The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-25
RUTTEN IS GUILTY.
The Slayer Of Billy Fletcher
Convicted at Sidney.
JURY OUT TWELVE HOURS.
The Aseuss1 Mskss CsedfsAhis Ws-
800 fer HsnssIG bot xvidsssiy
wss Sos Believed.

sfpsEr, Jan. aA--fSpscsal- I-Ths Jury
IL the esss Of ssryius Eutsen. ehsfgsd
With the ulIisnl and malicious murder Of
William n. Ftst<ber on the evening OF
sspssmbsx Z This morning. brought IN .
verdict q murder In the frat degree. Ine
finding Of the Jury vas snrprsss 20
essryons, the rscss ssnguzns Of the state
attorneys not sxpsesine greater measure
Of punishment than rnansIsnghscr- H. L
Shields, Eafssn's attoaey, inmediafeiy
gavs notice that h wouid sppiy Tor nsS
trial and ssnssncs vss deferred katsen
was taken to Seattle this afternoon. ynese
he VS. pAs In the e0unty jail Tor safe
ksepine. IL 10 mot believed that ne wiii
ever hang for the crime OF killing Fletcher.
With the andiags Of the jury ended
one OF the most sensational GRIM
inal trials In the histogy Of Nit
sap county. Durng the SIX days that
the trial OF Rnsten has oeen In progress
the cart room vas packed with miscei-
ianeeue crowd OF men, women and chill
dren. ~ eager TO feast their eyes on the
dejoeSod and forlosn eountsnance OF the
prisoner, zhi.s every word uttered BY the
witnesses and the attorneys was taken in
aimoss ravsnoussy. People have come
from neighboring towns sud farmers with
their families walked seven. eight and
even ten miles in order 10 hear and see the
grsatsst show that sidney has ever bad
While IL 10 difficult 10 assign cause for
the sentiment agains, Rutten 10 was evil
dent that the majority of the spectators
were strongly pre- iadiced. Whether or not
The Jury shared this feeling 10 not known
and PROBABLY never will be.
When court vas called Monday morn
ing Rutten was placed on the stand. and
his examination commenced Just where
Ii had been left of Saturday night Ii IL
difficult 10 imagine how q man can be as
densely ignorant as Rutten has shown
himself TO be, bat he nevertheless APP
peared TO make fairly oreditabie impres-
sion on the jury. He detailed in broken
English the story of the tragedy as fol-
iowx:
ssun tho last day of August l shot a
cenxar with q rifle that l bad borrowed
from Andrew and Louie Larsen. The
can1eS had been killing chickens on Mr..
Shselds' place. where / Was al work. On
september = I lett the farm for Chico to
return the rifle and get my shotgun, which
| had lett Larsenss house In place Of the
shotgun. When / was near Capt. sey-
saore's house az Chico q boy set dog on
me three times. The fourth time the dog
came at me shot him. The first three
times scared the dog away by waving my
rlfie ~ him. I'm afraid Of dogs, and l
felt sure this one was going To bite me.
After shooting the dog 1 went TO Larsen's
house, a short distance away in q guich.
gave the rifle to Andrew Larsen and he
gave me back my shotgun and five loaded
Il
started TO 20 home. l expected to meet
some game on the way. When l was on
tns porch some one on the bridge over
head shouted:
Hello. did you shoot my dogf'
''I said yes. and told him I didn't
know the dog belonged TO him. He had a
rock In his hand which ne was playing
with on the rail- Of the bridge. Just then
somebody came towards him and he
dropped the rock and told the person TO
80 home. Then he came back again and
picked mp the rock. / asked him
Whist are you going to do with that
rockg'
"'Never mind he said, and he raised
his hand. retreated TO the door Of the
shack just 90 the rock struck the porch,
coming through the shack roof, striking
me on the hat and CHANGING off my shout
de-. | slid into the house .and Andrew
Larsen came 20 the door and looked up
at the bridge from crack In the porch
and ssid
"'oh. lis you Bully Fletcher. I though,
II was Capt. Seymore. You're the man
what always comes TO disturb the peace.
! want you TO atop throwing rocks at my
house.
Then Fletcher said: Il don't want
you. lwant that id Dutch - -
iasidel
.iie said he wanted $40 for the dog and
I said would give him an order on Mr..
Shields for the money. but he insisted on
having the money the next morning at Il
O'clock, and said he would Tx rue he
would give me q id good licking. Lar.
Sen told atm il he waited the Dutchman
he would have to come down. Fletehe,
came down and stood at the door was
inside the shack and Larsen asked him
what he wanted. lie said:
want that I'D Dutch - - I
II was afraid of q light and started 70
hurry past him and 60 home TO nv busi
mesa As started cut of the door Fesche,
raised his hand rs II To throw a rock and
cooked my gun To frirhten him. rhs
hammers had been freshly oiled and the
cock slipped, shooting Fletcher. 1t wa,
an accident ana did not intend 10 shoe
him."
1he Contamination Of Rurten wa.
long and tedious and occupied severa
hours
The story Of the shooting Was gone Over
again and again. and finally Rutten began
10 give evidence of much feeling. This
manner in which Rutten held the gun a
the moment he fired the fatal shot was IL
Illustrated repeatedly for the benefit OF the
attorneys Tor the state and the Jury. Rut
ten peEsistcatiy contended that though hs
believed Fletcher intended to lnfiict rre.,
bodily injury to him with q rock. still thu
shooting at that moment was accidental
Then IL the shooting was accidental
why did ron cock your gum" demanded
Mr. Fairfield
40 protect myself" said Rutten.
Then you really did intend To shoot p
Yea. bat NOS then
when were You going 10 sheotf"
The moment Fletcher threw the rock. =
III he had thrown the rock you would
have 'ired IN earnest and not hv accident -
Yes, ! woeld have blown his brain.
easi" declared Ritten hosly.
There VAS smothered whisper shou,
The court room when Ra,tsn gave ven. q
his hlocd-shirsty answer, and even Mr.
Fairfield was speechiess for moment
Then the attorney FASTENED 20 make can
nal OF the slip and asked meanlnsly,
'fea came very near blowing his brain.
sat ~ il vas. dldnt yoas'
Rattea made no reply. Ii vs. eviaen,
hat he Was sorry tor his ill-sdvised an,
liver ana Was again very cool AID Quiet
sat somewhat nervous A. the noon hoa,
ais eross-exsminasioa had nos been CON
sseted and court adjourned All O'clock
Judge Denny. acting under the persistent
demand Of the attorneys for Rnssen,
chartered the steamer General Canhv To,