Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-11-19
KESTER MURDER CASE.
Three Men Are Sent to Jail
Charged With the Crime.
STRONG EVIDENCE is PRESENTED
WHICH WILL LIKELY CON
yICT THE PRISONERS.

Joseph Eveland and Henry and
Amanda Higgins, the three persons who
were arrested at Hazleton last week or
the charge of numbering the Kestei
brothers, were given hearing before
Squire German on Friday morning
The prosecutors failed to produce enough
evidence to necesstate the binding OF
the parties over, but on the statement OF
Chief Hampton, of the Coal and Iror
Police, that he had not yet had time tc
look after his witnesses the Justice de.
cided to discharge the defendents or
their own recognizance to appear before
him on Monday. AT the time set apart
for the hearing on that day all the par.
ties interested in the case were present
in the Justices office. The Coal and
Iron Police had been working steadily
on the case and from what evidence they
obtained they found that another man
had been associated with those already
in custody. He is person named James
Gallagher.
George H. Troutman represented the
defendents, and Abner Smith conducted
the prosecution.
The first witness called was William
kishbach, who testified that he saw
three strange men on the night of the
murder going along the road in the
direction of the Kester farm. As one
of these was lame he thought it was
Eveland but said he could not positively
identify him. He didn't recognize either
of the other defendents as any of the
party he saw.
Mr.. Kishbach's wife was called and
she corroborated her husbands story,
except that she stated she was sure Eve
land was the lame man they both seen
on that night.
The next witness was Mrs. Minnick.
She said she knew Mrs. Higgins well
and on the day the Kesters were buried
called at her house. There Mrs. Higgins
told her that the men whom she believed
to be the murderers had been stopping
at her home but had gone away. She
thought one of the men might be Eve
land but wouldn't like to swear to it.
Hiram Lindner, being sworn, said
that on the morning of the murder he
discovered four men in his barn. He
thought one of them walked lame but
didn't recognize any Of the defendants
as being in the party.
Mrs. Lentz was the next witness and
said that on the same morning two
strange men called at her house and
asked for lunch and that after she had
given it to them two others joined them
and helped them eat it. She thought
one of the men was Higgins.
Adam Hoffman was next sworn. He
said he got to the Kester house shortly
after the dead men had been discovered
and described how piece of cherry
bark had been found in fracture in one
of the mems heads. On noticing this he
hunted on the outside of the house and
found cherry club which he turned
over to the coroner.
Nicholas Stegner, the next witness
stated that one day he stopped at
Higgins house for a drink, and while
the latter was down the cellar getting it
for him, he saw behind the bar stout
cherry club, which he picked up and
examined. He thought it was about 26
inches long and 3 to 81 thick, and that
near one end was large knot. He was
positive it was the same weapon that
was found by Hoffman.
Captain Simpson was then called and
told about the club found outside the
Kester house. His description tailed
with that of Stegner.
DR.. F. Brundage was the next person
sworn. He said he was one of the first
to enter the Kester home after the muir
der, going in with a lantern about or 10
O'Clock. John Kester he found lying on
the floor with bullet hole in his fore
head. He had evidently dropped down
dead when he was shot. Before disturb
ing him the doctor made minute notes
of the exact conditions, and he has these
notes preserved. In another room he
found VIM. Kester lying with his hands
tied. As an expert the doctor testified
that on the right side of Williams head
was wound about Al inches long, crush
ing the skull into the brain. The right
side of the face was smashed in and the
jaws were broken. The victims cloth
ing indicated no struggle and DR.. Brun-
dage presumes that the man was stunned
first by a blow and then had his face
crushed in by the heel of boot. The
blow that caused his death came from
behind. The doctor conducted the post
mortem and thinks that if the wound
was made with a club it was fiat and had
no knob or knot on it.
This closed the testimony, the defen-
dents having no witnesses present to tell
of their whereabouts at the
time the murder was committed. As no
evidence was produced against Mrs.
Higgins her counsel demanded her dis
charge, which was granted The other
three prisoners were held by the Justice
and committed to the county Jail to
await trial. They were taken to Wilkes
Barre.
Appeals to Your Intelligence.