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

be very careful and not remove them
handkerchiefs from around her neck" After
placing the body back in the box, Cation went to
the barn. During his absence the ladies. who
concluded something was wrong, made an ex-
animation of the dead woman, with the result
as above stated. Cation returned to the house
with a sled. and, he and his sons. placing the
BOX OMIT took the body to Smiths Mills, several
miles distant, and buried it. The man who was
employed to bury the body remarked To by
ISLANDERS that something was wrong. Squire j.
b. Lilly was notified and had the body disin-
TERED and post-mortem examination held.
Finding marks of violence and a cash
in the head, produced by some sharp
instrument, a warrant was Immediately
issued for the arrest Of the Cation
family and Josephine Fritz. In the absence of
other officers Lilly summoned posse oftwenty-
five citizens and proceeded to Cations house.
Upon arrival there they found the premises bar
ricaded, and upon making known their errand
were flred into The posse returned the hire,
wounding Moses Cation in the foot, and his son
Jonn, In trying TO escape, was shot through the
lung Annie, the twelve-year-old daughter or
Cation, attempting to shield her fatherby getting
IN front of him. was shot through the bowels,
from the effects of which she died in Morganfeld
jail, on the 6th of March. Cation and the whole
family surrendered and started to Morganfield.
On the way they were met by mob of in
censed citizens from Henderson and Union
counties who demanded the surrender
OF Cation for the purpose of making
summary disposal of him. The squire and
his posse however, made a determined stand,
and after appeal to their better sense, pre-
vailed upon the crowd to allow him to proceed
with his prisoners to Morganfield, where they
were placed in the county jail. The trial of
Nose Cation was begun March IL. He was ably
defended by some Of the best legal talent in the
State, but was as vigorously prosecuted. 1t was
proven on the trial that the final murder by
hanging of the unfortunate wife was only
merciful termination of years Of torture, such
as only fend could have devised, and that all
OF the family had mistreated the victim at
pleasure, and by Cations orders. During the
evidence one of the witnesses, in answer
to the question why they permitted
the woman to be tortured to death
under their eyes, replied that Cation was such
terrible person they dared not interfere, and
that they were further restrained by the fact
that when he haG been arrested upon previous
occasion for cruelty to his wife he had, through
fear obliged her to exonerate him. Evidence
complete and overwhelming that convic-
ton was assured from the start. After trial
of five days, the case was given to the jury, who
after an absence of fifteen minutes returned
with verdict of guilty, and the penalty death
which it was impossible to check, but
Cation never blanched moved mus
Gle OF his sinister countenance Sentence
of death was passed upon him, which was carried
out to-day. Cation was a man of cunning, high,
fiery passion, unrelenting in hatred and I'M
firing in vengeance. That his jealousy and in
nate meanness toward bis wife for months and
months past had been hundred-fold worse than
death to her is the verdict of every one who
knows anything of their history. Of the balance
of the family few words will suffice. Imme-
diately following the sentence of Moses Cation,
Josephine Fritz was tried, charged with being
an accessory, and sentenced to States prison for
life. The trial of the two sons will be held at
the next term of the Circuit Court of Union
county, and there is but little doubt that they
will follow in the footsteps Of their worthless
sire.