The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-12-19
Accused Man Says He Only
Intended to Hit Gordon
in Legs
INSTEAD OF THAT
HE KILLED HIM
Koch Testif.y.,m0'a.. ..ac Gordon
Came at Him with
a Club

Rutland, Dec l9.-W William Koch, who
is on trial in Rutland county court for
the murder OF Charles Gordon, a trapper
trespassing in his game preserve in West
Haven on November 8 last, told his story
to the jury to-day. He said: Gordon
called me vile names When j ordered
him off, be came at me with club; [
fired when he was four feet away. [
did not mean to kill him. | intended
to hit him in the legs, but pulled too
hard, and before the gun got Tow enough
it went off.
An important witness for Koch was
James Barber, Whitehall boat builder,
who installed the motor in the boat Oil
yer Neddo, the government lighthouse
tender, was riding in when he heard at
20 rods the conversation which took
place between Koch and Gordon just
prior to the firing shot. He said that
the motor was one horsepower affair
and was badly worn so that it was very
noisy. 1t would be difficult for person
sitting in one end of the boat to carry
on conversation with person in the
other end when the engine was running.
Witness was at the point where Gordon
was shot with some of the respondents
counsel He landed them on the Koch
shore in a fiat hottomed rowboat Witt
ness was familiar with the boat in which
Koch stood, the noise OF the craft being
on the beach when he fired. This boat
is sharp at the ends and has keel and
would make a different mark in the mud
from the boat used by witness.
Mr.. Barber also testified in reference
to the penetration at various distances
Of the Colt special army revolver used
by Koch. Barber was in the United
States cavalry three years and was fa-
miliar with the arm. He said that the
bullet reached its greatest penetration at
50 yards from the muzzle. At four or
five feet. which is the distance the de-
fense viii claim Gordon stood from
Koch, the bullet would hardly be expect
ed to go entirely through mans body
and would probably fatten. He also gave
the Jury lesson in the habits of musk
rats which Gordon was trapping when
shot. Barber said that Gordon had the
reputation of being quarrelsome
Robert Doig of West Haven, neigh
Dor of Koch, said that one day Inst
spring, in discussing possibilities of
muskrat trapping, Gordon stated to
him: 'tI'm coming up your way. You
and Willie Koch are too mean to live.
Doig testified to Koch's good reputation
as did several other witnesses, including
Sheriff Roswell f. Warren of Washing
ton county, New York, and Deputy
Sheriff John H. Policy of Fair Haven.
John F. Pagan of Philadelphia,
bridge company foreman, who is working
at Southbay, near Whitehall, testified
that Gordon said to him last spring that
if Koch interferred with him he would
smash the fellows brains out. Gordon
had tried to choke Pagan once when IN
the witnesses employ because he was or
dered to do some work not to his liking.
Thomas W. Moloney and Joseph {.
Jones of the respondents counsel testi-
fed as to conditions of the water and
tracks in the mud near the scene of the
shooting as observed by them a few days
after the killing.
Gordon cousin of the dead trapper,
testified that while he was rowing
boat for Koch on the lake four years
ago, bullet went through the side OF
The boat. They saw Charles Gordon on
and holding rifle. He said Don't get
.iled. | was not shooting at you"