The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-02
ALL ARE BOUND OVER
Preliminary Trial of Alleged
Murderers of John GOrath.
LUTHER BELTS STORY
Mr. Davis Saw Heel Prints on
GOrath'S Breast.
BELTS STORY

The preliminary trial Of Albert Hamal-
ton, Robert Gilbert and Tin Deegan, the
three men held for the murder Of John
Gorath at Colwich last Saturday night,
WAS held yesterday afternoon before
Judge Kirk of the city court. After lis
kening to the testimony OF seven witnesses
for the state, Judge Kirk bound the three
men over to the district court without
bond. Luther Belt the 16-year-old boy
who was released by the county attorney
Tuesday, Is the main witness of the pros
eculiOn, and he was ordered held In the
sum Of 500 for his appearance at the trial
In the district court. His employer, Mr..
Allensworth, signed the bond.
Mr. Harvey Crocker on whose farm the
killing was done, was the first witness
called He said he knew the defendants
and also the murdered man. He said Co.
Fath was about six feet tall and of light
complexion. He last saw Gorath Satur-
day evening about dark before the thresh-
Ing gang started for Colwich. The gang
returned 10 their cooking shack from Col
witch ABOUT 11:40 Saturday night. He heard
Three or four shots fired when they got
WITHIN three-Quarters of a mile of the
house and he heard the men shouting.
Vie then got out of bed and saw two
men get out Of the wagon and walk back
an phe road In moment he heard two
more shots fired which were the last. He
then went back to bed and heard no more
disturbance that night Sunday morning
he arose before any of the gang got I'D.
la arft IN, fto4-
matters, and then for the first time saw
John Goralth lying in the wagon as II
asleep. He then went to the house and
soon saw the members Of the threshing
crew at the wagon. As he came back
from milking his COWS, ne stopped again
at the wagon and saw that Gorath was
dead He described the dead man as lying
straight In the wagon with one hand
across his breast. He said there was not
much blood in the wagon. Afterwards ne
met four of the boys at the barn and they
said. This is tough, amt tt?" At that
hime Hatfield had not yet come out of
the cOrnfeld where he had gone after
1fhe shooting the night before. He first
saw Hatfield coming from the pasture
alone at 7:30 O'Clock, after the marshal
MAD arrived from GOlW1ch.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Stanley, MT.
Croker said he did not know how many
1were in the gang that went TO Colwich,
NOR how many returned. He was in bed
when he heard the first shots. He could
hear the shouts Of the men as plainly as
the shots from the pistol. They were like
abe shouts Of drunken men, and were not
alike shouts of anger or pain. The halloo-
ing ceased after the first shots were fired
He could not see we'll enough to tell which
kwo left the wagon as they neared the
house. The actions OF Gorath and the
rest Of the gang had always been Of the
most friendly nature towards each other
! u. D. Allensworth is owner OF the
Shreshing machine and was the employer
Of ell of the men connected with the kill
Eng. He said he has been a citizen of the
Scounty since June %. John Gorath worked
FOR him and he saw him last when they
went to town Saturday night Did not
see him again until next morning when
he saw that ne was dead. Hatfield was
not on the scere when he got there Sun
day morning but he saw him come out
Sf the pasture alone and go directly to the
Mr. AIlensworth went up to him and
asked him where he had been.
az woke up down by the bridge" said
Hatfield.
What did you do with your gun?'
asked Mr.. Allensworth.
''What gum replied Hatfield.
THE one you had last night" said Al
fensworth.
81 didn't have a gu@S' said Hatfield.
Mr. Alensworth testified that Hatfield
bhrew down his coat and the gun was
found in the coat pocket. He said there
mad been no unfriendly relations between
Gorath and Hatfield. He said Gorath had
been paid no money on Saturday night
and TO his knowledge had no money TO
speak Of
Coroner Levi Mclaughlin was the next
witness called. He recognized the pistol
before him as the same as that handed
10 him at Colwich. said to have been
taken from Hatfield's coat pocket. About
S2.4S was all the money found in Goraif's
clothing. Examined the wound in Co
uath's head. Il was a gunshOt wound and
extended into the brain ranging forward
and upward from the back OF the head.
S. f. We3bs. a young man who lives in
ColNich. knew Gorath quite we'll lie had
seen him week before the murder and
said the murdered man had at that time
swo $40 bills and about S. in silver. He
did not see him again until SATURDAY
evening before the killing. He was then
sitting on the sidewalk in front OF the
drug store
o. Davis, one OF the coroner's Jury. +es-
tilted to having seen the defendants he
fore In the examination Of Gorath's body
at the inquest Mr.. Davis discovered the
print of a mans heel on Gorath's breast
and a bruise on the -isht side OF the
neck. tending to show that Gorath had
been roughly handled besides being shot;
Mr.. Davis said shere was hut lt,le blood
On the wagon. In the cross-examination
by Stanley, Mr.. Davis said that while
~here was not much blood in the wagon
te had discovered no blood in the road O,
N the ground by tho wagon.
Luther Belt testified as follows:
What Is yOu- name and age?"
My name. Luther Belt. 1 am ls years
old"
Where were YOU born?"
Carthage. No"
Where are your parents?'
NY parents are both dead"
Where have YOU resided nrcstly~'
Near Carthage. until the 10th ~ Nav
when 1 came out here 10 work with
threshers''
Where were YOU Saturday nirh;?"
went TO Coiwich with a thresbine
crew"
Who were in that crew with your