The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-11
Why DAVIS. ]. !. !. I. !. !.
KILLED KING

it'oncludet from Page al
his two companions entered the place.
Daniel Cotter began to sing song, ana
when It was finished Davis walked over
10 a table where King was seated ana
they began to quarrel. The witness
took King over to the bar and Few
minutes later he heard Davis calling
King a big brute. The latter turned
around and said. Hold on Davis,
want to speak to YOU" The witness
noticed a revolver in Davis hand and
King Jumped toward him. Davis fired
A. shot straight ahead of him and King
grabbed his wrist The revolver was
discharged again and the bullet went
UPWARDS. There was a struggle ana
then three other shots In quick success
sion. and King fell to the floor The
witness went for doctor. and when he
returned King was lying on the floor
dead He admitted on cross-examina-
tion that he had been drinking con-
siderable beer that night and like most
of the other men in the place that night
he was feeling good.'
CAME TO THIS CITY.
Harvey Decker said that on the day
preceding the shooting he met Michael
Davis about noon in Moosic. and they
came to Scranton, where Davis pur-
chased revolver, for which he paid So.
They remained about town and left on
the 11.4O p. m. Delaware and Hudson
train for home with three other men,
alighting at Minooka station. From
there they went to Judges saloon and
from Judges to Sullivan's. Peter King
was seated at a table, Daniel Cotter
sang an Irish song, and Davis came
over to him and said, Decker, you're
not an Irishman, but you are as good
an Irishman as there Is in the house.
You signed Boer petition for me-"
King crowded in between the men at
the bar and Davis, who was over in the
corner, said "Thats a regular brute OF
a trick" King started for him, and
Davis said, keep back or I'll Kill you.
Davis had his revolver out and fired
two shots and then King grabbed his
hand and pushed the revolver down
toward Davis stomach. Then three
shots were fired and King fell. Wit
ness tried to get hold of the revolver
while the last shots were being fired.
and one Of them ploughed small
groove out OF his finger. Witness is
deputy constable, and after the shoot
ing Davis said, you're an officer, pro-
tect me-"
Witness did not see any person beat
ing Davis. but noticed after the affray
was over that he was bleeding from
the side of his face. Davis made nc
effort to escape. On cross-eXaminatioh
Decker said he did not see Davis make
y;pcr
in the saloon that night.
Martin McDonough said that DAVIS
said to King: "Come over here, you
big brute, and I'll fix you" King said:
"Hold on, Davis, want to talk to you,
and he walked toward Davis. The lat
ter at once began to fire. Witness
heard five shots.
COTTER THE SINGER.
Daniel Cotter. whose song preceded
the murder, did not see the shooting
When he heard the first shot fired he
ran into the kitchen. When he came
out, King was lying dead on the floor
and Davis was in the corner, with sew
eral men holding him.
Michael Tool was in the barrooom
but did not pay any attention to wha
was being said until he heard the shot:
fired. He took the revolver out OF Da
Wis hand. After the shooting. Davi:
tried to get out through the door, bu
was pulled back by Thomas Sullivan
and John King. At this point the cour
adjourned until $50 for supper.
Martin King said he went into sulli
vans saloon between 12 and 1 O'Clock
on the morning of February 16. Afte1
he heard the first shot fired he stoopec
down. and did not get up until thu
shooting was over He did not see whit
did it.
Patrick Martin, of River street, thi!
city, was in Sullivan's saloon from II
o'clock p. m. until the shooting. HI
saw the quarrel between King and Da
Wis, but did not see the shooting. Hi'
back was turned to the men. When th'
first shot was fired he went out of th'
place. On cross-eXamination, he salt
that King twice advanced on Davis. HI
did not see the latter make any move
ment toward King.
William Martin lives near Sullivan
place and was in there the night of th
shooting for a number of hours. Whel
King advanced toward Davis he hear'
the latter say, Keep back or IL
shoot" Then Davis fired, and witness
ran back into the kitchen, where h
heard four more shots fired.
A STRONG WITNESS.
Patrick Lotus was another who wa
present at the time of the shooting. II
was one of the strongest witnesse
called by the commonwealth. His de
scriptions of the events immediatel,
preceding the shooting and the shoot
ing indicated that it was Davis VIII
provoked King to approach him, AM
then shot him without cause as he wa
doing so.
County Detective w. A. Phillips wa
recalled to prove that the only weapon
found in the clothes of King was
small pocket knife. With this evidenc
the commonwealth rested, and Attor
ney John j. Murphy opened the cas-
for the defense. He said the conten
tion of the defense Is that Michael Da
Wis killed Peter King because he fel
that his life was in danger. He wa
being assaulted and driven to the wal
and had right to defend himself.
Michael Davis, the defendant, wa
put on the stand at the close of Nj
Murphy's opening. He said he has live
at Oak hill, in Moosic borough, for til
greater part of his life and is now
years of age. His wife is dead and h
has three children. About $50 on tn
IN h. 4