The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1919-12-05
MURDER OCCURS ON
EAST OHIO AVENUE
MONDAY EVENING

b"About six weeks ago, Mckinney
came to me and said: Dad, rent me
half OF your house for myself and
wife,. ! didn't want to rent any part
Of 1t, for.I 60 to bed early and there
is always trouble with two families in
the same house. Mrs. Mckinney, who
came with Mckinney, spoke up and
said, Dad, rent the house to me and
Babe then decided to rent them
half Of the house for s. per month.
"The McKinneys then moved in
and have lived in half the house. Mrs.
Branch, wife OF Thomas Branch, who
did the shooting, had been staying
with the McKinneys since her release
from jail, where she had been held
for some time on a charge Of larceny
Branch came to the house Monday
night about o'clock to see his wife.
In the room with them were Mr.. and
Mrs. Mckinney ard Keene, who had
gone to bed They chatted for a while,
toked among sAsHtelyes ana seemed
to be very happy. Mrs. Branch was
combing Mrs. 'Mckinheyss hair.
s,siBrshcArHSt. up' 'fsoh' his iehair and
said to his wife. Babe, come and 60
home with me- Mrs. Branch replied
NO, Tom He kept insisting that
she go with him, but her answer was
always the same-a refusal to 60.
Then Branch, quick as a. flash,
darted behind the stove and over to
where his wife was standing. Throw.
ing his arms around her. he whipped
revolver from his pocket and shot
her through the breast. He next turn.
ed the gun on Mckinney. who had
jumped to his feet to grapple with
the Slayer Shooting Mckinney in
the side, he turned the gun on Mrs.
Mckinney and shot her through the
lung. ias e
Mckinney, although mortally
wounded, grappled with Branch and
they fought for few minutes on the
@ fS8 h. I. Il Y sAstAioIoesihs A! 3
NdsutSeds dsasd then, oatsin the kitchen, ~
Heres N II II Y epgth 4 failipgs y r he
released Branch, who. escaped, going
out through q side door of the kitch-
en-. Mrs. Branch then went to near.
by home and gave the alarm" ....
The house in which the shooting
occurred is st6ry and a hail. 6sick'
located at No, Aps East Ohio atenne,
1t is the propeM& Of Mr.. SimmonsiAnd
was rented tgEAepe, who is empuy.
ployed as an ss4&Mheeler at the Penn
sylvs1txsesR Ra&s ss !
The lSSg 6tes small
room on Il sk4sN Ikne 4psee'
which was usSAY 6aHatioA par
lor and bed room. The. furniture in
the room consisted Of bed, table,
stove, pictures and three chairs. The
room gave evidence of the struggle
between Branch and Mckinney, chairs
being overturned and the room pre-
senting the appearance Of general
rough time having occurred.
Keene, the only eyewitness to the
affair who was not shot, did not leave
his bed until the shooting was all
over. He is an old man and said 1T
was all over SO quick didn't have
time to do anything
Mckinney, after Branch had shot
him, yelled to Keene, dad, get me
the axe" Then. seeking to prevent
Branch's, escape, Mckinney grappled
wit and fought as long as his
tsi& would permit. ! 81
tkk TELLS HIS sfoRY
T MSa8e Gay, brother,in-l INV ofpClar
eSde mckinney, the dead ,man, and 8
Flaw of William Burton, who
%sas at the Mckinney home Monda,
evening, was interviewed by a Ban
ner reporter Tuesday morning.
Gay said:
/ Il went to the Mckinney home tt
spend the evening, going there or
horseback During the evening Branch
sat near the door and sat next tt
Branch. The women were on the Op
posite side of the room. We al
laughed and joked during. the even
ing.
about 8 o'clock heard my horse
break loose and | went outside t,
see what was doing. Isfound the ami
NAL had broken loose and was dowl
near Gay street. ! chased the anima
home and then rode back to the Nc
Kinney home. When ! returned tn,
shooting had occurred and the three
people. had been taken to the hospit
\ la). },% e,Ss
= believed Branch just waited unit
4 + left the house before he did thu
sshootiagS Ibeliye he was afraid o
gme. WAS prepared for shooting.
II just wish ! had been there. ever
IL had been shot,, said Gay In dis
cuasinp tho shO0ting tn The Rama