Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-29

have been the only other person In the
house, became frightened and retired to
bedroom. She heard the discharge of the
revolver and then heard something fall on
the floor. This was probably the weapon.
Subsequently she heard the old man fall.
Then she came out of her hiding place,
saw Asa on the top of his father pounding
his head against the floor, and Asa saying
HIll kill You Cd d-m you I'm muir
derer, Cd d-m you I've made away
with my pistol, now / will be with you,
Cd d-m you - She grasped her babe
and left the house. In her fight. she
stumbled over her father-in-law, whose
head the parricide was still pounding
against the floor. She besought Asa to
desist, but he still kept on swearing and
pounding his fathers head. After leaving
the house she went TO the house of a
neighbor named Turner and told the hor-
rible tale of the double murder. In con-
lcluding her evidence Mrs. Kittle said
that Asa always seemed TO be good
natured and sensible. He did chores
about the house and these were always
performed cheerfullY.
THE MURDERER's STORY.
Asa Kittle, the murderer was the next
witness called and gave the following
evidence:
1 shall be twenty years of age the goth
day of next April; am blind; never had
the use of my eyes to my knowledge L
live in Stephentown was born in the
town; to-day is Friday, yesterday was
Thursday the homicide was committed
yesterday between 4 and o'clock in the
afternoon; mother and Martha went out
to milk, and they told me to take care OF
the baby; while they were gone, my
father, Francis Kittle, tried to get in the
north room where was, and / shut the
door and kept him out ; mother, Lucinda
kittle, Came iu my father pushed the
door open this door is the one between
the north and south room, and took the
baby from me then started to go out
into the wood-house and he partly threw
me out there, and he went out there too
they got me little mad the first thingI
thought of was the revolver in the draw
er; started to go back into the other
room, and he caught hold of me, and that
made me a little worse they got him
away from me, and stepped TO the draw
er and took out the pistol; mother tried
to get it away from me she WAS be-
tween me and father was not mad
at her, and the pistol went off accciden-
tally; did not know at the time that
shot and killed her; but recoll-cr hearing
her fall then snapped il, but do not
know whether it went off again or not
was making for my father when snsp-
ped the pistol the second time; was Just
| about going through the door when /
caught hold of my father partly in the
South room and hit him on the he'd
with the pistol; the second time the pig
tol snapped he fell; if recolleoted pound
ing his head against the floor l rbould
tell it ! know that my fstb-r IL de-d
suppose / have killed him; told Henry
Bogart, my brother-in-law, that ! meant
to kill my father. but did not mean to
kill mother.
Merriam A. Turner, q neighbor, te-fi-
fled that he came in after the murder and
found the o.d man dead on the kitchen
floor. Asa sat II chair with his back
against the side Of the house In the same
room, south os the old man, and Was she'll
ing corn. Witness then left the house
and went and alarmed the nei kbbors. He
went back To the house later in the eveL-
ing in the North room he ssw the old
lady on thu f 'or apparently desd, her feet
toward the Northeast and her head be-
tween the stove and door, which il be-
tween the two rooms. Saw Asa sitting
in the North room; be said be troke the
revolver over the old rDsn's skull the pis-
tol lay in pieces on the floor in the South
room.
DIR. John Haynes, whe made the past
nl0rteTp examination of the bodies of the
murdered couple, testiied that there was
a pistol shot wound under the lower lip
of the old man. The oau passed beyond
the reach of the probe, and. probably
lodged In the brain. There were some
lacerated wounds on the upper lip, and
large wound on the back of the head.
These wounds, except the first, were not
responsible for death. The first was I'M
fatal. On examining the body
of old Mrs. Kittle the doctor found no
marks, excepting the one made by the
bullet in the pit of the stomach.
The jury rendered verdict TO the sf-
feet that Francis and Lucinda Kittle had
died from wounds inflicted by their
son Asa, and that "the killing was
neither iustifablss nor excusabIe" Asa
was brought to the Jail in this city on
by Stephentown officer, and
held for murder On warrant Issued by
the Coroner. When he arrived be acted
and spoke like an idiot, but yesterday be
seemed perfectly sensible and disposed 10
answer any question put to him. In con
versation with our reporter be stated that
he was not yet twenty years of age, that
be was born and brought mp in Stephen
town, and that he had been without sight
since be was two weeks old. In reply to
the question "What induced you to kin
your father" he said that since the de-
struction of the will be and his father
bad had a number of quarrels, and that
be had brooded over them for long time
On Thursday afternoon, while his father
was pushing him about, he happened TO
think of the revolver which belonged 10
his brother, and as soon as he could be
obtained it. He earnestly diselaims sny
intention to harm his mother.
The funeral of the murdered persous
took place yesterday. Their remains
were inferred in the Stephentown bury
ng ground. The dead woman was Kittle's
second wife. By the second marriage be
had Fix children-four sons ard two
daughters The family appear to be very
but one son, it is said, being
unable TO read. The neigbbors speak In
rather severe terms of old Kittle and his
wife. The property left by the murdered
nan viii not exceed $1,000. This com
,aratively small amount was the indirect
cause of the murder. The fear that be
would have no share in its division, took
possession of the mind of Asa Kittle and
lerved him to commit the terrible double
,arricide of which be Is confessed guilty.
The prisoner this morning was in good
pirits. He does not appear TO have the
lightest idea of the terrible tragedy Ia
which he was the criminal actor but is
disposed to speak of it lightly. Evidently
Ie does not feel the least regret, so far as
lis father is concerned, but expresses him
elf as feeling sorry that his mother was