The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-09-10

Upper End Sensation.
Calvin SutIiff Accused of
Poisoning Richard Hess
Horse.
Settlement 0fEstate the Cause

The upper end of the county has
sensation now. 1t is poisoning
case, and as the result Of which
Richard Hess, of near Central, one
OF the good, respectable, and best
known residents of that section of
the county lost a valuable horse.
Paris green was the poison used,
and the perpetrator, was extremely
liberal with it, as the trough from
which the horse had eaten, was
literally coated with the death deal
ing stuff.
The man charged with the crime
is Calvin Sutliff, a step son Of Mr..
Hess. The accusation is based on
some troubles growing out of the
settlement OF an estate, that of the
prosecutor first wife, and in whose
will the defendant was named as
executor. His arrest was made by
Frank Grandell, detective, placed
upon the case by District Attorney
Duy, and who has been working
quietly but sedulously for several
weeks past.
THE HEARING.
A hearing was held before Justice
of the Peace Jacoby Saturday after.
noon. The first witness called was
the prosecutor Richard Hess. He
told how he made the discovery of
the poison. 1t was early in the
morning Of August 9th about five
O'Clock as near as he could remem-
Der. The barn door being partly
open aroused his suspicious that
everything was not right, and he
Immediately investigated. The
first thing to attract his attention
was some fresh grass which had
evidently been cut and put into the
horses feed trough. He then
examined the trough and found
that it was lined with paris green.
The horse died two days later. The
witness on being questioned as to
why he suspected Sutliff, said that
they had had some trouble over an
estate. Sutliff was the executor,
and he advertised the property in
which he (Hess) was living for
sale, which precepitated a quarrel.
The second witness, Perry Z.
Hess, son of the defendant, knew
little or nothing CT the existing
animosity between his father and
Sutliff. His testimony, however
was important and had particular
bearing on the case as he had pur-
chased package of paris green for
Mrs. Sutliff, wife of the defendant,
at Jameson City, previous to the
poisoning of the horse. On the day
in question, Mrs. Sutliff and Miss
Bertha Lyons, were at the Hess
home, and he was driving them to
their homes when Mrs. Sutliff ask
ed him to buy the paris green.
This was in July, but he could not
give the exact date.
G. b. zimmerman merchant at
Jamison City, testified to the sale
of the poison to Mr.. Hess, and also
to the sale of another package of
the same thing to Mrs. Sutliff.
His memory was clear on the
second sale because Mrs. Sutliff
said the people in the neighborhood
were accusing her of buying Paris
green in two packages.
A. M. Harvey the next witness,
testified that he and his two sons,
Rush and Clyde, passed the Hess
house on the night Of August S.
They saw man standing in the
road in front of the house, but as
they drew near he stepped in the
shadow of tree and pulled his hat
down. over his eyes. He spoke to
him but received no answer. The
witness said he would not attempt
to identify him.
In order to shorten the hearing,
Counsel for defendant agreed that
the evidence of the boys would
corroborate that of their father and
they were not called.
Curry Mausteller, a carpenter,
employed by the b. & S. r. R.
Co. was breaking on the down train
on the morning of Aug. 6. He
saw Sutliff on the train, and spoke
to him but he did not answer.
Sutliff he said acted as though he
did not want to be seen. He could
say where Sutliff boarded the train,
but he got off at Benton. He re-
called the incident because it was
the day of the Farmers picnic.
In cross-examination Counsel for
defendant attempted to get the
witness tangled, and put the same
question in different form two or