The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-02

| was i'm his room on the second floor,
at the time the deed was committed.
| About s o'clock he heard some one
| come hurriedly up the stairs and call
| for Mrs. Fetterholf. a moment later he
| heard Mrs. Fetterholf eXclaiming: my
! God! What's the matter?" and Mrs.
! Wescott was heard to answer: MY
| throat is cut. I'm murdered"
"Who did it?" excitedly asked Mrs.
| Fetterholf.
"He did it," gasped Mrs. wescott.
who? Who did it?" repeated Mrs.
| Fetterholf
George Van Horn" answered Mrs.
| Wescott Hurry, get DIR. Burnett" she
added.
The witness then led Mrs. Wescott
! downstairs and rushing out on the
! porch called Mr. Fetterholf and Mr..
Heiter, two of the other boarders, who
were standing at the corner of the
fence. Mrs. Wescott followed him out
with her hands holding her apron to
the cash in her throat and crying out
piteously for her young daughter, Cora.
Some one in the crowd that had quick
| ly gathered in the yard asked Mrs.
Wescott who did it, and she said and
afterwards repeated that it was George
! Van Horn.
The witness then went on to describe
how they had found a trail Of blood
| leading from the smaller or rear cell
lar up the outside steps, along the
side porch. into the dining room and
out in the kitchen, where the pan of
potatoes, which Mrs Wescott had car
ried, was discovered on the table, COW
cred with blood
He was submitted TO a lengthy and
searching cross-examination, but it
failed to shalla his story or develop
anything favorable to the defense.
WHAT MRS. WESCOTT SAID.
Mrs. Cora Ames, of Philadelphia, and
Margaret Lamb, of this city, whom she
was visiting, testified that they hap
pened to be passing the WcscOtt house
just as Mrs. Wescott appeared on the
porch with her throat cut. They heard
her cry out: Catch Van Horn he has
gone around the house"
Wesley Kresge, who lived next door
to the Wescotts, on Franklin avenue,
was the first witness of the afternoon.
His only material testimony was to the
effect that about o'clock on the night
i'm question he heard the wire clothes
line attached to the side of his house
and extending across the Woscutt yard.
vibrating furiously. as if some one had
very forccfully collided with it. He
went to the door and looked out but
could see no one, and went back to his
reading again.
Mrs. George Wickenhoffcr. wife of
the special officer. who testified Tues
day, told of having seen Van Horn
lodging behind the tree boxes on Lin
den street in the vicinity of the Wes-
colt house on many a night during the
six months preceding the murder
Mrs. Emma Van Horn, divorced wife
of the accused murderer's brother, and
daughter of Mrs. Wescott, stated that
she had frequently seen George Van
Horn skulknG about the vicinity of
her mothers home, where she. the wit
ness, also lived, and only the night
previous to the murder she saw him
standing just across the road on Lin
den street, gazing over at the mouse.
He had his hands deep down in his
pockets and remained there for a long
time.
ON cross examination Mr.. Wedeman
asked her if Van Horn wasn't in the
habit of occasionally visiting the house
after he had ceased to be a boarder
The witness understood the intimation
and with much emphasis and some in
dignation she answered, NO, sir No,
sir He never came there. He wouldn't
be allowed to. He was never in that
house in his life" She went on to ex-
plain that when Van Horn boarded
with her mother the boarding house
was at 1O3 Spruce street.
1t was brought out also by Mr.. Thayer
that her father, Ira WesCott, of Jer-
myn, was not living with her mother
at the time of the killing and had not
been for some time previous. The wit
ness was asked if she ever saw her
father skulking about the house as Van
Horn was described to have been in
the habit of doing. Her answer was
another emphatic and indignant No"
\ DAMAGING INCIDENT.
The next witness, George a. South
ard sewing machine agent, who at
one time was a bOardcr with Van Horn
related very damaging incident. On
the Saturday evening Immediately pre-
vious to the crime he was walking
down Linden street, and at the Jewish
synagogue, Just below the Wescott
home and on the opposite side of the
street, he was acCosted by Van Horn
who was leaning against the fence,
Just at the corner of the alley.
Van Horn asked for a chew and in
dulged in some cursory conversation
and then looking up the street casually
asked: Did you see anybody when
you came past the house,"
The house? What house," asked
Southard.
Mrs Wescott's, up there"
Il didn't take any notice" said |.
Southard.
Il see the old woman had you ar
rested" rejoined Southard.
Yes" said Van Horn, "she tried to /
throw me down for another man. But |
she can't do that. -- - her. I'll |
cut her heart out first"
District Attorney Jones also offered |
to show by the witness that Van Horn |
had made threats against Mrs. Wes-
colt as far back as April, 1896, but |
when an objection was offered because .
or It's being too remote, Mr. Jones with
drew the question.
The witness admitted that Van Horn
was somewhat under the influence of
liquor when the conversation referred
to above took place. lie also admitted
In answer to Mr. Thayer's question that
Van Horn and Mrs. Wescott frequently
had quaroled at the boarding house.
and in answer to another query from
the defense he said that Van Horns
conversation narrated above wasn't
what might he called unusual for him.
WAS HANGING AROUND.
Silas j. Finn, janitor Of No. 36 school
told Of having seen Van Horn
hanging about the corner Of. Linden
street and EaNmnnd cnlrt ON .n,.nrn1 |