Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-03-03
FEBRUARY TERM
OF COURT
CONTINUED from First Page. !

On the night OF February l4ih betweel
10 and IL O'Clock while administering
60 sick child she was aroused By The
b,rking Of dog. which led to the dis
covery that her chicken house was be
ing raided. She saw two men disap
pear over the fence with bag oveI
che shoulder of one. She was unable,
however. to identify the defendants a,
the two men who stole her chickens,
although they corresponded in size al
sne was able to discern them in the
darkness. She saw the men disappear
in the direction of loafing shanty
maintained at the rear end of LOT
nearby and the next morning founo
that the tracks from the hen roo,t led
direct to the shanty in question, at
which place she found handful of
che chickens stolen. Theodore Poeth,
John flanagan and Jacob Winters
we're also witnesses in the ease
The two defendants. who gave their
ages respectively as l6 and II years,
entered the plea of not guilty. They
were without counsel and when their
prerogative was explained to tht m
they desired to 60 upon the stand Il
heir own behalf. They admitted that
they spent the night of February IA, in
che loafing shanty, remaining until I
l'clook in the morning. They denied.
however, that they stole any chickens
or that chickens were brought to the
,hanty by any one during that night
One of the boys confessed that ho was
unable to read or write; the other one
said he could write a little" but
was unable to read. The case was Civ
Ell to the jury at IL o'clock.
The jury returned verdict of not
guilty dividing the cost between the
defendants and the prosecutor, Mary
Winters. The prosecutor declaring that
she was unable to pay her share of the
costs was exonerated from payment of
the same by The Court. The two de-
fendants, Edward and Herbert Keefer,
we're sentenced each to pay onethird
of the costs within ten days and to
stand committed until the sentence is
complied with
When court convened at O'Clock
yesterday afternoon the case Of Com
monwealth vs. George Arnold was at
tached, in which the charge was as
sault and Bate y, the prosecutor be-
ing Mary Beckman. The defendant,
who was enc of the principals in the
shooting affray which caused such ex-
iitement in the northern end of town
Friday night, appeared i'll court with
his forehead tightly bandaged and pre-
senting every appearance of being in
disposed.
The defendant was without Counsel
aud the Court appointed Chsiles Chal-
tant, Esq, to look after his interest.
Mrs. Bcekman and her daughter, Mrs.
Mary Sarvey in whose house the al
legged assault occurred were the only
two witnesses produced by the Com
mouwealth. Both Witnesses testified
TO the blows they had received at the
hands OF the defendant on Friday even
ing when he returned to town after an
absence of a couple OF weeks. The case
vas given to the jury at about 3
J'clock, after which another jury was
Immediately empaneled aud the case
of Commonwealth VS.. George Arnold
was attached in which the charge wa
aggravated assault and battery with
intent to kill and is one of the two
cases which grew out of the shooting
ARRAY Friday night.
In the counter action of Common
wealth VS.. William Keefer, the Grand
Jury ignored the bill, placing the cost
upon the prosecutor. George Arnold.
William Keefer, who had been confin-
ed in Jail since his arrest, was accord
lugly discharged from custody.
Shortly before O'Clock the Jury in
the assault and battery case against
George Arnold returned verdict of
guilty as indicted. Charles Chslfaut
claiming an error moved for suspeu-
sion of sentence and new trial.
William Keefer was the first witness
against Arnold when the latter was
placed on trial to answer the charge
of assault and battery with intent to
kill. He described the circumstances
of the shooting as made public at the
time of the occurrence. He exhibited
the bullet wound in his abdomen to
the jury, showed the bullet holes in
his coat aud identified the revolver
produced as the one which he had as
sisted in taking from the prisoner. 1t
was the second shot, he said, which
had taken effect in his abdomen.
William Truitt, of Buffalo, who is
employed on the river bridge, was the
next witness. He said he was looking
for the home of cousin who lives on
Welsh Hill and with companion
William Javins, was passing by the
Railroad crossing when the shooting
occurred. He was witness of the
"whole transaction. " Arnold, he said,
was the first to draw revolver and
shot four times before Keefer replied
with shot. Iavins also testified cor
roborating Truitt.
Paul NJ. Andrews. clerk in Coles
Hardware store, where Arnold got the
pistol was the next witness. He told
how the defendant had dlokered for
the revolver and had finally rushed out
of the store with the weapon and cart.
ridges without making settlement.
Robert Barrett was the next witness
testifying to facts already alleged by
the prosecution.
Policeman John u. Voris was the
next witness. While conducting Ar
mold to Jail he said, the latter had
made the remark: II tell you. John,
l had the wrong kind of gun; if