The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-18
TlE:s]LEGRAPHIC.
AFTER MANY YEARS.
Alleged Solution of O SeventeeEs
Year-Old Murder Problem.
reported Confession Of IA Mother that
She Murdered Her Daughter
How TilIer Attempted TO
Get Away.

DAYTON, Ohio, March IS. - On January ID,
1867, Christine Kett, a handsome and &C.
complished young lady of IS, was found in
her home lying at the head Of the stairway
dead, with a terrible wound over the right
temple. Her face was badly burned 10y
powder, and revolver lay on the floor by
her side She was found by her brother,
to whom the revolver belonged, who had
just returned from work In the cellar was
found short-handled ak covered with blood.
No one was in the house at the time
the girl a found, the mother being absent
When sht returned she displayed intense
grief. The murder was shrouded in mystery,
and the brother was arrested and discharged,
there being no evidence to implicate him.
The girls lover, Anthony Goetz, and rough
character named Buck Hughes We're in turn
arrested and discharged, and the detectives
finally gave up the case. Recently the neigh
bors have noticed signs of restlessness
OH the part of the mother. and when it
became known that about year ago she
threatened her youngest son-not the one
who found the murdered girl-saying that
blood was alrady on her hands, people who
remembered the circumstances of the muir
der suspected her. For the past two months
she has been sick, and her rest
lassness became more noticeable. She
failed fast, and died about two weeks ago.
After her death it was reported that she made
a death-bed confession to her youngest son,
declaring that she committed the decd, and
enjoining him to keep the secret until his
death. The boy had absolutely refused to
talk until Friday night last, when he cor
roborated the reports and gave the following
particulars OF the terrible murder. On the
morning of the fatal day the mother was
washing and told the daughter, who went
away with young lady friend, that she
should not stay long, as there was bread il
the oven and she was wanted to get
dinner The daughter did not return,
however, until 4 o'clock, when she was calle
to account for her absence, and the mother,
vino was woman of violent and uncon-
| truilable temper, became enraged at the girl
| and struck her with an ax-handle. As s!le
| approached, the frightened girl fled toward
the cellar-way, and was about to descend
| when struck. The blow was fatal, and hor-
rified at what she had done, the murderess
| thought to conceal the crime by hunting u.
| her sons pistol and placing it beside the
| body, and then to give some evidence
of its use by placing the girls finger
in the powder-tiask, and burning powder
near her face. 1t was considered {
suspicious circumstance by the doctors
| Henry h. Steele and Henry F. Weis, who
| examined the body at the time, that no bullet
or shot was to be found III the skull. Th'
| mother then went on to tell how she wan
dered around the city after the crime wa
| committed and finally returned to find tb,
house full Of people. She acted coolly unit
told Of the murder, and then went into ,
paroxysm of grief. No one seemed TO sus
pect her at the time, hut Isaac Hale, the cit,
marshal, and he gave her look that almoS
made her scream out confession Their
are persons who believe the story of the con
fession is hoax to fix the crime on tie dea
mother to shield the real criminal