The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-01

When this was done Mrs Boone fired
through the open door with revolver
she seeing no person at the time. The
ball struck young Rears in the head
and killed him instantly. Her trial
commenced on the 23rd day of Sep
TENDER. 1893. lasting two days and
resulting in a verdict of acquittal
| In all of the above trials took part
either on the part of the prosecution
or the defense except the two first.
which were tried long before | was ad-
mitted to the bar
ThrawIey Case Recalled.
| | come now to the cases that have
/ been tried before me since have been
judge of the Wayne circuit court.
/ The first case | tried was the case of
the State VS.. Thrawley This case
was brought to Wayne county from
Henry, on a change of venue. On ac-
count of some domestic trouble,
| Thrawley shot and killed man by the
name of John Shoemaker on the public
highway. 1t appeared that the man
was unarmed and taken by surprise.
The ball passed entirely through his
head. The trial commenced on the
23rd day of May, 1898. and continued
for nine days. Thrawley was convict
ed of murder in the first degree and
sentenced to the penitentiary for life.
where he now is. The case was APP
pealed to the supreme court and af-
firmed.
The next case heard was that of
John ONeill. who shot his brother.
Dennis, on the sidewalk in front of the
family residence and in the presence of
the family, in the city of Richmond.
John claimed that his brother Dennis
had made great deal of trouble in
the family and this was his excuse for
shooting him. The trial began on
the 18th day of September. 1898. and
lasted six days. He was found guilty
of manslaughter and received an in
definite sentence of from two to TWEEN
ty-one years in the penitentiary. He
was pardoned out for some reason that
never understood
The trial of Benjamin F. Simmons
came next in order, for the killing of a
man by the name of Webb, in a livery
stable in Richmond The trial COM
menced on the 10th day of October,
1899. lasting five days and resulting in
an acquittal. 1t appeared that Webb
charged Simmons of being intimate
with his wife and for this he had
threatened him. Webb went to the
livery stable to see Simmons and when
standing near the entrance to the sta
bic. after some words had passed. Sim
mons sieZed a shot gun and killed him.
After the trial. Simmons married
Webb's widow. which turned public
sentiment much against him and made
his acquittal a matter of regret
liam Gates. Gates with his wife and
some friends, went to gather black
berries south of Richmond. They en-
tered upon the land of Rariden Meek.
without his consent. Meek saw them
and ordered them to leave his prem
ises. Some hot words passed between
Gates and Meek, when Gates struck
him with his fist AS result of the
blow, an artery in the brain of Meek
was ruptured, causing him to drop
dead. Gates was arrested in Rich
mond, was indicted for involuntary
manslaughter and put upon trial on
the third day of December, 1900. The
trial lasted four days, resulting in a
verdict of guilty. A new trial was
granted on account of the misconduct
of one of the jurors. Gates second
trial commenced on the 2Sth day of
April, 1901, and resulted in a verdict
of assault and battery with a fine of
fifty dollars, which was certainly very
mild under the circumstances. Short |
ly after the second trial, Gates died.
Next in order comes the trial of |
Robert Futrell, colored man, who be- |
coming jealous of his sweetheart, |
killed her in room in Richmond on
South Sixth street. This was a will |
full. deliberate and cruel murder. Fu- |
trell desired that he should suffer the |
death penalty of his crime and so said. |
His trial began on the 18th day of
March, 1901, and lasted two days, re- |
sulting in a verdict of murder in the |
first degree, with life imprisonment. |
Futrell was much dissatisfied with the |
verdict and desired a new trial in or
der that he might receive the death |
penalty.
The next trial was that Of James
Shook who shot and killed a man by /
the name of Ryan in a saloon at Cam
bridge City. The trial commenced |
April 9Th, 1902, and lasted four days. |
He was found guilty of manslaughter
and received an indeterminate SEN
tence of from two to twenty-one years
in the penitentiary where he now is.
knapp-Geisler.
We now come to the case of the |
State VS.. John Knapp. A young man
by the name of Leonard Geisler was
Marshal of Hagerstown against
whom so it appeared, Knapp had a
grudge. One night Knapp armed him.
self with an iron rod, laid in wait for
Geisler and without any warning,