The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-11-03
Widow Of Murdered Man Testi-
flies in Big Damage Suit.
The Defendant Today Took the
Stand and Denied That He
Knew of the Killing.
NEWS OF OTHER COURTS
Circuit Court.

The case of Mrs. NJ. L. Head, wild
ow of Pink Head, against Cheatham
Hodge for $4,000 damages for the
loss of her husbands life, is attract
ing a great deal OF attention because
Of the sensational features of the
case.
Mrs. Head claims that Hodge Is
responsible for her husbands death;
hat he killed him or had II done.
She was placed on the WITNESS stand
yesterday afternoon soon after the
ase first went to trial,
! Mrs. Head testified that her hus-
'1and was killed while on his back
porch on his farm near Clinton. Hick-
nan county, KY, on the night OF
September 2S. 1904, about o'clock.
She stated two shots were fired and
hat her husband received the full
effects of one. She claims that shs
Jaw man whose face looked famil-
ar and she identified him as Hodge.
Tie had gun in his. hand.
Hodge was placed on the stand
this morning and denied that ha did
The shooting or knew anything about
Il, claiming to have been at the house
IF Arthur Willie, a hand on his farm.
Hodge denied knowing anything
ahas.t tlo oh1n4fner ona x.-hau NNfllfa
was introduced corroboratsd Hodge,
is also did Garlin Hoskin, who pass
ID Hodge and Willie en- route home
while driving on the road. Hoskins
swore that he heard the shots, seven
or eight in number, after he passed
Hodge and Willie and that this was
only a few minutes.
There are many witnesses to be
introduced but Judge Reed intends
to finish tina case by tomorrow.
The troubles of Head and Hodge
before the killing had been of in
terest in their neighborhood. Hodge
had lost barn by fire and ne and
his brother Bob Hodgs started out TO-
find the fire fiend. they allege. II is
said they suspected or accused Head
of burning the barn. They laid in
wait one night and Bob Hodge. chan
ging his position, came towards
Chatham Hodge who shot and killed
him. thinking he was someone else.
The matter was never taken up in
the grand jury. the examining court
declaring it unintentional. Several
days after this Head was killed
The Head faction tell a different
story, however, They claim that at
the time Bob Hodge was killed. he
and his brother. Cheat Hodge, wert
hanging about Heads home. waiting
to assassinate Head for alleged barn
burning and vandalism. They had
chicken with them, il is alleged. that
they made squawk, intending to
shoot Head when he came out to as
certain what was the matter. Head
was suspicious and remained in. The
chicken got away. it Is alleged by
some of the Head faction, and Bot
Hodge started after 1t and chased il
around the house. AS he came near
his brother, Cheat Hodge. they al
legged, the latter mistook him for
Head and shot him, then taking his
body over from the Head to the
Hodge farm. rf
The other side claims that the
brothers were on their own farm,
watching for the ineendiary when
Bob Hodge was mistaken for the Gull
prit and shot. The plaintiffs allege
that Just before the assassination of
Pink Head, Cheat hodga made the
that Head was indirectly
to blame for the death OF his. Hodges
brother, and that he must pay the
penalty for IL. This Is supposed to
have been tina main motive for the