The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-16
CAT MURDER INDICATED.
TRIAL OF WILLIAM @. PECKHAM AND
hrs son AT WESTFIELD, n. j.
Prosecuted by q. White Smith, n Negro,
ON Neighbours Accusation That They
Cruelty Killed an Ishmaelite "Divvls
Cnt"- The Rcul Murderer Confesses.

ON n Neighbours Accusation That They
Cruelty Killed m Ishmaelite "Divvls
Cat" - The Rcnl Murderer Confesses.
WEsTFIELD n. j.. June 15.-Some parts OF
this community will not recover from the Peck
ham cat caso for days to come. The trial. in
Justice Of tho Peace rollins's office on We'd
nesday afternoon. was n conflict OF remarkable
bitterness. The action was one instituted by
G.. White Smith. agent of the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals, to recover
500 from W. u. Peckham his son. Paul Peck
ham. and hired man commonly called Ed"
otherwise unknown. because they had either
participated in or had procured or Allotted tho
slow death and torture Of the cat.
William G.. Peckham Is a member OF the firm
OF Peck ham. Warner X Strong Of Ill Broad
way. New York where he is known as hard
and able fighter in cases dealing with matters
OF somewhat more Importance than the killing
OF Nagrant cats. His son Paul Is 10 years old.
and has just passed his examinations for en-
trance to Harvard. A great cloud of voluntary
witnesses appeared in court to testify to his
gentleness OF disposition and Kindness of heart
toward all things great and small
q. White Smith. who is negro, was for
many years tho private secretary and con-
Hyde OF the Equitable Life Assurance Society.
some time since he bought u small piece of
Ir xnl ahiIoinnE Nj Peek hams place. 9nd hs
Cuban descent.
The personality OF the deceased cat is not the
He was q big Glack tomGat called HoTncsr.
he LIVED psl, on Mr., peckham's place. With
s epSssn The H1 R%t Y Kim
as a mighty hunter before the devil "a
2Hbn ss and
number OF SQUADS and little chickens dimln-
"sauseS solumn M B S it'''"' "DO'' WV
=, Mr. Smith brought the action against Mr..
Mrs John F borval the tn vii Wife ' Of retired
druggist; who lives next door to the Peckhams
station: Mrs. Doryals father left her good
Deal bea 6, OF money; She has never viewed the
S yvs sSs and
S.n sss Ar i %S. s5,5 5s !5s BPyya
Borvall wished to make acomraint against the
Peck hams for tho way a cat had been tortured
TO death by them on SUNDAY afternoon Mr.;
ms an officer Of the law. He at once went for
ward with the case. Special subpoena blanks
Justice Coiiins,s little Office was much too
small to hold the witnesses that had been
called in the case. to say nothing 81 the spec
Town Committee room.
=, Mrs. Dorval! was the first witness, She said
that on several occasions she had seen Mr..
peckham going about tn" plac" with a gun. as
though looking for something to Kill. On
fba tSSHsngT late he ne2i gun Aired in
and she wanted to know whya gun was being
fired on Sunday so close by. sh" went to her
back yard and there saw two OF Peckhnm's hired
men standing over an object in the tall grass.
One man reached down and lifted the body
alive. 6uiI hppDllSp tor
that Paul Pcckham joined the men and went to
the house and brought q fox terrier out. She
Sick t." She then saw Mr.. Peckham san his
non m aWay she heard the man holding the cat
On cross-examnation she said that she had
not seen the cat shot. She did not know it was
struggled when it was held up. At any rate
she considered tho whole proceeding Il cruel
outrage. She believed Mr.. Peckham shot the
The Dorvas' hired man was called. lie add
ed nothing material to Mrs. Dorvalls tcsti-
Who shot the cat 2" Nj. Pcckham asked
MIN on cross-eNam tnation.
The presumption was Peckham did il.
SAG me hiT"u man earnestly
Mr.. Ieckham explained that his son Paul
T was n"t present in court because of his ex-
physlC,an's certificate to back up the state
m"nt. Il. White Smith said that the boys
absence was in no way held up against Mr.
accepted.
Mr. Peck ham was his own star witness He
said that the cat had beer malicious. vora
cious. tantalizing nuisance about the. place for
two years during Which he had often tried
house: He had n"t asked or, ordered any one
first called to the disturbance outside and
he was told that Bpunccr was dead he
had called from the window. Good! I'm glad
rler pupny. His son had taken the dog out.
Mr. Peckham said. either to rnt tn" cat ont Of
afraid Of The dog was on chain Mr. Peck
t ham 5e1ed with STS ntn
by him Tor many months.
FRI 5Br TSa Gir 6r2o mo9 Of M rTckh1m
him to xiii Bounccr Th iE e wTHMH "T %To.
a a9SGd great ssGTa99 Mr. M
went on to say that Peckhar had never told
him to Kin the eat and that PAU had not al
was dead when he saw it. Paul was always
gentle and kind-hcarted with ali the animals
about the place. The cat was a bloodthrsty
and cruel monster. rcnding squads. durkliuEs
and chickens limb from limb at every orpor-
tunityn ...,
table before him. BRADY identified the dog as
the one accused Of having tortured the cat
Al. Dig you ever krow that dog to harm cat -
Never in my life" said Brady.
thirty or moro witnesses a. to Iaul'S kind
ness TO aniInnlS wer" introduced. old women
and young and ministers, and al! testified for
him. Tho whole ncighbOrhoul. in facet nut on
record its opinion that he was incapable Of
intentional cruelty
g. White Smith .hms,clf was called and asked
II he had not praised Paul us a model young
man. lie cheeriulIy admitted that he hal.
Nj Pcckham then tried to show anlmus Oh the
part OF Smith in pros 'cuting the case He
asked some questions with regard to smiths
relations with the LAWYERS Club. Of which
Mr. Peckham WAS member at the time
Smiths connection with the Printable was
severed. The club was in tn" Equitable build
ing. These questions caused Mr. Smith to saw
that Mr.. Peckham was very violent man
DR.. j. j. Harrison. leading physician Of
Wrstleld. was called aS an expert witness H.,
was asked II he had examined the dead cat
Ho had. He found its heal full u lurkshOt
He was asked how long tho eat could have
lived after receiving such q load II shot in It's
head. DR.. Harrison snid the cat couldn't have
lived Ave minutes. DR.. Sherman Cooper, an
other physician followed.
Gould the eat have felt main after rccclvin.
those wounds IN its head ?" he was asked
1T could not. though there might have bean
convulsivc muscular movements he replied
Charles Anderson. n former prussian soldier
lately como over and now n hired man on the
Pockham place. was the last witness IIo WINS
carefully Instructed that he need not answer
any question tending To incriminato himself
hn iIInd tbn nt ~ {, Whit,