The times., 1897-12-25
WIFE AND NEGRO ACCUSED
Remarkable Murder Case in
Arkansas Attracts Attention.
RANCE COMPANIES IN 1T
Mrs. Kettenring Cha rged With Con-
spiring with II Colored Man So
Kill Her Husband To Secure So
900 Allegations of the
: wonan'S Counsel.

Centrevile, Dec. 24.-0ne Of the IN oss
rema arkalbe cases in the crimin Al annals Of
the country has Just assumed n new aspect
and is of special interest to people here
as a former resident of CeHtreril,e is in
yoIved. Several years ago George FIR iZier.
a weil-knowm colored man If this town,
went West ana Finally secured employment
with Mr. Alexander j KcttenrinG, near
Fort Smith, Ark. One day in June, 1891,
ket.enrins went to i ort Smit h to make
arrangements about the sale of some
land He was seen by several acquairt-
ances during the day and was recognized
by the officer in charge of th> toll bridge
Which Hettenring crossed about l oclocS
at night on his return home.
His body was subsequently, found III a
tract OF timber about two and a half lilies
from home and fifty feet from the Dad
with his skull fractured in the forehead
his buggy broken and the horse enta7sled
in the harness, ana 81 ,0On, which he ha d
with him when ne left home, was missing.
Ultimately his wife, Mrs. Mary a. ketten-
ring, George Frazier and another colored
servant, were arrested and tried In fhe
Federal court, convicted and sentenced to
be hanged in October, S92. An appeal
TO the. ) upr enie Curt O Z the United states
acted az a stay of proceedings, and the
Department of Justice has made a cOnfes-
sion OF error Ill the case.
This vas secured by counsel, Judge
O'Reiliy who became interested in the
matter about year ago and VINO nt VI
makes the startling claim that not only
was a gross injustice done 10 Mrs. k-t
tcnring and her servants, out also alleges
that conspiracy had been made by two
insurance companies to bring three .n-
nocel.t persona to the gallows in order 10
avoid the payment of $50 900 insurance
on the life of Mr.. Kittenring. These
companies. Judge O'Reilly states, etn-
ployed detective agencies to make investi-
cations. Finally negrC detective caused
himself To- be arrested and contrived ;n
he incarcerated in the cell ocupierl ~
FTaZiei.
This elective testified that Oh the very
first night he spent with Frazier the latter
confessed that he had murdered ketten
ring in his bedroom on the night of Lis re-
turn from Fort NTH, in the presence az
Mrs Kcttenring; that she had promised him
$4,000 and that size would marry him
Frazier is report ed to have said that early
next morning he had taken the body aud
horse Il Il buggy to tue spot where they
were found. This is TIL: testimony Of :hc
cJlUrcd detective, but, on the otter hand
Judge O'Rcilly claims that all sUcu evi.
dence WAS CuptrhdiCIed by facts i'll the
case.
Frazier was warned that his roommate
was a detective, and, of course, would
not have confessed 10 him, and Mrs. kct
teuriug is 4 refined Southern woman, WhC
would never have made any such proposals
to such 2 typical negro as Frazier. TIE
latter en- tie witness stand emphaticalir
denied ever having confessed anything
a he had not hing to confess. Since tht
action of tie Department of Justice the
insurance companies have made effjr'
10 compromise with Mrs, kettenring, hav-
ing offered her SO goo and the guarantee
of il mnit romfurther prosecution, Ihis
she empltatically refuses to consider.
Judge OReiny says he VIII forcr a new
rial at the earliest possible date. ie
states that theinsurancc policies tad been
in effect for seven or eight years, and, in
fact, had been reduced. He accounts for
the death Of Mr. KetteIring on one nf
two thenries One is that the country
arounf. Fort Smith was infested a. ,he
time with numerous desperate criminals.
httr acted thither by the know ledge that
large SUMS Of money were being paid out
TO the Indians by the Government agents,
and that Kettenring may have been NM
darcd by them.
Another theory is that he nay have met
an accidental death by the breaking Of
the right rein Of the harness. This rein
was found nroEen. and as TIE horse was
spirited ana there was timber ON the les
of the road. which lust at the point had
a consIderabl BILE decliyity, ii might lie natur-
ally suppressed tnat tie horse i'll running
through the woods had killed Mr.. Ketten-
ring. The 81 600 may have been disposed
OF in ,-orc Smith. Crder tie circumstances
Judge CReilly says that he is sure Of te'
curing tie acquittal of the persons indicted.
The case in its varying phases has created
considera bic interest here, and every one
is anxious 10 learn the outcome.