Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-08-26
TRIAL OF JACOB SCHOCH FOR
MURDER.
REPORTED pr A. N. BRIcE, ESQ.


Commonwealth VS.. Jacob Schoch-Ir
the Court of Oyer and Terminer of Nor
thumberland County-Murder.- Prisoner
arraigned, Saturday, August IL, 1871.
The counsel employed on the part of the
Commonwealth were @. w. Ryon and w.
ii. M. Dram, Esqs., and for the Defendant
Hon. John B. Packer, w. NJ. Rockefeller
S. p. Wolverton, and s. B. Boyer, Esqs.
The defendants counsel offered nine OBJ
jections to the Bill Of Indictment, which
the Court overruled, and the arraignment
of the prisoner was proceeded with. The
calling of the Jury then commenced. The
following Jurors were selected from the list
of sixty Traverse Jurors:
John Martin, Northumberland.
jackson Hoffman, Elysburg.
Milton Troxcel, Turbotyille.
Jacob Stitzel, Delaware.
Solomon Kase, Snydertown.
Thomas Artly, Milton.
Franklin A. Clark, Shaiaokin.
Henry w. Bucher, Sun bury.
Samuel McNinch, Cbilisquaque.
Wallace Russell, Lewis.
Robert Russell, Delaware.
U. F, John, Mt. Carmel.
The case was opened on the part of the
Commonwealth by w. II. M. Dram, ESQ.,,
at Il O'Clock, p. NJ, Saturday, setting forth
the alleged facts in the case which the Com
monwealth intend to prove in order to con-
vict Jacob Schoch of the crime of murder
ing Matthew Kearney, who was shot and
killed in Shamokin, on the night of the 31st
of October, 1870.
The first matter offered in evidence was
photograph of the house from which the
shots were fired by Schoch.
Daniel Eisenhart, sworn.-l reside in
Shamokin lived in Shamokin last Oc-
tober ; at that time L knew Jacob Schoch !;
1 knew Matthew kearney during the
evening of Oct. 81, 1870, was in IIauck's
saloon, between and 10 O'Clock I; Hauck's
saloon is in Shamokin was there about
0 O'Clock; saw Matthew Kearney in there;
was sitting in the saloon when Kearney
and Edward Cary came in l don't know
where Kearney went when he left the sa-
loon ; he left first Cary went out with
him L saw Kearney again that night !; he
came back again with Cary was there,
and went out with them when they went
out again we went down the pavement as
far as Weaver's tavern I; Kcarney asked US
in there to have drink we did not 90 in; !;
the door was closed Kearney and Cary
crossed over the street then to Strouse's
clothing store we three then went to the
house of Jacob Schoch; no one was along
L L
IL O'Clock, or thereabouts, when we got
there l did not know what was going on
there; l had heard there was to be party;
the party did not lead me there | don't
know what we went there for l don't
know who proposed to 60 there don't
know if we expected to meet any persons
there when we got there, went up to the
front door and raped this is the east
door; photograph shown the witness and
the Jury J the other door in the house
faces Reading II. II. and Methodist church;
there were no shutters on the house at that
time the house was lighted up; could
see the light through the windows; heard
music inside l heard nothing else when
l knocked at the door, Mr.. ScEoch came
out; Kearney and Cary were standing
back Of the step near me stood on the
lower step, at the door facing town; Schoch
said we should clear away l said, Jake,
let us in - he said, ''No !" ; we then went
away; Schoch then went into the house :;
L then stepped down on the ground
stood on the ground about a minute his
wife then came out; one of two, either
Kearney or Cary, asked her to get in !;
heard my name called out in the house
then went to the window Mrs. Schoch
had then gone back into the house the
L
not see anything heard Schoch's voice !;
he stood in the door facing towards the
Methodist church Schoch said we should
leave that window / did not hear Schoch
have any conversation with kearney at
that time; don't know if he had anything
in his hand did not hear Kearney say
anything to Schoch Kearney stood right
behind me at the window it was the win
dow nearest the east door Kearney stood
nearest the door at the time after that
heard Schoch at the door tell us to 20 away
that was at the kitchen or south door (;
neither of us made reply to him then
walked away from the window down on
the II. X. did not sec Cary then Kear.
ney remained at the window then saw
Kearncy leave the window he walked to-
wards the other door, where l thought
Schoch was | heard Schoch say to Kear-
ncy that if he did not 60 away he would
use his revolver he did not say anything
to Schoch that | heard he then walked
away he went towards town, in the di-
rection of the Reading depot that was the
same direction from which we came /
then heard shot fall only heard one
shot fall then after that shot fell, Kearney
fell this was about q minute after Schoch
threatened to use his revolver; don't
know whether Schoch had gone in ran
away ran up the Reading II. II. / was
standing on that road when the shot was
fired when Kearney fell he was going
away from the door, and In the direction
from which we came when Kearney fell,
think Cary was back at the door where l
first knocked aftcr | started TO run,
heard two more shots fired ; on my way
down the railroad, | met Isaac Rake he
was going towards the house did not
meet any body else the first shot fired
came from the door in Sehoch's house
which faced the Methodist church that
was the door in which Schoch stood, by
his voice | saw the flash at that door
the report sounded like revolver going
OH; was looking ut the door when the
shot was fired | saw nothing but tho
Hash Immediately ran away after the
first shot.
Cross-Ex,-I never knew Cary aud Kear.
ney 10 be at SchOch's before that night |
did not see them that night before met
them ut ilauoks saloon don't think il
was before % O'Clock when | met them 1
did not hear them say that they had been
down at schoch's when met them at
iianek's they we're intoxicated they were
under tho intluenoe OF liquor MIR. lIauek
.l.. A Ia. lt