The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-11-21
FINED FOR MANSLAUCHIER.
Wayne County Woman Who Killed Her
BTothtr-in- Law is fined SIS.

! A case which had attracted much
attention in this part of the country
had its conclusion, so far as the
courts are concerned, on Monday
last, when Judge Wilkerson, of the
| Wayne Circuit Court, imposed a
| fine of $25 upon Letha Perdue for
killing Franklin Kenderick. The
jury had found the girl guilty OF
involuntary manslaughter, which
carried with it sentence Of con-
| finement of from one day to one
year. Kendrick was the girls broth
er-in-law, his first wife having been
her sister, and by whom he had one
child. 1t was shown at the trial
that not long after his wife's death
kendrick began to pay court to his
young sister-in-law, who was but 16
years old, and finally sought and OBJ
tanned her consent to marriage with
him. The girl alleges that under
promise of marriage he /. grossly
wronged her and then persistenuy
refused to marry her.
In the meantime Kendrick had
Wooed won and married another wo-
man. A few weeks after this mar
riage he, with his second wife, drove
up to the Perdue house, not far
from Kellogg, and where the child
OF the former marriage lived with
Its aunt and grandfather. His pur-
pose was to get this child, and
men he entered hte house dis
pute arose over his treatment of the
girl which she ended by shooting
him four times, the last shot kill
ing him almost instantly. kendrick
dying in the arms of his three weeks
bride, who had met him about a
year ago in Huntington hospital,
where he was patient and she
was his nurse.
The girls father took her to Ce-
redo, where she was placed in the
hands of the authorities, but after
wards released on bond.
The defense put up the plea that
the Perdue girl had brooded over
the marriage of the man she said
had wronged her after promise to
marry, until she was temporarily in
sane. The unwritten law was also
a defense.
In disposing of the case Judge
Wilkerson made quite a lengthy and
interesting statement from which
the NEWS makes some extracts.
while the jury has at least
found this girl guilty of accidental
killing resulting from the negligent
use OF fire arms, they have still left
it in the power of the court to inn
pose fine or jail sentence or both.
am frank to say as far as the jail
sentence is concerned l feel as far
as punishment is concerned in this
case it would be more of cruelty
than punishment in view of the ex-
cruciating ordeal through which this
girl has passed in the last few
months and especially this term of
court. True, it would have been bet
/ ter if she had silently bore the trou-
BILE and let the deceased 1--we out his
allotted days. 1t would have been
much better for her as well as for
her family and for the family OF
the other side. / am not going in
to any discussion of that. l would
not inflict any further pain or pun
ishment by any lecture could give
and / feel, as the prosecutor has
suggested, that any fine imposed is
practically a punishment on the
father of this girl. By assessing a
heavier fine the girl would not suf-
Ter any punishment. l am going TO
spare her father from any further
monetary loss by the fine | shall
\ impose in this case. The jury has
said she shall be punished for a
misdemeanor and / am not going to
undertake to inflict punishment COM
mensurate with a felony. l assess
fine in this case of S25. That will
/ be the punishment and the only
punishment the court will impose
under the verdict.
UxUU,N M paINTSNITIE