The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-03-11
Joseph Blacks Trial.

The trial ut Clarion of Joseph Black of
Weaver, at the Hoover harm near Tylers-
burg. on the night of November LIST last,
created much interest in the community
in which both men had been we'll known.
The jury's verdict of msnslaughter was
arrived at after about three hours de-
liberation.
One OF the principal witnesses was
Charles Weaver, the 1l-year-old son of
the dead man. His testimony was as
follows:
Jerome Weaver Is my father. / am IL
years old. He came home between and
O'Clock in the evening of Nov LIST, 1918.
We were done eating our supper. Cath
arine, Elnors, myself and mother were at
home. Father was growing that the sup
per wasn't good. Father run after
mother with an eating fork. Didn't hear
her say anything. After my mother and
sisters ran out of the house father said he
was going out to kill "the pot gut" He
was cross to me that night. / couldent
make up with him any way. He kicked
me, but not very hard; didn'; Lurt me.
Told me to button my shoes to go to the
uarn. We went into the lower part of the
barn. Father had lantern. We went
up into the barn then. Black had fork
sticking in corn on wagon. Father
walked back aud forth on barn t1nor and
swore. He said. Joe, you wronged me;
death on hands" He struck him and
pushed him back. Had lantern in hands.
When Mr.. Black came down to house he
said be had hurt pap. We went over to
Billy Hooks. Stayed there until Mr..
Black and Mr.. Hook came back. My
mamma didn't go up to barn. / didn't
after we came back because / was afraid.
Mr.. Black tad been staying at our house
for about three years. When hay balers
were there Black and father had trouble.
They were fighting. That was about two
weeks before fight in barn. First time
Black knocked isther down Father told
Black to leave. When he was about TO
leave called him back.
Cross examined: Father acted ss If he
had been drinking when he came home
the evening of Nov. /. He WAS going TO
stis sk mother with q table fork. Elnora
cried out. That evening father said at
supper table that he would kill mother.
Black on porch when father came. Out
at barn when father was chasing mother.
Father said at supper table "God help me
to kill that pot gut"
Blacks own story of the fight is In part
as follows: ~ had been hauling corn in-
to the barn on the N. #. Hoover farm,
where Jerome Weaver lived, and after
supper took q lantern and went to the
barn to unload the corn that might
have the wagon to haul hay with 10 the
morning. Weaver had been away and
came home under the influence of liquor
and while was in the barn heard him
saying that he was going to come up and
kill me, but paid no attention to him.
Upon entering the barn floor, he said,
Joe, you have wronged me- began
swearing and struck me three times on
the breast, knocking me up against the
corn which was standing on the floor; be
drew up lantern as If to hit me over the
head with il; got scared and hit him
over the head with manure fork knock
ing him down. Weaver started to get up
and hit him again; then he started to
crawl toward me on his hands and knees
was afraid he would catch me by the
legs and hit him again. That was the
time think caved his skull in for he
did not get up again."
DIR. j. NJ. Hess, who assisted DR.. F. "
Philips perform an autopsy, had with
hun the skull of Weaver and showed the
jury the number Of pieces into which il
had been broken. There were IL large
and number of smaller ones, about 2t
In all,