The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-21
KILLED LIKE HIS DOG.
IN servius Rutte Shot Billy
FIetcher's Head OFF.
70 EYE WITNESSES TESTIFY.
- HIesehes went 60 Ask why His
Peg wss Slain He Met the Same
Tste ~ the Poor Beast.

&SyHT. Jan. ID special. IA jury in
- G<yslus R1tten murder case vas Sc
I'D lsfe Thursday afternoon, and up 70
s ~ resent time nineteen witnesses. in
81 sudfns those for both the stats and the
nfsuse. have been examined Rutten
!. fxses xas placed on the stand this
q rorning. but bis testimony. winch il
1e1s and tedious. viii not be concluded
rrfa Monday. and the case viii probably
~ 90 20 the jury before Tuesday night.
faxass Larsen. the only eyewitness 70
- shooting, who IL suffering from an
rrute attack OF infammstory rheumatism.
~ brought 10 Sidney from Chico Ffiday
nsniag, bed and all. and he told what
y knex about the tragedy. Though Lar
= sas only few feet away when the
,hsosing occurred, be vas 50 excited that
approved . very pliabIs witness in the
tsrds OF the attorneys for the defense.
Carries II. Lilly. of Seattle. was the best
sianess for the state, his testimony prov
rs more damaging to Rutten than that of
M other witness.
Eaitsn's defense will be that though he
ksa every reason to believe William II.
Fletcher, the dead man, intended to do
him great bodily harm. the shooting was
~ accident. He will endeayor to con-
uscs the Jury that Fiether threatened to
IN him and TO slick" him and that he
drew . stone at him; that Fletcher had
bis arm drawn back with another stone in
BIS hand at the moment he was killed.
R1tsen claims that he cooked his shotgun
With the intention of frightening Fletcher.
bot the hammers slipped from his grasp
With the result that the steam oatman's
had was almost literally torn from bis
body. Rutten u q native Of Holland and
has been in America only since isss. He
% years oil, and has lived near Chico
since 1891. He has heretofore borne a good
ssputation and never quarreled with any
one. IL IL the general impression that he
vii not be hanged. but that he will 20 to
tbs psnitentiary. His attorneys are more
ang1ins. and confidently believe that ne
viii be acquitted.
Nearly the whole OF Sidney have been
present at the courthouse during the trial,
sad every word uttered by the witnesses
vsstaksn In by the eager spectators. Nrs.
Fletcher. the wife of the man killed by
Ru,.sn, was in court, attended by Miss
florence Fletcher, sister of the dead man.
and they were given seats near the attor-
asmali. plump though pale little woman.
and avoided looking In the direction of
her husbands slayer. Rutten's seat was
placed near the witness stand, facing the
jury. but he kept his eyes cast down most
Of the time. He was perfectly cool and
never moved muscle except when he
consulted with his attorneys, and even
then he shielded his mouth with his
hand and whispered so low that almost no
sound at all escaped him.
The first witness for the state was DIR. c.
c. Kellam. of Port Biaksley, coroner of
hitsap county, who testified TO the nature
OF tho wounds inflicted on Flstcher's head.
Two days after the shooting the body of
Fletcher. which had In the meantime
been buried, was exhumcd aud an inquest
was hell. The first charge from the shot.
gun had torn away the whole left side OF
Fietcher's face. The second shot lodged
In the neck. The head being a. a result
horribly mutiiated. The coronsr testified
Is 10 the findings of the jury empaneled
by him to inquire into the cause Of death.
Mrs. Fletcher. the wife of the dead man,
was the next witness. She testified that
herself. her husband, with Miss Florence
Fletcher and Mrs. Meahey as guests. were
at their home Mt Chico on the evening of
September last. when they heard q shot
outside. They went to the door and saw
Rutten passing. Behind him lay her net
dog dead. Continuing her testimony she
said:
when I saw my dog dead began to
cry. and Billy said, Don't cry. | will GO
out and see about IL then quit. fol-
lowed him out. bat he sent me back, aud
remained in the house until heard the
second shot. | then ran and started to-
ward the bridge. Some one STOPPED me
and then / went home"
The witness did not appear to care 10
g. into the details of the shooting.
''When did you see your husband
again 2" she was asked.
I'm his coffin"
What did he look like; what was the
nature of his woundsf''
Mrs. Fletcher made no attempt 10 an
sxer this question. but buried her face in
hsr handkerchief aud sobbed heavily.
The attorneys for Rutten permitted her to
step from the stand without cross-aues-
uoning her. Miss Fletcheris testimony
was not very important, being merely
eoFroeoratIye of what Mrs. Fletcher had
tod.
Capt. w. h. Seymore, of the steamer
,hehaiis. was then called, aud he was on
ths stand for an hour and half lie said:
Az 80 O'Clock myself and wife were
eating supper At our home in Chico with
our children around us. Mr.. {. III. Lily
aaa sle. OF Seattle. were our guests. We
heard shot and ali went 10 the door We
saw nothing unusual and went back TO
supper. all of Us except Mr. Lilly, who
sehs down the road TO see what the noise
vas about In a few moments heard
ahother shot and went out Some one
aasiooed; 'Bllly's killed. | saw man
sung up the guieh and heard some one
se eAii out: There he goes; stop hint!
sook alter him aud called TO him 10 halt
BAD him covered with my revolver and
- stopped | took his gun. double
esffeied shotgun. away from him aud
saesa hlin under arrest | ihen turnsi
. an over 90 Harry Turner aud Charley
S.ssks Tie fireman and engineer on the
rsaMis, both Of whom had come up.
zen 1 went down To- the guloh TO see
sass hsd happened. found the BODY of
Ay F'eteher lying there with the head
ssssed over Hith a coat. Rutteu Was
$500 70 tue boat, which Law AZ the wharf,
as 'ashed 70 the mast with his hand. be-
ea attn. In this posiuon he remained
as'1 oeiocS that night, when he vas
~feFe9 'nto the custody Of Sheriff Pitt"
severe discrimination failed 10
ase We captains testimony as 70 what
1sAs' What other people told him rels-
'e % 'ns shooting snd the position and
aahef IN Hnich the various people stood
aae TUE OF the arrest Of Rulten. liz
e'onghi out On examination that talk
made OF !yacAiag Ruiien. but Capt.
"aFe SouId not permit she body OF his
p5.seasf 10 hs ino.es,ed.
l. r Na-r,. . ,-..... - .,