Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-08
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. ]

EAsToN, September THE suspected
murderer of Washington billiard, the
farmer who lived near Bearsville. and who
was shot early yesterday morning while in
vestigating presumed raid by
thieves on his chicken pen, was
lodged in the Easton Jail tonight.
He is William Bartholomew, slouchy, un-
kempt, repulsive looking man of about so
years. He has been the admitted lover of
Mrs. billiard for some years, and there is no
doubt in the minds of the officers that the
woman knows all about the intentions of the
murderer.
The story of the crime. as learned by the
Coroner to-day, is this. At about o'clock
Mrs. billiard awakened her husband and
told him that some one was in the chicken
pen. She was dressed at that time. She
persuaded him to 60 out and investigate,
giving MIN his gun, which, it was afterward
learned,
HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH
SO that it could not be discharged. She and
her 13-Year-old son accompanied billiard
part way, and then returned to the house.
billiard walked on, and not finding any
thing wrong at the chicken pen, was re-
turning, when his wife called to him to 60
over to cherry tree near the road,
and see if any of the chickens roosting on it
had been taken. AS he did so he was shot
and fell, but managed to walk to the porch
of the house, where he fell dead at the feet
of his wife.
Very little evidence has yet been taken
by Coroner Weaver. The. stories of Mrs.
billiard and of her son were heard first.
rrif Gad hat he
her husband had lived without
much quarreling. A year ago they
had removed to their present home.
Before that they lived near William Bar
tholomew's house. and there had been many
quarrels because Bartholomew visited at
the house. She narrated the story as above,
emitting that portion referring to the cherry
tree.
SHE DECLARED POSITIVELY
several times that she did not hear re-
port of gun. 1t is a fact that neighbors
half mile away heard it. That the wife
had directed her husband to the
tree was learned by the jury,
and they recalled her, asking
her if she had told everything. She said
Eyes" When asked if she had not sug-
gested that he go to the tree, she said she
remembered that she had"
An investigation showed that the muir
derer had stood in the road, rested his gun
on the fence, and fired at billiard, who was
about 20 feet away, probably holding the
lantern to look at the chickens in the tree.
Jacob D. billiard, the 13-year-old son of
the murdered man, was the next witness.
The lad has a pleasant face, and told his
story in straightforward manner. "When |
woke last night, he said, "mother was out |
of bed and father was still in bed. She |
called him to get up. We went down. |
stairs together. Father got the lantern, |
and mother got the gun. Then we went out |
into the back yard, and father had not been |
gone more than a minute from the porch |
when he came running back and
FELL ON THE PORCH
floor. He handed me the lantern and said |
oh Mother was inside of the door, and |
ran for help. Mother directed father
while in the yard, told him to go over to
the cherry tree and look"
The boy then told about the gun and was
next questioned about Bartholomew. He
said Bartholomew came great deal to the
house, and very often when his father
was away. Bartholomew would send
him to the store for tobacco and
would give him candy and peanuts. Bar
tholomew had some weeks ago looked at
tHe WOThs Ol tne gun Wnlle at the billiard |
home.
The intimacy of Bartholomew and the
billiard woman dates back several years.
Bartholomew wife died year ago, and
she, too, frequently quarrelled about
Mrs. billiard. After billiard moved
his family from house near
where Bartholomew lived his visits
ceased for time, then began again, and he
used to make the three-mile journey be-
tween his house and that of the billiards
three and four times a week. He slept at
the house several times the last two weeks,
THE ACcUsED's STATEMENT.
Bartholomew was on the witness stand
two hours to-day and though made ex-
treme,y nervous by the questions he did not
commit himself He admitted that there
had been family quarrels on account of his
visits to the billiard woman, but said Dill
lard never spoke to him about it.
The evidence against Bartholomew is cir
but of the strongest kind. Two
Keys found near the billiard House at
ached to a piece of leather string, were
ecognized by Bartholomew daughter as
to him. The string was part of
watch chain which fitted into a broken
hain found on Bartholomew
Bartholomew says he was home all of I
thursday night His daughter SAYS she
,nows he was out of the house after mid
light. His boots fit the tracks which lead
cross the fields between his house and that
f billiards. {