Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-16
BETTER TO BAR BEER
At Church Picnics, Says Judge
Ewing, After the Trial of
THE KINNEY GROVE MURDER CASE.
Schafer Guilty Of Manslaughter and
Sankey Accessory.
YESTERDAYS DOINGS IN THE COURTS

Michael Schaffer was yesterday convicted
Of voluntary manslaughter for the killing of
Robert Finan at the German church picnic
at Kinney's Grove June Is. William San
kew was convicted of being accessory after
the fact. The cases were before Judge
Ewing in Criminal Court No. 8. Finan was
struck on the head with a stone and died
from the effects the following day. Both of
the defendants are young men, neither
being vet 20 years of age. They are respect
able in appearance and had large number
Of relatives and friends in court.
The murder case was begun first. Dis
trict Attorney Burleigh represented the
Commonwealth, John S. Hobb and w. ].
Bremen the defense. Dr. F. NJ. Rossiter,
of the Mercy Hospital staff, testified that
Fin9n's death was due TO the shock caused
by the wound on his head.
SAW SMAFFER THROW THE STONE.
H. c. SNYDER attended the picnic and at
6 o'clock in the evening was waiting for a
train The defendant approached him with
stone in his hand and said: ''Those fel-
lows whipped me-" 4 few minutes after
the witness saw him throw the stone at a
crowd and Finan fell Other witnesses cor
roborated this testimony, and stated that
Finan had no connection in the fight nor
had he quarreled with Scha1fer. The de-
fendant was placed on the stand and told of
an assault having been made upon him ard
OF his throwing a stone. He said he did not
know Finan.
After the noon recess the attorneys on
each side agreed that degree of voluntary
manslaughter would be severe enough
Judge Ewing accordingly charged the jury
and verdict was found to that effect with
the recommendation that the Court show
mercy to the defendant:
Sankey was then placed on trial Almost
the same evidence was adduced as that
offered in the preceding case. 1t was
shown that on the day Finan died, Sankev
told Schafer to Jump the town" and
offered to take him into his (Sankey's)
house to spend the night. Schafer declined
and accompanied by Sankey went to the
house of a Mrs. Shaw where he remained.
Sankey stated that he did not know that
Finan was dead, nor that Schaffer threw the
stone, the latter, however, remarked to him:
eff had much more beer 1 would kill an
other man"
GUILTY AS INDICTED.
The iurv returned verdict in accordance
with the Indictment and recommended the
defendant to the extreme mercy of the
Court.
Judge Ewing stated that he would SEN
tence each tomorrow. He then heard
number of character witnesses, all of whom
gave favorable accounts of the department
of the defendants. 1t is the impression that
Judge Ewing will give light sentences,
especially to Sankey, who has been in Jail
already 120 DAYS awaiting trial, His Honor
was asked TO sentence Sankey Immediately,
bur declined. saving:
Il am afraid that my sympathies are too
strongly aroused at present to do justice to
the judgment L should manifest. What
surprises me, however, is that picnics, and
especially church picEicS, cannot be con-
Quoted without discrde: 1 cannot under
stand that a Gle gran should sanction beer
10 he taken to a picnic given by his
church"