Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-22
KABAT IS FOUND GUILTY.
JURY RETURNS VERDICT IN MUIR
DER CASE AFTER DELIBERATION
OF LITTLE OVER HOUR.
MAY SPEND LIFEIN PRISON
Reedsville Man Retains Calm Demeanor
Courtroom at Appleton.
HISTORY OF THE FAMOUS CRIME.


yesterday afternoon, after celebrating
one hour and thirty-two minutes. As a
result Wenzel e. habat Of Reedsville,
accused of having shot and killed and
later burned on a bonfire the body OF
Michael Mccarthy, a wealthy bachelor
farmer living three miles north of kau-
kauna, will spend the remainder OF his
.ife in Waupun. After the verdict the
attorneys for the defense filed a motion
for a new trial. which will be heard
next Saturday morning.
Stole and with perfectly iron nerve
Kabat sat and never finched as his
doom was announced. Grinning at the
spectators that filed the courtroom, the
convicted murderer maintained a de-
meanor of joy rather than depression.
Kabats Mother Collapses.
Believing that the jury would not
reach a decision for at least three hours,
the aged parents of the convicted man
lett the room shortly before the verdict.
When informed of the result the mother
collapsed. Upon regaining consciousness
she rushed to the Jail to see her son, but
the sheriff had left orders to permit no
one to enter.
1t was on September 10, 1905, that
Michael Mccarthy was last seen alive
by anyone whom the investigating au
thoritles have since been able to find. 1t
is known that Kabat and Mccarthy had
been friendly and had business rela-
tons before McCarthy's disappearance
and according to the story told by the
man accused Of the murder, Mccarthy
left for Green Bay on September 13,
where he is said to have become involved
in an alteration with a woman, and
fearing subsequent trouble, he disap-
peared, leaving the country.
Ten days after his disappearance, Nc
Carthy's aged father became worried.
Going to Green Bay he spent two days
in search, having been directed by Ea-
bat as to where he might find him. Call
ing at the home Of Mrs. Merritt he was
informed that his son had not been there,
despite the fact that Kabat had told
him that he was there. Returning to
Kaukauna the elder Mccarthy informed
the officers and the next day an inves-
tigation was made.
Kabat Is Arrested.
The following day Wenzel E. Kabat
was arrested on a charge of kidnapping.
Shortly after Kabat's arrest the au-
thorities found that his stories cont1icted
and he was charged with murder.
1t was not until about fifteen days
after Mccarthy was last seen that evil
dence on which rested the prosecution
was unearthed. People were found who
saw a bonfire on the Mccarthy farm for
two days after the owners disappear
ance and later after hundreds had
searched the farm fragments of bones
were discovered in q dug-Out into which
it is said Kabat had dumped Il quantity
of the ashes remaining after the bonfire
had burned out. Buttons also were
found which were said to have been at
tached to the clothing worn by Nc
Carthy on the night of his disappear
ance.
Sells McCarthy's Property.
The first day after Mccarthy was last
seen Kabat appeared on the formers
farm with bill of sale. He lost no time
in the work Of selling the personal prop
erty on the farm, which was valued at
several thousand dollars. Most of the
live stock was sold to butchers and cat
tie buyers of Wrightstown, while other
of the personal property was disposed
of at Kaukauna and Green Bay. In
addition to the bill of sale of the personal
property, kabat also claimed to have a
deed for the farm, declaring that he had
purchased the property for $4,000
After the arrest of Kabat the authori-
ties found the personal effects of the ac-
cused man and in a grip secured at the
home of his sister, Mrs. Peck at Green
Bay, with whom he made his home, was
found a warranty deed of the farm
bearing what was said to be the forged
signature of the missing man. In addi-
ton to this document was found a re-
volver, a quantity of carbolc acid. o
pair of handouts and other articles. In
it also was most of the money the ac-
cused man realized from the sale of the
personal property on the Mccarthy
farm.
Young Heimke's Story.
One of the principal witnesses liz the
case was Julius Heimke, a Kaukauna
lad of 10, who was employed on the
Mccarthy farm. Young Heimke declared
that on the night of September Is, his
employer said to him: 4 am going to
Green Bay tonight; you come around at
the usual time in the morning and if l
am not here you go right along with your
work"
The next morning the lad appeared
on the farm at o'clock and there found
Kabat, who Informed him that he had
purchased the farm and would imme-
declares that when he reached the Nc
Carthy home at I o'clock in the morning
Kabat was there scrubbing the kitchen
floor and later cleaned large pearl han
died revolver The boy also declared
that at that early hour on the morning
after the disappearance of Mccarthy,
the huge bonfire in a lane some distance
from the home was burning with fury.
The lad declared that kabat explained
the fire by saying that the farm was
Uttered up with rubbish and he desired
10 clear it up before his prospective pur-
chasers arrive.
The district attorney went to Green
Bay and there found a man who took
the witness stand and swore that Kabat
attempted to induce him to go to Chicago
and represent himself as Mccarthy so
that the Mccarthy farm could be sold
there The Green Bay man bears a
striking resemblance TO Mccarthy.
Evidence Was Circunstantial.
The case rested entirely upon circum-
stantial evidence, the prosecution de-
pending upon the teeth and bones to sup
ply the necessary corpus deliciti. The
state argued that Mccarthy was done
away with for the purpose of transfer
ing his worldly possessions to another.
and the superstition was advanced that
Mccarthy was first shot and killed by
the accused man and later his body was
dragged to the lonely spot in the lane,
placed onto huge bonfire and burned.
The states case was in the hands of Dis
trict Attorney \. H. Krugmeier and
Thomas Ryan. while Attorneys A. NJ.
Spencer Of Appleton. and Z. Z. Finch of
Oshkosh protected the interests OF the
defendant.