The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-11-01
CAPT. ARNTz[N
|. EXONERAT[D BY
COR0N[R'S JURY
~A
Business Men Deliberate For
Thirty Minutes Before
Reaching virdict
| r.
1sAYs SHOOTING UNSUITABLE
| ai
lSeven Wiine.,es Say They Did
Not See Knife Until
/ After Tragedy
|SAYs SHOOTING UNSUITABLE

After celebrating for thirty min
utas, a jury composed OF six business
men. returned a verdict late yester-
day afternoon generating Capt.
John b. Arntzcn. master and owner
OF the ferryboat J. Ii Stephens, of
Amy blame in connection with the
death Of Louis voight. formerly en-
ployed on the stephens as fireman.
Immediately following the returning
OF the verdict. Capt. Arntzen was
released by Sheriff A. S. Fraser. who
had him In custody since Sunday af-
ternoon.
Arntzen declared on the witness
stand that Voight tried twice to stab
him with a knife before he fred the
fatal shot Seven witnesses. who
were in the saloon at the time of the
shooting, told the jury they did not
see the knife mentioned by Arntzen
until after Voight had been wound
ed. Later voight's hat was pointed
out TO them. the witnesses testified.
and in 1t they saw the knife. with
the point up
Capt Arntzen said Voight was en-
ployed on the ferryboat for 10 days
and that he paid him off Saturday.
Sunday morning he said voight was
Iunder the influence OF liquor when
he reported for duty
Quarrsled with Passengers
~ askedShim TO go to work, but he
argued with me-" Capt Artnsen
said "He stayed on the boat and
when we reached the Missouri shore
he engaged in quarrel with scY-
cral of the passengers. When We xe-
turned to Illinois ] began TO look for
some one to take his place. He fol-
lowed me up into town and before
we reached Rudy Laurent's saloon
he asked me for money. refused to
give II to him We entered the sa-
loon and when he agreed to go back
TO the boat, pulled out my pocket
book and offered him some money
Il noticed that he was standing
unusually close to the bar and when
looked down saw he was holding
a knife In his hand. He said.
You've done me dirty and then he
struck at me, holding the knife in
his hand | warded off tho blow and
be struck again. backed out of his
way and he followed me. didn't
know what else to do, so shot him.
Tt was case of him killing me or me
killing him. would not have shot
him if could have avoided it,
Eye Witness Testifes
b. c. Hutchison, of PA Eleventh
street, who was in tho saloon at the
time of the shooting. testified that
he saw the two men at the bar, but
did not see them drinking, He
heard voice say, You've done me
dirty A few minutes later he
heard Capt. Arntzen swear at
voight, and then he saw the fireman
strike at the captain.
1.-THE captain warded on the
blow testified Hutchinson Then
Rudy Laurent stepped from behind
the bar and as voight struck at the
captain the second time, he warded
off the blow. AS Laurent came from
behind the bar. Capt Arntzen
pulled out his gun and fired. For
Gods sake, Captain, don't do that
I / heard Laurent say. Then Voight
fell to the floor When the coroner
| arrived Voight was taken to st.
Mary's Infrmary, Until some time
after the shooting | did not see the
knife, but my attention was called
TO It afterwards. saw II In the
hat with the blade up"
The testimony OF the other six
witnesses was virtually the same
as that of Hutchinson. The other
witnesses were: Rudy Laurent.
! Charles T. Moss, 240S Walnut street;
Charles o'Donnell 3l5 Division
Istreet, Frank Freeman. $40 SIX
teenth street: II. l.. stephens, Miller
City. H., C. Waterman, Mounds.
Sheriff Fraser also was examined
| The verdict was returned shortly
before 6 D. m. The members OF tho
| Jury were: II. Z. Cox, G. G. Terrell.
Jacob Held, Newton Riddle. ottd
Srbnh and Charles r. Miller