The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-05-11
BOB FEELEY
CONVICTED.
Ten Years For Killing
Martin Hoots.
Has Become a Noted Case In
Criminal History Of this
County.
County.

After four hours elaboration the
Jury in the Feeley case brought In q
verdict at 1890 O'Clock Thursday
evening Of guilty Of murder In the
second degree and assessed his pun
ishmsnt at 10 years In the peniten-
tiary.
The taking Of the testimony, which
was begun on Wednesday morning.
closed at Thursday noon. Thegreat'
er part Of the afternoon was taken
up by arguments Of the lawyers I.
]. Smith, A. B. Ludwick and W.. u
Jackson for the state, and Levy
Scott, Il. c. Clark and Judge W. W.
Graves for the defense. There were
never six better speeches made In q
criminal case in Bates county. All
earnest, logical and iorceiul, dealing
with the facts as developed by the
evidence from the different stand
points OF state and defense. There
was little bitterness or abuse inject
ed, but the speeches were all on 9
high plain, as betting the able law
yers engaged in a contest for man.
liberty. We want to say that tn
personnel Of the jury was very high
| lit would have been hard to fn'
! twelve better men in Bates county
They were honest, conscientious an
iair.minded and the attention give
/ throughout to all the proceeding
showed they were seeking after tn
truth.
I The facts developed by the svidenc'
| and with which our readers ere lam
liar, were az follows. R. L. Feeley,
barber at Nevada, started on Il
| 9Th day Of September, 1908, to Wis
| his father, Norris Fseley, living wei
! of Burdstt. Al Archie Feeley w
Y under the influence Of liquor when !
hired q team and driver. On Il
road over he 10 reported to haves 60
to his driver, q boy OF Is years,
\ am a game man and you will see B
4 fore YOU get back that l am game
: at the same time displaying q rev'
yer with which he, shot at obiec
along the road, frequently drinkil
a from q bottle. At Burdett he becal
involved in a controversy with Nj
J tin Hoots, who, it seems, was havi
trouble with one Fenton and W
was drinking. They hadtw or thu
ouarrels during the afternoon, b
friends kept them from fighting. LIZ
IN the evening Eve shots were hea
inrapid succession near the old bla
smith shop and those who went
the scene found the body OF Hoo
near which was the hat and revolt
OF Feeley. Feeley came back up I
road from the direction OF the Bird
bare headed and gently agitat
He afterwards confessed to the she
III ing and plead self defense. Hisst
OF the killing ie, in substance, :
ha WAS talking with grandma Fen
In the school house yard when Ho
called him over into the road and Q
ed him for q drink, that he g
~ him his bottle which Hoots +
Y drank from and threw the |
y tie on the ground and said
whiskey was as bad as Feeley, I
he had run Fenton and Chelt M
out Of town and intended to run
out. Feeley said II you will
m awhile will get out. Hoots said
UU you have got to 20 now and sta
toward him and Feeley drew his
tol. Hoots stopped, turned
=, reached over behind for rock,
al Feeley shot him Ave times as he
Gu raising up, the most OF the sho
the back, the last one through
head. The theory Of the state
that the frst shot struck Hoo
the head and killed him and the
or four shots were fred into his
while on the ground. This va
Ntr third trial, the two former ont
AlC, sulting in hung iuries.
Judge Cox overruled motto
g new trial and fixed Feeley's
/ at Is, 900, pending an appeal t
In supreme court, which bond va
u lan annrovAd and Eeeley is 9