Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-06-17
CoURr PRocEEDINGs.-since eur last

COURT PRoCEEDINGs.-Since eur last
issue the Kennon Murder Case has been
Occupying the time of the Court. Below
we give synopsis oftbe case as furnish
ed us by member of the bar.
1 State of Ohio. VS.. James n. Kennon.-
On the appointed day, Tuesday. June
Sth, this case was ready for hearing
The case was brought into this county
on account of certain statements of the
Guernsey Times. relative 10 the decis-
ions of Judge Johnson Of Guernsey
County, and Muse OF Muskingum Coun-
ty, in admitting the defendant to bail,
alledging th&t he would "quit the
realm &c" These statements were suf-
ficient grounds for changing the venue.
and Judge Way directed the case to be
brought here.
! The whole of Tuesday was spent ar
ragning a jury, and waiting upon some
important witnesses, so that no testimo-
ny was offered until Wednesday morn
ing. On that day the trial proceeded
very slswly, principally on account OF
lengthy arguments as to the admiasibili-
/ ty of evidence.
The evidence shows the following
facts: That during July 1867, James N.
Kennon came to Ohio from Washington
City, d. c., mainly for the purpose of
reading law. In October the same year,
he entered the office of John Ferguson,
Esq, in Cambridge, where be remained
until April 6, 1868 during which time he
boarded at Sips's hotel for the space of
two months. On April 6, he returned
to Sipe's house to stay until his moi her
Joined him. Mrs. Kennon reached
Cambridge on the 1lth instant; finding
that her son had never had a pleasant
room in which he could pursue his
studies at night, and knowing that he
could study better after night than at
any other time, she sought, and perfect
ed an arrangement whereby he would
be in the undisturbed enjoyment of
such a place. Mr.. Sipe agreeing to give
him room, No. s, on 2nd floor. This
room, defendants Is mother was to furnish
No price was fixed for the boarding, but
was left entirely to Sipe. Mrs. Kennon
returned home soon after; James CEN
tinued the study of the law. During the
month of May James, accompanied by
Mr.. Vance, went fishing on every
suitable occasion. Once he bought pow
der to go hunting; on the 9th Of that
r,nnnfh ha hnrrnypoA oil, a
saddler, named Seidles. saying at the
time, that he wanted to protect himself
from pack of hounds who had attacked
him twice, and if they ever did so again
he would shoot them.
He furnished his own lamp-oil, on one
occasion when Sipe expressed some
anxiety about the danger rofitexploding, of
he filled a small bottle and took it out
upon the pavement and set it on fire.
1t did not explode. Sipe then said that
it would set things afire. He showed
Sipe how it would ignite paper when
held above the flame, but would net
burn it wheE Oh the surface-this, also,
occurred in May. ON the End of June he
bought from grocer, Clark B. Mustard,
one charge of powder and shot, saying
he " was going hunting "-the charge
was very heavy. After this he was seen
to pass by with gun on his shoulder.
On the evening of that day, Kennon
returned to the Washington Hotel about
8 o'clock-he had been spending the
evening with a aiyoung lady-fi finding that
it was not closed yet, he returned upt
street, where he met his friend Vance
They, together, went TO the Hotel about !
IL O'Clock, going in by the back way |
when, instead of going up stairs imme-
diately, they went below to the soloor
and drank 4 or . glasses OF beer, then |
they went up stairs. Kennon looked
for his lamp, but could not find it, lie |
then went down stairs TO the door of
Sipe's room and Knocked, hearing no |
response, he took the hali-lainp down |
and ascending to his room lIghted il |
there, his friend Vance remaining in the |
room until he returned. Vance wished
to 60 to his own room, when Kennon
asked him to stay all night with him.
Vance refused, went out and left him.
According to the testimony Of Kennon,
for he is the only witness a. to what fol-
lowed, he Immediately drew his boots
off, laid Down upon the bed, and COM
menced to read his diary; While read
ing he sunk into stuper, produced by
the liquor he had been drinking, and
the use of some hashhash, taken before
supper. He heard some one take hold
of the knob of the door. and say loudly,
Jim open this door; that he did not
know it was Sipe; that Sipe always
called him Newell He replied You
can't come in =" or "sllatit, ,"-and In
order to find out who ii was, for the per-
son would make no reply-thinking ii
was Sipe, he said p" have get your lamp,
do you want il ?'' when second de-
mand was made for him to open the
door /; during which time. he quickly
reached for the gun, which was sitting
on the West side of the bed, which was
opposite TO the door; was bringing 1t
over the bed, intending to present it in
order to stop the intruder if he broke the
door open. When the door WAS bursted
open, the figure entered, the gun went
off as he WAS raising it up. He saw il
was Sipe as he turned around, and cried
out ''Oh {! my God" walked on and
down stairs Kennon further said that
he supposed he had wounded him. and
that he WAS afraid Sipe would come back
and hurt him; that he then passed out
into the hail, from there. out upon the
balcony; swung himself down to the
street; went up street until he came to
an alley, when he went east to South
Street, when he met d. McConahey who
noticed something wrong-kennon was
in stocking feet-and asked him what
in the hell he was doing out so late."-
He replied that he "had shot Ben.
Sipe." McConahey asked him what
Sipe had DONE" When he told him
"he had broken his deer OPEN" that he
then went to Steubenville Street, and
knocked at Gen. Ferguson's door. Mrs.