The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
History of the Crime.

The crime for which Moses Cation to-day paid
the penalty was which for fendishness and
diabohcal cruelty surpassed any crime ever COM
mitted in Kentucky. The attendant circum-
stances were horrible. Four years ago Moses
Cation, farmer living in Union county, KY, a
widower with three children 1.-TWO sons and one
daughter-was married to a widow possessed Of
considerable property, and il was to this lat
was traceable. Cation, backed by his
children, desired his wife to deed
the land to him, and upon her refusal to do this
he at once began series OF abuses and bodily
fortunes such as only fend could have devised,
which were inflicted upon her for four years.
The woman sick and feeble from blows, toll and
starvation. was driven like brute, with jeerng
cries, from labor in the fields, to stand cowed
and accomplishing by, while others ate Then,
still starving, unless other hands than those of
husband and children gave her bread, she was
days toll was over, she was driven back
to the miserable quarters in which the
Cations lived. This was only log
house, 20x36 feet, cut into two rooms. The
lower floor was laid and the upper only partially
covered with loose planks There was only one
door to the house, and no windows or chimneys;
but the house was we'll pierced with loopholes
The reason for this odd arrangement was given
by Moses Cation, when he built it: II intend it
to be law-proof and bullet-proof." The smoke
having no outlet, save through chinks in the
roof would settle in the upper part of the house,
and into this dingy and sutfocatipg atmosphere
poor Hester Cation found her only resting place.
Her bed consisted of an old straw bed upon the
floor, and for covering she was supplied with an
old ather.bed containing about ten pounds Of
feathers She often complained of the smoke,
but attention was paid to it. She
was at times half frozen, but upon
complaining to her prosecutors they
removed her only covering, leaving her to en-
dure the cold as best she might She was not
allowed to eat with tho family, or drink from
the family gourd, or sit at the table, but was
given an old tin plate, an oyster can for drink
ing vessel and box to sit upon. Her food con-
compelled to do all the mental labor about the
house Besides this, she was compelled to work
in new ground cutting and piling brush. All Of
the members Of the family took turns at whip
ping her. frequently. For the amusement of
(who was living in adultery with the Catons), in
February last made Mrs. Cation pair of pants
and a body out Of old coarse sail cloth, sewed
with shoe-thread. This they compelled her
to wear with thin shirt .1 un
crownless hat, and one boot and one shoe
These they compelled her to wear, and then in
troduced and called her Buffalo Bill. Thus
attired they drove her about like an OK, John
Cation beating her about the head and shoulders
with hickory pole, despite her pleadings not to
treat her so cruelty. On one occasion Wesley
Cation compelled her to present herself
in a nude condition to the farm hands
and beating her with withes forced her to pose
in various attitudes and followed up this treat
ment by outraging her in most brutal manner.
On Friday, the day before she was murdered, an
attempt was made to poison her by inserting
poor. prosecuted woman compelled to eat it. In
consequence she became deathly sick and
moaned and groaned during the entire night, but
none of the family paid any attention to her.
On Saturday, Fob. 81, the inhuman family
seemed to have tired of the sport with their vic
tim and while the farm hands were out in
field Moses Cation and his two sons took Mrs
Cation out, beat her most brutaly and
finally hanged her. Her neck was broken
and her body bruised into a pulp.
In this condition the body was piled into a rude
box and taken into the house. None of the
nelghbors knew of the death, and it was only by
accident that one lady living near by learned of
Mrs Cat9ns demise and visited the house. She
was shocked at the appearance of the body, and
left the house. returning shortly with several
other women and some burial clothes. Cation
would not allow the removal Of the rags which
served as clothing, and the new clothes were put
on over these. While lifting the corpse
they noticed that the head would fall
back when the body was raised, but they said
nothing OF it, fearing to arouse Ca tons
temper. While dressing the dead
woman Cation said; Ladies, you must