The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-08

other Loses His Fortune.
The trial of John Keefe for the murder
OF George Ashley in the town of New
Murdoch, December %, 1898, occupied
the attention of the district court yes
terday.
ms Is a case brought on a change OF
venue from Kingman county. The state
is represented by County Attorney w.
L. Cowgirl, p. B. Gillett and w. NJ.
wallace, all of Kingman, while Amidon
and Conley Of this city and c. w. Fair
child and J. E. Lydecked Of Kingman
are for the defense.
All day yesterday was occupied in Sc
curing jury. The regular jury was
exhausted and special venire of fifteen
men was ordered by the court and it
was exhausted and a special venire or
dered for this morning.
This case has attracted a good deal
OF interest in Kingman county and it
is doubtful if jury could now be Sc
cured there. Keefe stood trial in King
man county and was convicted Of muir
der IN the first degree. The case was
taken to the supreme court on error
and new trial was granted.
On the afternoon of December %, 1893,
several parties, some of whom were far
merS, collected at New Murdoch and
engaged in a social game of cards. 1t
was nearing holidays and they were
simply having good time. There was
no stakes on the game but finally Ashley
told Keefe that he would bet him ten
dollars that he could name every card
he held in his hand.
keefe took the bet and the steaks
We're put into the hands of one of the
party who claimed that Ashley had
won the money and passed it over to
him. keefe made a kick and claimed
that he had been robbed.
Ashley laughed at him and told him
thai he did not play boys games but
when ne won any money he always
kept ii and never paid 1t back Keefe
commended for some time for his money
and when he found that Ashley would
not return it he went home and got
his revolver and came back and shot
Ashley dead.
When Keefe returned with the re-
volver it was shortly after dark and the
two men met in front OF the Santa Fe
depot. Ashley was unarmed at the time
Of the shooting but the defense will
claim that he stopped to pick something
from the ground and keefe was afraid
or that he was drawing a revolver from
his boot.
The trial at which Keefe was convic-
ted in Kingman county was conducted
for the state by c. w. Fairchild, who
was at that time county attorney of
Kingman county. He is now for the
defense and the prosecution now claim
that Fairchild had no right to take the
other side.
Mr.. Amidon said last night that Fair
child had a perfect right now that he
was no longer county attorney TO de-
fend Kesfe even after he had prosecut-
ed him to a conviction and that some
of the most eminent lawyers in the
county had done the same thing.
MIR. Alnidon gave as a reason that
while a lawyer might defend a man
me would have no right afterwards to
take sides against him because he
might as counsel come in possession of
secrets that would put the defendant
at a disadvantage, but that the state
is not supposed 10 have any secrets.
John Keefe is now siXty-one years
of age and came to Kingman county
sixteen years ago from Peoria county,
Illinois. He has sold grain in Wichita
and is known to all the grain and stock
dealers who regarded him as an honest
man whose word was as good as note.
He sold the first car load of hogs
shipped by rail from New Murdoch to
O. NJ. Sherman. at that time a stock
and grain dealer in this city, and as
sisted in building a chute to get them
into the cars.
At the time of the unfortunate shoot
ing John Keefe was one of the most
prosperous farmers in Kingman county
nd Of
that time he has spent a good deal of
money in his own defense and today
he considers himself a poor man.
About one year ago he sold his farm in
Kingman county and purchased mod
est home in this city. 244 Cleveland
avenue, where he and his family now
reside