The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-26
MURDERED WHILE ASLEEP.
MILTON j. SWEIGART SHOT
THROUGH THE HEART By
HIS WIFE.

der-Thc woman Probably Insane.
Several Efforts Were Made TO Get
Her 10 the ASyIum-Her Husband
Objected 10 Her Being Taken Away
From Him-lIrs. SweiEart Better
known rs Kate BarnweH.
Mrs. Milton ]. Sweigart. who is better
known as Kate Farnwell. shot and killed
her husband. Milton J. Sweigart. yester-
day morning about 9 O'Clock while he was
in bed asleep.
Mrs. Sweigart is said 20 be insane. AMI
IL is almost impossible 10 account for her
rash act on any other theory. The bali
entered at the left side and went straight
10 the heart killing Sweigart almost in
stantly.
He went home about o'clock the night
before as usual. and it seems that Mrs.
Sweigart complained that he had been
trying TO poison her. He took the com
plants quietly and said nothing, knowing
what was her state of mind. She. how
ever. was somewhat arsgered over the
imaginary wrong. They retired to their
room in the house at 1Fz Harris street.
where they lived, about O'Clock and went
to bed.
A few minutes before 8 o'clock in the
morning Mrs W. r. Lamon. Mrs. Swe,g-
arts daughter by her former marriage.
heard a pistol shot, but thought II came
from the colored hall next door where a
dance was in progress. Pretty soon how
ever. she heard Mrs. Sweigart shouting
from the top Of the stairs, and Jesse Barn
well. Mrs. Sweigart's son, heard the noise
about the same time. Together with AIr
W. +. Lamon they made an investigation
AS the other occupants Of the house came
out Of the room and saw her at the top Of
the stairs, they heard her cry out several
times to Mr.. Lamon:
willie, Willie, Swag's shot"
Mrs. Lamon and Jesse then went up
stairs, followed by Lamon, and went into
Sweigarts room. As they entered the
room Mrs. Swegart came in and took
something off the bureau. Her son made
some ramark about a pistol which caused
Lamon TO run down stairs as he saw Mrs.
Sweigart come out of the room with a
pistol in her hand. She went out into the
yard where it is presumed she made away
with the pistol as so far it has not been
found. The matter was reported at the
barracks by her son, Jesse, and Policemen
O'Keefe and Mendel were detailed to the
scene of the shooting
Meantime, Lamon thought of sending
for the ambulance for the purpose of
sending Sweigart to the hospital, as when
he went to the door of the room he heard
him gasping, but a Mrs. Bird, who lives
next door, and who was attracted by the
excitement, came in, and after a short
Investigation soon found he was dead.
The policeman arrested Mrs. Sweigart,
w. +. Damon and Jesse Barnwell. The
latter two men were released, however,
after making their statements at the bar
~ dol
The matter was reported TO Coroner
Goette and jury was summoned. At
30 the jury met at the house at No. l4ib
Harris street and began an investigation
into the case
Dr. NJ. X. Corbin was the first witness
sworn. He was called to see Mrs Swell
cart on March 49, when he found her In
an exceedingly nervous condition. She
tod him her daughter and, everybody else
was against her. One Of her daughters,
She sald, recently asked her 10 go with
her TO see an old lady, which she did, and
while there asked for some water The
water was given her and she Immediately
jumped up from her chair, declaring that
she had been poisoned, and that this was
only a ruse of her daughters to take her
70 that place and poison her. She made
several complaints but DR.. Corbin found
nothing abnormal in her condition He
SAID there was no doubt that she was
mentally wrong and should have been
sent 10 the asylum.
Jesse Barnwell, who is a son Of Mrs.
Sweigart or Mrs. Kate BarnwelI as her
name was before she married SWefgart
a lad OF seventeen years, was the next
witness He stated that he heard some
one crying out in the hall about 3 O'clock
m the morning though he had not heard
the pistol shot. Mrs. Sweigart asked for
hght. Her son carried one upstairs and
set II on the bureau, after which Mrs
Sweigart came running into the room and
picked something up from the bureau and
ran out of the room. His brother-in-law
and his sister, he said both told him to
20 Ior a doctor, but he did not know where
70 70 70, SO ne went to the barracks and re-
ported Vhe matter there. Two policemen
were detailed to the house, he said. and
they took him, his brother-in-law and
Mrs. Sweigart to the barracks
Early in the night, young BarnweH said.
MRS. SWeigart made the charge that her
husband had tried to poison her with a
about O'Clock. Mr.. Sweigart he stated
paid no attention to her charges, and was
perfectly mild and peaceable. but she was
apparently mad with him on account ~
ner belief that he wanted to poison her.
Mrs w. +. Lamon. Mrs. Kate Barn
well S. daughter, says she was up lust
before the shooting took place, walking
around the room with her child. She
heard some one moving around upstairs
but paid no attention TO it. Just as She
got back 10 bed she heard a pistol shot
but thought it came from a hall next door
where dance was going on. Following
. the shot, however, she heard Mrs Swell
CART come out in the hall, and cry out and
moan, ana then call to Mr.. Lamon, her
husband, two or three times. Mrs Lamon
caHed her husband to get up and go to
see what was the matter. BY the time
ne. got out in the hall Mrs. Sweigart was
at the bottom of the stairs, and she said
TO him Willie, Swags shot"
Lamon then went UP stairs and as he
approached the room door he heard
Sweigart grooming family. Mrs SWEET
CART went TO the bureau, and young Barn
wei, who was in the room, said something
about a pistol. which caused Lamon to
run down stairs. Mrs. Sweigart Went
down stairs with the pistol and out into
the back yard. The pistol was Mr. SWEET
CARTS and as he generally kept it locked
up, Mrs. Lamon was at a loss to accom- (
for the manner in which his wife got hold
of II. After Mrs Sweigart returned from
the back yard. where she evidently made
some disposition of the pistol Jamon
caught her and held her, until the police
man arrived. She would not tell what she
had done with the pistol. Mrs Lamon
stated that her mother had not been i'm
her right mind for some time and that
several months ago DR.. Falligant had pro-
nounced her insane. She has made an at
tempt several times to kin herself but
when she was entirely rational she AL
ways spoke well of Mr.. Sweigart
Mrs. George Pickett, a sister OF the
woman, stated that she had known for
some time that her sister was not in her
right mind, and she went TO DR. Corbin
to see what TO do about it, Or Corbin.
esr caf LET tn H.