Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1903-06-11
CAHILL GUILTY
OF MURDER
Famous Case at New Rockford Ends in Conviction
of William Cahill, Former Resident of James
town, Accused of r1urder of His Brother Richard
In New Rockford Last February.

New Rockford, N. d., June g.
(Special to The Alert)-All the past
week William Cahill, at one time
resident of Jamestown, and a plasterer
and stone mason by trade, has been on
trial for the crime of '.Cain" commit
ted as follows: On Feb. 13, 1903,
William Cahill, with his brother Rich
ard, had been out on little spree and
on their way from their place of drink
ran across Chancey Lathrop, against
whom it appears William Cahill had
some old grudge. Chancey stood his
ground and bluffed William, thereup.
on Richard, who was somewhat the
worse for liquor took up his brother
Williams part and ''slugged" La
throp few. Lathrop threatened to
get his gun an6 to put them where the
'birds would let them alone" if they
molested him any more, and when he
went for his gun it seems that both
of the Cahills ran to the residence of
William and that while Richard was
in the house he used vile language
and that when ordered out of the
residence by William they had fight
and although Richard was drunk,
William found it necessary, after he
had got him out Of the door, to shoot
him. The sevidence was somewhat
conflicting as to how the shooting oc-
Cured. There were no eye witnesses
and the prosecution necessarily
depended upon the statements Of the
defendant, William Cahill and his
family, with the father and husband
on trial for murder.
One Of the defences sought to be
stablished by the defendants attor-
neys was that the gun shot wound,
which they admitted William had
made with a 38 calibre revolver
through the stomach, pancreas and
liver Of Richard Cahill, did not cause
the death but that the death was
caused by an improper operation and
on account of the manner in which
it was performed by DR.. Murphy of
New Rockford who was called upon
to care for Richard Cahill after the
shooting.
DR.. Murphy testified as to his treat
ment, medicines and surgery for his
wounded patient and that under the
circumstances of the case he did ev-
cry thing that careful and skillful
physician and surgeon could for his
patient. DR.. BARLEY of Sheyenne al
so testified that every thing possible
to be done was done for him. A long
cross examination Of the doctors
tended to show that the room where
the operation was had, while not as
nice and sanitary as could be wished.
was the best and only one that could
be gotten at that time in New Rock
ford and that there was no hospital
or other more sanitary place to be
had and that the condition of the pa
tient demanded the operation, and
that when they made the operation
they found that there was absolutely
no show for the PATIENTS recovery
without it that they found the pa.
TENTS stomach was full Of undigest-
ed food and that the same had run
into the peritonael cavity and that
peritonitis, a form of blood poison
ing, was bound to result, and in
fact had to some extent already set
in. The testimony of the doctors
tended 60 show that under the cir.
cumstances that it was impossible
for Richard Cahill to live without
the operation and that there was just
one chance among many for his re.
covery even with the operation.
In the rebuttal of this testimony
the defense had DR.. Sifton. a James.
town physician and surgeon as ar
expert witness, and it is generally
conceded when his testimony was fin
ished and after the cross examination
he admitted that DR.. Murphy had
done every thing possible to have
been done under the circumstances ol
the case at the time and place of the
operation. The doctor finally admitted
that there could have been no deatf
under the circumstances without the
gun shot wound and that there w0ulG
have been no gun shot wound with
out the hand and action Of the de-
fendant. Tile jamestown medical ex
pert was followed by DR.. McLachlir
OF New Rockford, who on his direct
examination tended to refute the tes
timony of his business competitor