Year: 1870

Although Franklin Kittle and his wife


were murdered by their blind son on


Thursday night last, the first defuite in.


telligence of the crime did not reach here


until Saturday afternoon. Daring the


morning there were rumors that murder


had been committed, but nothing of An
exact nature was known. Friday, early
in the afternoon, Coroner Brennan re.
ceived the following telegram from Hosg e
Corners:


Come to Hoag's Corners at once.-Im-
portant. w. E. KITTLE.


The Coroner Immediately started on
the journey. On his arrival at Hoag's
Corners he found the little village wild
with excitement on account of the muir
der of Mr.. and Mrs. Kittle, who resided
about half mile east of the place, and
the unnatural manner of their taking off.
Impanelling jury st once he proceeded
to hold an inquest.


Martha Kittie, wife Of Daniel,
who is a brother of the murderer,
was the first witness examined
She said the old man was about
seventy-two and Mrs. Kittle about fifty
years of age Thursday afternoon the old
man left the house about three o'clock,
and returned some hours subsequently,
He had been drinking somewhat and was
rather contrary. Asa the blind son was
in the house shelling corn. The old man,
on entering the room where Asa was, re-
minded him that he had burned his will
which left all the property TO him. 1t
seems, according TO the evidence, that the
old man, when under the influence of
liquor, was cross and irritable, but that
be had never used violence to any one.
The witness asked Asa to take care of her
baby while she and her mother-in-law
went to the barn TO milk the cows. Asa
was left in the north room of the house,
while the old man occupied the south
room. When the witness returned she
asked the blind boy if his father had
been in the apartment during her ab-
sence. He replied by saying that the old
man bad not been near him until after his
mother, who had got through milking
first, had come back from the barn
he said it was well he had not. The wit
ness sat her milking pail down and went
for pail of water. When she returned
she found that the old man was endeavor-
ing to get Asa into the wood-house, which
is connected with the South room. Asa
had braced himself against the wall and
was being pushed by the old man. The
old lady was in the South room taking
care of the baby, and of her the witness
inquired the cause of the difficulty. The
old lady said, "Father went to take the
baby and guess Asa choked him." Wit
ness then went into the other apartment,
and as she was going she heard her moth
er-in.law say: "Asa, you would not mnr-
der, would you z" Asa made no reply
that she could bear. The old man then
left his son and went toward the baby
saying, "Let me take him." Witness said
'.No, go and set down" He replied "Well,
l will, j will" Asa then came to where |
his father was standing. The old man
caught him by the collar. Asa said, "Let
20 of me-" the old man said, "You hit
me in the stomach, you know you did )"
the old lady said, "Let him go, he is your
blind boy, you are not going to hurt him"
The witness testified that Asa acted as if
be was afraid of his father. The blind
boy then went to stand in the drawer of
which was q revolver. He opened the