can't. She died about two hours
after | came with the doctor. John was
not there when | returned, nor when she
died. Thomas returned without a doctor.
She died near midnight, live short half
mile from Johns.
On cross examination, witness stated
that he had heard the report of q gun,
and from that time until he reached the
house was not over 20 minutes, and was
in the house about 20 minutes before star.
ting for the doctor.
DR.. d. A. Fetzer sworn.-On Saturday
the 4th of August last, between CANT 10
o'clock P. NJ, | arrived at John Kath.
carts, found Mrs K. apparently blanched,
dark circle round TIE eye, in profuse per-
spration, eXtremities cool yerging to cold
ness, pulsa not p,rcel tib,e, and blindness
complained of. | examined the wound,
found it on the left side below 7th rib,
nearly triangular in form, the Two sides Of
wound was an inch and half to two in.
Ches in length, within the opening was
something floating that thought WAS
fragments Of the lungs, the blood was sS
suing from wound, the inside of wound !
was filled with pieces Of bone. The light
went oat. CanGles were sent for. When |
they came, | made examination with for. !
ceps and with the aid of my finger, succee- |
ded in extracting bullet with q portion |
of cloth, the ball is Just as extracted it |
(ball produced The ball was between
four and five inches from the opening, it !
had passed around .oward the back came
first in contact with the rib the rib was
blown to pieces the length of the wound, |
think the ball destroyed the 9th rib
Think the wound was mortal and caused |
her death-had passed through potion
of the lung. She died while was there |
seemed like stout healthy women, ap~
art from the wound, She died an hour
and half or two hours after | arrived
John vas in the room when | arrived, |
did not say how il occurred, did say that |
if he had not came home il would not !
have been done, did not say where he had |
been, said he wished lie had not came
home. She told me she thought she
would die, John was present. she told
him a. one time that he need not make so
much fuss about it that it was done. He
to bc lamenting about it, 3
Nothing OF Importance was elected on
cross cXamin; tion.
Lydia Ray sworn. Old Mrs. Kethcart
came over and told me Martha was shot,
and | went over she was lying on the bed.
This was between and o'clock in the
afternoon. John was standing over her
crying, and she said to him. John |
never thought you would shoot me-
"John, you need not cry now, want you
TO live ard raise my two children" and
he said 81 can't"
Cross examination. When | got there
Nancy Kethcart, Isaac Ray and Thor as
Templeton were there, and also the old
man Kalhcart. The furniture vas not
Re.eramHation. My daughter Elizabeth
weut with me, but went home shortly
Nancy Kathcart Is Thomas Katbcart's
wife.
Samuel Ray, 8,coru.--l came past John I
kathcart's after the woman was Slot 9
John put his head out OF the window and 6
old me TO come up, which did. John I
vas standing by the bed, and said. Sam +
lel, it appears that have ali the bad luck /
n the world. lie then showed me the y
oullct hole and asked me i'll didn'tthiull -
t was glarcing stroke. | told him T
lid not. He then showed mo how the +
Jun had gone oa, said he was walking n
with the gun lying across his !
Irm, said he went to cock the gun and 81
he cock slipped from under his thumb {,
md the gun went off. lie then showed n
ne the gun, it was broke oHat the bieech, &,
nd said "she had blowed all to hell" / I,
ooked at the gun brecch. It, had not |
was no hole IN the breech. Il
said ''John, powder never did this" il
ie said he didn't know, but it had blow er
d all to hell any how. BY the appear b