Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-10-25
|KEETON MURDER
TRIAL UNDER WAY
Commonwealth Presents Strong
Case and Defense Has Big
Array of Witnesses

In the Madison circuit court Mon
day morning, John Keeton was placed
on trial for the murder on the night
of September % of Robert Powell
at the carnival grounds in the north
ern part of the city, and at noon the
evidence for thI commonwealth was
concluded. 1t was sl~"sumed that the
entire afternoon would be required to
hea~ thc TESTIMONY for the defense,
and all other jurors and witnesses
were excused by Judge w. R. Shack
elford until o'clock Tuesday morn
ing.
The trial of Thomas Gentry. co'or-
ed, for the murder of Dave Ta''''>
bell, also colcred, at the L E. N dc
pot on the evening Of October 5, viii
be called Immediately upon the con-
clusion of the evidence in the Keeton
case. 1t is believed this case will be
Of short duration, owing to the fact
that there are said to be few wit
nesses, and this, according to the
docket, will be followed by the calling
of the murder case of Constable An
1y Poff, who shot anl killed Jasper
Kirby at the Berea fair on the even
ing of August 6.
Three of the witnesses in the case
of Keeton stated they saw the shoot
ing, and that Powell was walking
away from Keeton, when the latter
fred the fatal shot. Embalmer Rich
the murdered man, stated that he
found but one bullet hole, and that
entered from the back. There were
L number of witnesses whose testi-
'nony was shaken somewhat by the
attorneys for the defense on cross eX-
animation. The states attorney en-
deavored to prove that the shooting
was premeditated, and the fact that
Powell was shot in the back, while,
according to one witness, Powell was
running from the enraged husband,
proved this assertion. The1e were
many witnesses whose testimony was
merely to the effect that they were
in the vicinity at the time of the
shooting and that they could give no
definite evidence as to the position or
exact location of Powell at the time
of the shooting, their attention hav-
ing been attracted by the shots.
County Attorney o. P. Jackson, as
sisted by B. A. Crutcher, had much
evidence tending to show that the
victim of Keeton's gun was endeav-
| oring to escape when the shots one
of which ended his life were fired 1t
/ is said Keeton fired three shots. Pow
| ell had been in company with Mrs.
Keeton previous to the shooting.
1t is understood that Attorneys A.
R. Burnam and C. C. Wallace for the
defense have mass of testimony
which will be strongly in favor OF
their client A part of this will be,
A it is said, to the effect that Keeton
charged Powell with breaking up his
4 home, and had gone to the extent OF
| having a peace warrant issued fol
the man as a result of his alleged per-
sistent attentions to Mrs. Keeton
1t is known that there is a big array
of witnesses for the defense. Keeton
who is a well known resident, has
| reputation as steady worker, ant
there will be number of character
witnesses brought in, it is claimed
leven from Red Lick, the old home O.
Keeton. A number of witnesses wh'
came in from there did so voluntarily
in an effort to prove the character O
their old-time friend.
The personnel of the jury havin.
:. the fate of Keeton in hand is compris
ed of the following: G. B. Moores
Burton Roberts, A. w. Pritchett, Be
Shearer, w. A. Todd, Ralph Parks
Holman Todd, Eugene Barnes, Johl
A. Hamm, D. T. Bogie, Arch Kidd an
R. E. Dozier.