The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-12-02
NlNETY.NINE YEARS.
That is What the Jury Gave Joseph Ca
win, who Killed Ed and Sam Gam
at Knob Lick Last July

ht Nh1I w tHb s'AhtU hEhlh9t tb5'
Gavin, on Indictment for murder in the
first degree, wns called last Friday
morning, Judge Robert A. Anthony OF
the bench. On the 4th OF July last
Gavin shot aud killed Ed and San
Gam at dance following a picnic
given that day ut Knob Lick. The
trial was ou the first count in The in.
dclmeut--thc murder ni Ed Gam,
Prosecuting Attorney Marhury aud u,
l.. Rivers representing the State aud j
a. Alternately the defense. The ease
was given into the hands Of the jury
saturday evening, aud after being Oul
two hours they returned verdict ui
guilty Oi murder IN the second degree,
and assessed the punishment of defend.
ant at ~ years in the penitentiary.
iHt tostlHp"D oh Aho phit VI TUT
State showed the following facts
That the dancing platform on which
the killing was done was - lG feet
that between eight and nine O'Clock p
IN, there was one set ON the nuul
| dancing, amOGg whom were I'D Gam
Bert Williams and Tom lIamlim, ant
| that Bert Will nus made some uucom
! plimeEtary r'mark To Ed Gam con,
corning GaLn's pUtner This was re,
scntcd by Gam, aud resulted in Gam
knocking Belt Williams down aud Of
of the platform. THIS occurred nj tn,
s"pthcast corner Of The platform. Sun
anu wus standing ON lie west sid,
and about the center Of the west line
of the platform smoking ut The time,
aud Joseph Gavin, the defendant, camC
from near the northwest corner of the
platform, stepped upon the platform,
aud stared toward where I'll Cam
stood and sald, Lets not have any oI
that, boys; you cant break up thi:
| picnic that way or WORDS TO that II
feet whcrcupou he pulled his revolver
aud shot Ed Gann in the breast, and
without removing from his track,
turned aud shot Sum Gam twice, hit.
ting him in the neck and the RI ht side
| lie turned again and fired two shots
more nj Ed Gam as he staggered of
the platform, but missed him.
Gavin then walked over to the south
west corner Of the platform, where
George Gam, younger brother oi
sam and Ed, stood, and snapped his
pistol in Georges face, and said, "If
my cartridges hadn't given out would
have killed the whole Id Gam fam.
lily. y He then put his pistol in his
pocket and left the ground, and went
to Antoine Auellersman whom he
asked 10 phone Sheriff Murphy to
come down, that he wanted to give
himself up,
A certified copy of the Circuit Court
record of Mississippi county was in.
troduced by the State To show that
Gavin in April, 1898, had been con-
viclcd oi n lclonious assault made on
DIR. James Webb, and sentenced to the
peniirntinry for two years and further
showed that Judge II. G.. Riley had pm
rolled him, and that he wns at the Time
Of the killing under bond for good be.
haviur
The defendant and his wife we're the
only witnesses introduced As to the
facts surrounding the killing, who tcs-
tilted in effect MS follows: That when
the difficulty began between Ed Gam
aud Bert Williams, Gavin started over
to them To command the peace, he
having been appointed marshal for that
day, aud that as he approached Ed
Gam, Ed struck him in the neck with
pair of knucks and knocked him off
the platform, and as he (Cavin) arose
Ed Gam fired two shots within very
short range; that he (Cavin) then
drew his pistol and fired three shots at
Ed Gam; that he did not see Sam
Gam at the time he shot at Ed Gam,
so that if he killed Sam Gam he did
1t by accident and while exercising the
right of self lf-deiense in shooting at Ed
Gam. This testimony was wholly
uncOrroborated by the eve. witnesses
produced by the State.
Defense then introduced quite a
number of wiue.scs TO show that Ca
vim had good reputation for peace
and quiet while nj Kuob Lick; and
quite n number Ut other witnesses 10
show that the Ganu. had u bad reputa-
tion for peace and quit while they
Ii i at Elyins and also while they
lived near Knob Lick.
We understand that the jlry stood
unanimous from the first as to the
guilt Of the defendant, but six were for
murder in the first d'gree and six for
murder in the second degree. They
finally compromised on the latter, fix.
ing the punishment al e9 years.
The Psychic Research Society of
Germantown. PA. discussed patnr.