The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-13
MURDER CASE In DANBURY
YOUNG FRANK KETCHAM SHOT
1HR0UGH THE HEART.

/
A Party of Youths Were Out on a Lark
Shot by William Flitcroft, the Well
Known Pedestrian-several Arrests
Made-The Weapon Was Shot Gun.
| Danbury, April 12.-Wildman's Lane
was the scene of a murder here this
morning. One man was killed almost
instantly and another lies at the hos
pital with half the charge of a heavily
loaded shotgun in his body. His con-
dition is extremely critical and death
may come at any time. The dead man
is Frank Ketcham and the other VIC
tim of the affair is Frank Tomlinson.
The shooting occurred shortly after
midnight in front of the house kept
by Mary Fisher in the Lane. William
Flitcroft is under arrest, charged with
| the murder. He lived in the house
with the Fisher woman and Eliza
beth O'Brien, a young woman of
twenty-one years of age. Ketcham
and Tomlinson called at the house and
asked to be let in. They We're refused
entrance by the Fisher woman and
warned to leave the premises by Fit
croft. The young men remained at the
door, which they threatened to burst
In If not allowed to enter. They had
visited the place on a former occa-
sion and created disturbance, in the
course of which William Flitcroft re-
ceived a severe thrashing. He was de-
| tot,Y, ,t,,oI ~. -
low them to frequent the house again
Finally Ketcha1n, who was twenty
yeras old, and Tomlinson, two years
his junior, determined to get In at any
cost. They attacked the door and We're
about to gain entrance wnen Fit
croft yelled that he would shoot if
they did not desist. The two youths
| retorted for him to shoot close. Fit
croft stepped on the outside, leveled
double -barreled shotgun at his former
assailants and fired. But one charge
was fired. Ketcham expired shortly af
| terwards The bullets had entered his
left breast. Tomlinson received sew
raj shot in the neck, right shoulder
and breast. The shooting was done in
the open air with Flitcroft thirty feet
away. The police We're soon on the
scene and in short while had made a
half dozen arrests. Flitcroft was
charged with murder. Six others
were placed under arrest. These are:
Theodore Bradenburg, AZ; Rufus Can
nung, 20; and Elizabeth O'Brien,
charged with frequenting a disorderly
house, and Charles Young and Thomas
Marasco, 20 and % years old, respecl-
! lively, booked for breach Of peace.
The Fisher woman is thirty-nine years
old, and Flitcroft, who lived with her,
IS forty three But one of these,
/ Charles Young, has secured a bonds
1 man. The two last named were in the
house at the time the shooting was
/ done. This afternoon Deputy Coroner
| W. c. Vile conducted a preliminary
examination, ana tomorrow morning
Coroner Doten of Bridgeport will con-
duct an inquest. Ketcham, the victim
of the1affray, SO far as known, has no
relatives in this vicinity. A letter was
found on his person showing that he
had friends residents of New Jersey.
The police communicated with them to
day in the hope of receiving informa-
tion which will lead to the location of
the young mans parents or relatives.
taken in charge of by Reynolds & Full
ler, understakers. The man held for
the murder has no relatives in Dam
bury. This afternoon the police un-
loaded the second barrel of the gun
used by Flitcroft. Eighty-three dou-
BILE B shot were found to make up the
charge 1T is supposed that the same
number approximately was placed in
the other barrel. The house at which
the murder occurred has not been con-
sidered as a public place. The two
women implicated in the affair were
very reticent But little outside COM
munieation has been allowed with the
prisoners by the police.
Flitcroft is well known pedestrian,
who, few years ago, took part in
all the go-as-you-pl please walking
matches in this part of the country.
He is forty-nine years of age. A cou-
pie of months ago party broke into
this same house and Flitcroft was
badly pummelled He had his assail-
ants arrested, and it is said that the
police advised him to use his gun if
another incident of the kind occurred.
The affair has created sensation
| from the fact that all the young men
are well known and their families are
prominent socially. Ketcham was
| twenty years old. He came here about
a year ago from Farmingdale, N. j.,
and was a hat maker. His father is
in business in New York city. Tom
linson's parents reside in Danbury.
Mr.. Renfrew's Funeral.