Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-11-12
Mill Creek
Physician Murdered

DR.. John j. Kennedy, aged 81
years, was murderednear Mill Greek
Saturday night, after having been
inveigled from his home on what
he was led to believe was an erran d
of mercy. William Sutton, aged
20 years, son of George Sutton, is
"a prisoner in the county Jail, having
been arrested Sunday about noon,
charged with the crime. The chain
of evidence which brought about
young Sutton's arrest indicates that
the boy called tt r Kennedy's
off: shortly before 10 o'clock Sat
urday night and under t e pretext
that a friend had been stabbed in
duced DR. Kennedy to accompany
him. DR.. Kennedy, it is stated,
went to his home before leaving
and told Mrs Kennedy he was 60
ing to Sutton's. Between three
and four hours later the dead body
of DR.. Kennedy was found by the
roadside, a mile from Mill Creek
by Robert Gear II year old son of
Perry Gear, who had been to Hut
louisville with a team and was
walking back home.
Immediately upon finding the
dead body the Gear boy aroused
his father and other members OF
the family and within short time
dozen or more men were on the
scene and about o'clock Sunday
morning Justice of the Peace d &
McCauley empaneled a coroner's
Jury and held an inquest The
Jury was composed OF |. f Nc
| Colon. H. M. Martiney, S. c.
Sutton. C. G. McCo'lam. Japheth
McCauley and P. L. Shreyes.
The verdict of the jury was as
follows: 1--WE find that DR.. John
J. Kennedy came to death by a
gun-shot wound caused by some
unknown person.
The witnesses before the coroner
were DR.. B. L. Liggett, Forest
Lloyd Charles Currence, julio Loyd
and Robert Gear.
Mrs Gladding, who occupies
rooms over DR.. Kennedy's office
states that she heard the CONVEX
sation between the Doctor and thu
young man who came for him Satur
day night; that the boy told the DR.
some one up the road had been
stabbed and wanted treatment.
DR.. Kennedy suggested that ne get
another doctor, but the boy said
mo, they want you" The doctor
then asked about a light and the
bow said he had a fashlight. Before
leaving the town DR.. Kennedy
went to his home and told Mrs
Kennedy he was going to Sutton's
The conversation overheard by
Mrs. Gladdin and the statement
made by DR.. Kennedy to his wife
afforded the first clue to the guilty
party and resulted in Sutton's ar
rest. William Sutton and Harry,
his brother, were both arrested,
bat the latter was RELEASED, the
evidence against him being deemed
insufficient,
At an early hour Sunday morn
ing Elihu F. Phares, who was the
first citizen in Valley Bend to get
the word, got into communication
with Sheriff A. J. Orchard, Deputy
iSheriff S. L. Marstiller and Prose
cutting H. G. Kump, who hurried
to the scene. The discriminating
circumstantial evidence against the
Sutton boy led to his arrest about
noon. He waived a hearing and
was brought to the county Jail late
Sunday evening.
French Marstiller, a neighbor,
Estates that Sutton borrowed shot
gun from him to 60 coon hunting
with, and that he also gave him
three shells. The gun was found
Sunday with the breech broken,
and as DR.. Kennedy had been
strvck over the left eye it is pre-
sumed that he was hit with the
breech of the gun after having
been shot.
Robbery is believed to have been
the motive for the murder as DR..
Kennedy was known to have had
$3.50 in currency on his person Sat
urday. When the body was found
the money and a knife, on which
his name was engraved were gone.
His watch and thermometer, how.
ever, were in his pockets undis
turbed. DR.. Kennedy Was shot
through the left lung and death
Was probably almost instantaneous
The Sutton house vas searched
Sunday on a warrant sworn out by
Elihu F Phares and in the boys
room a fashlight, two unexploded
shells, gun with broken breech
bloody handkerchief and bloody
shoes we're found. One exploded
Shell was found few feet from the
Doctors body.
DR.. Kennedy, who was graduated
from Startling Medical College
ral,,oob,,, n IN 1907 Wac O very