Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30
arnANGE MUnDER cAsE.


An Eastern Shore I0lorad Man and the
Victims wife Convicted.
Centrevile, Md, Dec 23.--One Of
the most remarkable uHses in the crimi-
nal annals of tho country has just as.
stunned new aspect and is of special
interest to peuple here. as a former resi-
dent of Centrevillo is involved. Several
years ago George Frazier, well'known
colored man OF this town. went West
and finally secured employment with
Alexander j. Kettsnring. near Fort
Smith, Ark. One day 10 June, 1894,
Kettenrinc went to Fort Smith TO make
arrangements about the sale OF some
land. He was seen by several acquaint-
ances during the day and was recog.
ni2ed by the officer in charge Of the toll
bridge, which Kettenring crossad about
/ O'Clock at night on his return homo.
II body was subsequently found in Il
tract OF timber about two and half
miles from home and SO feet from the
ROAD, with his skull fractured in tho
forehend, his buggy broken and the
horss entanglod in tho harness, and
81, 600, which he had with him when
he left hnme, was missing. Ultimately
his wife, Mrs. Mary A. Kettenring
George Frazier and another colored
servant were arrested and tried in the
Federal Court, convicted and snn
fenced 10 lie banged in October, 1892
An appeal to the Supreme Court OF the
Uniteu States acted as stay of pro-
ceedings, and the Department Of jus
! tice has made n confession OF error in
the case. ibis was secured by counsel,
Judge O'Reilly, who became interested
| in the matter about year ago, aud who
now makes tho startling claim that not
only was gross injustice uone to Mre.
! Kettenring and her servants, but also
4 alleges that conspiracy had been
! made by two Insurance companies 10
| hiring three innocent persous TO the gal
lows in order to avoid the payment Of
$50. 600 insurance on the life OF MIR.
4 iottcnring. Those companies, Judge
(, O'Rsilly safes. employsd detoctive
agencies to make Investigations
/ Finally negro detective caused him
self to he arrested and contriyed to be
incaraerated 10 the cell occupied by
Frazier. This detective testified that
on the very first night be spent with
Frazier the latter confessed that he had
murdered kettenring in his bedroom un
the night Of his return from Fort
Smith in the presence of Mrs Ketten.
ring; that she had promised him So, 600
and that she would marry him. Frazier
is reported to have said that early next
morning he had taken The bndy anil
horHe and buggy TO the spot where they
we're found. This is the testimony OF
the colOred detentiyP, but, IN the Other
hand, Judge O'Eoilly claims that al
such evidence was contradicted by
facts in the case. Frazier was weFneC
that his room mate was a detective,
and, uf course, would not have con
fessed to him, and Mrs. kettenring IL
a refined Southern woman, who would
never have made any such proposals. tt
such typical negro as Frazier. The
latter on the witness stand emphati
cally denied ever having confessed any
thing, as he had nothing to confess
Since the action of tho Department o
Justice the insurance companies havI
made efforts to compromise with Mrs
Kettenring, having offered her $40, 00I
and the guarantee of immunity from
further prosecution. This she emphati
caly refuses to consider. Judgl
O'Reilly say that he will force new
trial at the earliest possible date. II,
states that the insurance policies hat
been in effect for seven or eight years
, / anu III ldGts buu hoon IL
accounts for the death of Mr.. Ketten
ring on one Of two theories. One i
that the country around Fort Smitl
was infested at the time with numsr
Qua desperate criminals, attracted
thither by tho knowledge that larg
sums of money we're heing paid out t.
the Indians by government agents, AM
that Kettenring may have been muir
dered by them. Another theory ia tina
he may have met an accidental dealt
by the breaking of the right rein of tn
harness. This rein was found broken
and as the horse was spirited and Their
was timber on the left of the road
which just at the point had consid
, cradle declivity. it might be natural
!. supposed that the horse in runnin
through the woods had killed Mr.. Kei
tenring. The $1,000 may have bee
disposed Of in Fort Smith. Under th
/. circumstances. Judge O'Reilly says b
: is sure Of securing the acquittal of th
persons indicted. The case in it
: varying phases has created considerable
interest here. and every one is anxiou
| A,