Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-23
The Spaythe Murder Trial.

At Kittanning, Thursday, eighty nine
men were examined before jury was Sc
cured, and then the case opened.
McClelland Breckbell, druggist who
does business near the Leechburg bank,
testified that few minutes after the
! shooting of Schaffer in the rear yard of
the bank he met Spaythe running toward
| him from that direction, and after passing
! him, he drew black mask from his pocket
and threw it away. Before Spaythe had
run much farther he was caught and iden-
lified as one of the men who had escaped
over the back fence after the shooting.
John Hill, another witness who had not
testified in the Rhines case, was put on
the stand and said he had seen Spaythe
and Dr. Wycoff standing near the bank a
short time prior TO the tragic occurrence OF
February 81. They were talking in low
tones, and the witness took particular
notice Of the man talking to "Doc'
! Wycoff. as he was a stranger.
As each of the witnesses identified the
! prisoner at the bar as the man who had
thrown the mask away and the one who
had been talking to Wycof, there was a
great sensation. Spaythe and his mother
and sister stared steadiastly at the witness
es as they gave their testimony and were
visably affected when they pointed to the
prisoner.
Friday morning the prosecution closed,
and the defense occupied the afternoon
| with witnesses from Findlay, o., Oh char.
acter. Spaythe himself was not placed
! in the witness chair.
! After being out all of Saturday night,
the Jury, Sunday morning, returned YER
! dict of guilty of murder in the second de-
| gree
After the Jurors we're dismissed one of
them said that on the first ballot there was
one vote for a verdict of manslaughter,
three for first degree murder, five for sec
ond degree murder and three for acquital.
One man stood out for verdict of murder
in the first degree from the time they went
our until daylight Sunday morning. When
Mrs Spaythe was seen Sunday, she wept over
the pruspent of her boy spending years. IN
the penitentiary, but said she was thankful
his life had been spared.
Tuesdays proceedings were the live
liest of the term and were characterized
by trial on the special plea of "autrefoIs
convict" rare proceeding in this state.
The array Of counsel was larger than on
any proceeding day The men who will
fight for the conviction or acquittal of the
Spaythe Rhine Wyckof- Kroner quartet for
burglary in the matter of the attempted
bank robbery at Leechburg are: For the
defense, Col. Z. Dunn, of Findley, A. B.
Richmond, of Meadville, J. B. keenan,, of
Gfecnsburg, Charles Sullivan and j. X.
Wallace, of Pittsburg Robert P. Kennedy,
Of UuiOntown, ID. b. Heiner, J II. Mccain
and Austin Clark Messers. W. d. d.
Patton, NJ. F. Leason and IL. n Snyder
conduct the prosecution.
y jury was not secured until late that
evening, after legal battle lasting
throughout the day. The court room was
packed with people who wanted to see the
defendants, and the first appearance of
Doc Wyckof was looked upon as u great
| attraction. Rhine enjoyed the situation,
sid was even bold in his gsllantries to the
| pretty young women, particularly his
sweetheart, Miss AcCombs of Bradford
Tnc biggest fight yet in these cases will be
maize To save Doc Wyckoff from the peni-
trn;iary. Several of his Pittsburg friends
we've there to see how he was coming out.
On Wednesday Doc Wyckof was found
guilty of burglary, and Immediately after
this District Attorney Snyder asked the
| Court To quash the indictment against
Spaytho for burglary 50 that he could be
used as a witness
This was done and Spaythe went on the
stand and made confession duplicating
Wyckoff and himself in the burglary and
stated that Gallagher fired the shot that
killed Shaeffer. Gallagher or 0'Brien has
been missing since the murder.
In the afternoon Wyckof was put OF
trial for murder.