The Portland daily press., 1888-05-14
~ A QUARREL ENDED IN DEATH.
VIM. n. Hopkins, of Augusta, Killed
by James A. CetcheiI.
cetcheIl Held on Charge of Man
slaughter.
Public Sympathy in Behalf of the
Prisoner.
Especial to the Press !

AUGUSTA, May 13.-Saturday night anoth,
er shocking tragedy was added to the list Of
crimes which for several years past has
given the State an unenYiable reputation in
this direction. On this occasion the affair
which eliminated in homicide, grew out of a
quarrel at sparring exhibition.
On Saturday evening James A. Getchell
in the Maine Central railroad yard in this
city, struck William FL. Hopkins blow Oh
the mouth with his fist which resulted fa'
tally. The scene of the unfortunate affair
is about half way between the Bridge street
railroad crossing and the west end of the
railroad bridge. The first intimation of the
homicide was when Mr.. Getchell, few min
utes after o'clock, accosted Officer Spear on
the street, and said he had struck Billy on
the railroad track and wanted the young
man taken care of. Spear at once proceed
ed to the point designated found Hopkins,
and with others carried him to his fathers
store on Water street, where he fingered in
an unconscious condition until 4 O'Clock
Sunday morning and died. DIR. George W.
Martin attended him.
GetchelIafter the affIay went home and re-
tired and this morning the officers visited his
house and placed him under arrest. He was
appalled, when informed of young Hopkins
death, and today is nearly broken down.
Early this morning Coroner VIM. II. Libby
summoned jury as follows: Judge Samuel
Titcomb, Chas. e. Grover, James E. Fuller,
VIM. III. Bruce, Chas. B. Chick, W. A. New
comb. An autopsy was ordered which was
made at once by Drs. Martin and L. j.
Crocker
HIT 10 o'clock the jury proceeded TO view
the ground in the Maine Central yard Two
small pools of blood were found, one close by
the guard rail near the embankment, and the
other outside the tracks where the body was
found. At this point the jury adjourned un-
til O'Clock p. M, when they met at Judge
Andrews's Office to receive testimony.
DR.. Geo. W. Martin, who was first sum-
moned to attend Hopkins testified that he
was called to Mr.. Burns's store at $50 Sat-
urday night. H0pkins's lip was cut, he was
bleeding at the mouth and one tooth ON the
right side, a lateral incissor, was knocked
out. Between three and four o'clock this
morning i was summoned again and young
Hopkins died a few minutes after my arri-
val Near where the trouble occurred
found the remains of watch chain, and a
tooth. At the post-mortem examination in
which | assisted we found besides the
wounds on the mouth, the skull was cracked
three inches in length on the right side from
near the medal line to the opening in the
base where the spinal chord entered. There
was slight confusion in the scalp and a suf-
fusion of blood over the fracture.
The fracture could not have been caused by
aIblow from mans fist, and resulted from
blow given by hard instrument or from a
fall upon a solid substance. l should judge
the latter.
DIR. l.. j. Cooper corroborated the testimony
OF the first witness, and said that such a
fracture must have been caused by terrible
upward blow or a downward fall.
Officer W. f. Spear, James A. Benner,
James s. McKenney, Officer Henry w.
Breen, James Hersom, VIM. p. McKenney,
Michael Burns and Michael Lynch testified
as to the circumstances of the affair.
James A. Getchell. the prisoner, told his
story: 'The trouble between Hopkins and
myself began at the Mike DAILY sparring
match Friday night. Hopkins wanted to
enter the dressing room after the exhibition
and refused him entrance upon which he
called me bad names and was very angry
Later on he struck man named 'Bushy'
and had to interpose to prevent fight.
Again he cursed me. Saturday night be-
tween eight and nine o'clock l met Hopkins
on Water street near the post office, and he
called me 'stinker'. replied; Haven't
used you well?' and he again sauced me and
wanted to fight. | said | don't want to
fight. You know am much stronger than
you and can handle you easy. We walked
up. the street, he pressing me to
hght and calling me coward. We
continued up Bridge street and walked
out upon the railroad track, thinking that
he would squeal and go home. When we had
gone ways he pulled off his overcoat and
struck me in the stomach, breaking my
watch chain which with the guard fell to the
ground. In an instant | struck him heavy
blow on the mouth with my left hand and
he. went down without word and
did not move. 1t was pitch dark and |
dragged him across the tracks to the walk
and set him up. He appeared to be recover
street and notified the officers, afterwards
going home. | did not return to the tracks
as feared he would revive and attack me
again. did not tell anyone ON Friday shat
would fix him, Lut simply meant L would
slap HIM. We had no arrangement to fight"
Getchell exhibited his left hand on the
knuckles of which was small wound a
quarter Of an inch deep, which he received
when he struck Hopkins. Getchell told a
very straight story and evidently made a
clean breast of the whole affair. The jury
rendered verdict that Hopkins was killed
by heavy blow in the mouth, inflicted by
Getchell, thereby causing him to fall upon
the track, striking the iron rail and causing
a fracture of his skull, resulting in death as
above stated.
Oetcnell is rs years ola ana married
He has been connected with the fire depart
ment for many years and last year organized
the Henry L. Morse Hook and Ladder Co.
He is receiving much sympathy from many
people here. The prisoner will be arraigned
for manslaughter tomorrow morning. The
turning point in the case will be on
the question of the intention of the par
ties TO fight when they went to the yard.
His counsel, Hon. Herbert Nj. Heath, will
hold that he was acting in self defense and
should therefore be acquitted Hopkins,
who was killed. is the son of Harry Hopkins,
a well known Augusta saloon keeper, who