Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-18
MURDER TRIAL.
Vim. Lord ard Cfas. Emery on Trial
for the Tiurder Gf Peter
Houston.

| Houston.
Readers of the REPoass.,; viii remem-
Der the particulars as published about
the killing of Peter Houston in cold
blood, June End, 1898, which were as
follows:
About eight O'Clock Friday evening,
June ID, while Peter Houston was seat
ed near the window in his residence in
the town of Saratoga, about ten miles
from this city, an unknown assassin shot
him with a gun loaded with buckshot
Six bullets entered his head and three
into his neck killing him instantly. He
had just completed his. supper and
moved back his chair from the table
and was playing ''Home, Sweet Home"
upon an accordion when the shot was
fired. His young wife, to whom he had
| been welded only two months, went
and bolted the kitchen door fearing the
assassin meant to do her harm also
Through the cracks of the shed she saw
a man running south from the house but
was unable to identify him. She ran to
the neighbors and gave the alarm.
! Mr.. Chas. Emery was first arrested,
charged with the murder. Later w. M.
! Lord and David Jacobs were arrested
implicated with Emery in the killing.
Examinations were held and the
parties bound over for trial in the Cir
cult Court. David Jacobs, father of
Peter Houston's S wife, made a confession
and told the whole story of the killing
as follows:
He said that about a week before the
murder w. NJ. Lord came to his place
where he was at work on his farm
| Jacobs told Lori that someone the day
| before had shot at him twice while he
was planting potatoes. He (Jacobs)
thought it must be Peter Houston as
they were not on good terms. Lord
said it must have been Houston. They
talked the matter over and decided
that something must be doue. Lord
pulled out pint bottle from his pocket
|
drink of that and it would fix him.
Lord said the bottle contained whiskey
and strychnine. Jacobs then promised
| he would administer the dose and Lord
left him. After Lord had gone Jacobs
thought the matter over and the
atrocity of such a crime changed his
mind He buried the bottle in the
manure pile where it was found after
the murder and his confession. A few
days after this Messrs. Lord and Emery
came to his place on their return from
Grand Rapids 1t was on the second
day of June, 1898. They talked over
Peter Houston's conduct and threats
toward them and decided they would
60 down that evening and get rid of
him. Lord and Emery went On toward
Peter Houston's and told Jacobs to
meet them at the forks of the Plaintield
and Houston roads. Jacobs took one of
his horses and followed them on horse
| back. They met as agreed and pro-
ceeded through the woods to within a
short distance Of Peter Houston s
house. They tied their horses and
drank from the contents of bottle.
Emery then took shot gun from the
buggy. Took loaded shell from his
pocket and inserted it into the gun.
He, Emery, then offered the gun to
Jacobs who refused it with the ex-
preston che could not do the Job. 4"
Emery replied he could. They all
three proceeded towards the house.
Emery preceded them about one rod
The sun had just gone down. No light
was yet lighted in the house so they
waited until lamp was lighted.
Shortly Houston was sighted at the
window and Emery fired the fatal shot
After the shooting the three went back
to their horses and went home.
The above is in substance Mr. Jacobs
confession. All the witnesses Oh the
part of the state ratify and intensity
that version of the murder. The
witnesses on the part of the defense
| have attempted to prove that Jacobs
was the man who did the killing and is
alone deserving of punishment From
the testimony we have heard in the
trial there can be only one outcome
and that is that the three men Lord,
Emery and Jacobs are equally response
BILE for that murder. A good deal of
the testimony is too vulgar and
indecent for publication.