The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-01-18
Jury at Lewiston Declared Her
innocent Of Murder.
WERE OUT FIFTEEN HOURS
he Tragedy and Events Leading Up TO
Its Commission Briefly
RetOld.

Lewiston, Idaho, Jan. 14.-After being
out is hours the jury in the murder case
against Mrs. Goddard reported that it
had arrived at a verdict. All of the par
ties particularly interested in the YER
dict were soon at hand and the court
room quickly filled with a curious
throng. The long consultation of the
jury gave the public an inkling of what
the verdict would be- but nevertheless
there was intense interest and the ST.
lence while the usual questions were
asked the foreman of the jury was
most impressive.
1--WE, the jury in the case wherein
Mrs Goddard is charged with the will
full murder of John Siers on May 10,
1895, find the defendant not guilty"
We're the words which fell upon the
stilled court room. The change of senti-
ment in defendants favor during the
closing days of the trial had been
marked, and this was intensified after
the closing addresses of the attorneys
for the defense.
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
Prior to May 10, 1895, there had been
trouble between Mrs. Goddard and old
John Siers, who was more Familiarity
known as "Buena" over the money
coming to Siers from the sale of the
estate of his dead partner Eleven
years ago the firm of Schissler e. Siers
was reputed to be the wealthiest in
north Idaho, possessing lands, stock
and money in great abundance. Seven
years ago Schissler died, the joint prop
erty of the estate was settled up, and
among other property was a farm at
Waha, Is miles from Lewiston, which
was sold for $4,000 to NJ. F. Ward.
sOn-in-law of Mrs. Goddard, and Siers
was to be the beneficiary of the sale
Ward bought the place on time and was
una bic, on account of bad luck, to meet
his payments, so Fred W. Piper, a son
of Judge Piper of Moscow. who tried
the murder case, was appointed re-
ceiver pending a settlement Of the claim
on the 18th of May Siers and three
friends drove out to the farm. Siers
claiming he wanted to see Mr.. Mott. a
sick friend who was also a brother Of
Mrs. Goddard Siers ana his friends
went heavily armed. as the former own
er of the farm said he anticipated trou-
BILE. He told his friends that Mott had
! had trouble with Mrs Goddard and was
obliged to sleep in the barn. Siers was
on his way to the barn when the shoot
ing began. NJ r. Ward the son-in-law.
was firing at Sers who was returning
the fire. Mrs. Goddard came up a. this
juncture and fired two shots with a re-
volver at Siers, both of which took eff
feet. Ward came toward the wounded
man, when Shorthill, who remain ID
outside the fence, fearing that more
harm would come to his friend, opened
fire with a Winchester on the party,
hitting Ward twice in the stomach and
shattering the wrist of Mrs. Goddard.
Siers died shortly after from his wounds
and Ward also succUmbed to the bullets
through his abdomen.
While the shooting was in progress
the 13-year-old son Of Mrs Goddard
rushed to the assistance of his mother,
but arrived too late to prevent her be-
ing shot. He was armed and chased
Shorthill to the Lake house, a summer
resort three miles from the tragedy,
when Shorthill finally got away
The affair created intense excitement,
everyone in the neighborhood taking
sides, so that when the trial came off
it was necessary to send to the utter
most boundaries of the county to get
jurors who were unbiased. The case
was fought vigorously by both sides.
some of the best legal talent in the
northwest being retained on both sides.
The trial has been one of the most SEN
satiOnal in the history of northern Ida
no and has occupied nearly month of
the term.