of the May 23-25, 1927
Clinton County, Michigan Coroner's Inquest
into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Bath School Superintendent, Emory Eli Huyck, on May 18, 1927 in the Village of Bath, Michigan.
C.E. Lamb, Clinton County Coroner
Inquest conducted by William C. Searl, Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney
| We have attempted to preserve the formatting of the
original document. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected
(corrections may be visually noted by a yellow background for the character or
group of characters that have been added or modified). Where the spelling of the name of an individual that appears in the transcript differs from the known correct spelling of their name the transcript's spelling is preserved. The obvious example: Superintendant Huyck's given name ... Emery (the transcipt's spelling) vs. Emory (the correct spelling). |
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Q Mr. Detloff, you live here in Bath do you not? A I do. Q And how old a man are you? A I am 45. Q And what is your occupation? A Blacksmith, general blacksmithing. Q How long have you lived in Bath? A The last time I lived in Bath over eighteen years going on nineteen years. I have lived in the community of Bath 31, 32 years this Fall. Q And are you one of the members of the School Board? A I am. Q And how long have you been a member of the School Board? A Two years in July. Q Have you held any official position in the Board? A Purchasing Agent. Q Can you give us the names of the Board? A The present members of the Board are George Morris, President; Mr. Kyes, Secretary; --- Q Melvin Kyes? A Yea, M. W. Kyes, Secretary; G. L. Spangler, Trustee; Enos Peacock, present Treasurer, and myself. Q Now, on the 18th of May Andrew P. Kehoe was a member of the School Board? A He was. Q And he held an official position? A He held as Treasurer. Q And Mr. Peacock has been elected since then to take his place? (4) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A He has. Q How Long have you served on the School Board, did I ask? A Yes, you asked. Two years this coming July. Q How long have you known Andrew Kehoe? A Personally came in contact with him since I have been on the School Board. I have worked with him for a long time blacksmithing, and I don't know just how long he has lived here, whether it is eight or ten years. Q During the time you were on the School Board did you know of any friction between Mr. Kehoe and the School Board and any members of the Board? A The last year there was a little friction, and before I came on there was quite a little friction I understand, but not in my presence. Q Some of the other members of the Board would know more about that would they? A Yes, sir. Q And since you have been on the Board what has the trouble been about? A High prices, expenses of the school. His main object was keeping Mr. Huyck out of the Board meetings. He didn't like to have him at the meetings. Q Mr. Huyck is Superintendent? A Yes, sir. Q And his name is Emery E. Huyck? A Yes, sir. Q I understand Mr. Huyck attended your School Board Meetings and Mr.Kehoe didn't like that? A Yes, sir. Q And there was some friction between the two? A Yes. Mr Huyck gave suggestions. He never tried to run the School Board but he gave suggestions, valuable instructions. I (5) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| didn't consider he butted into the affairs. Q Was there trouble between Kehoe and the other members of the School Board? A Yes, There was between him and the Secretary. Q Mr. Kyes? A Yes. Q What was the trouble? A Just between the two of them. Q Mr. Kyes was the Secretary and Mr. Kehoe, Treasurer? A Yes, sir. Q Did they have trouble about the books? A No. They didn't have any trouble about the money, the books always balanced up. Q Was there any open emnity between the two of them? A There might have been a little grudge there, but otherwise they got along very nicely. Q Huyck was a great advocate of the consolidated school? A Yes. Q And Mr. Kehoe was very much against it? A Yes. Q And there was some trouble in that direction? A Yes, there was. Q Do you know when Kehoe was elected upon the School Board? A He was elected the second Monday -- I couldn't give you the date -- the second Monday in July, three years ago this July. Q July, 1924? A Yes. Q And his term would expire in July this year, 1927? A In July this year, yes. Q On the morning of the 18th did you see Mr. Kehoe? A I did. Q What time in the morning did you see him? (6) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I came in contact with him, talked with him personally as we were going to the school. Him and I went to the school. He took his watch out of his pocket -- Q Where did you meet him that morning? A I went to George Hill's after some duck eggs, setting of duck eggs, and as I was driving through town, his machine set here by the postoffice, or very close to it, and I happened to think of our coming Board meeting, and I had forgotten the date, whether the 18th, 19th or 20th, so I stopped and asked him, and also spoke about our well being out of commission up to the schoolhouse, and we wasn't getting water enough. I got a little ahead of my story. I came up here and I backed down with my machine, and when I had backed down he came to my machine, and those were the questions I asked him, and he told me the 19th. He drove ahead of me to the schoolhouse, and when we stopped he said that meeting is the 20th and he said let's go in, so we went in. Q You spoke about looking at your watch? A Yes. Yes. On our way going to the schoolhouse, when we got to about the last tree, he took his watch out of his pocket and looked at it. It was 25 minutes after eight. I was 25 minutes after seven. In his conversation he said, "It is about time for school to begin", I said, "No, it isn't, we have got more than an hour. He hesitated a little and said "Yes, we have." I don't think there was more than a minutes difference in our watches, if there was that much. We went down in the pump house. He was behind me just a step or two. I opened up the pump house door. Q That would be in the basement? A Yes, in the basement. I looked in, and was just there a minute or two to look in, and he invited me in the other part. Q What part is that? A Where the generator is. Q A little north and east of the pump house? (7) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. And as I came in there Mr. Smith was in there screwing hard oilers on his engine. Q That is the generator? A Yes. And I told him bout seeing Mr. Harrington to come down and fix the pump. Mr. Smith, the janitor, said "If I thought Mr. Harrington would be down here to fix this within a couple of hours, I wouldn't start this up." During this conversation I was having with Mr. Smith, Mr. Kehoe disappeared. Mr. Smith was to the right of me, and he stopped out when I was talking about the pump, he came away from screwing oilers, and he said "If I could see Mr. Harrington and knew about the time he would be here, why I wouldn't start this." And I said "Let's go out and see if we can see him." We came out, and while we was coming out Mr. Kehoe's machine had disappeared. Q Did you see where it went? A No. In fact we didn't look that way. We was looking across to Mr. Harrington's house. And that was the last I saw of Mr. Kehoe. I didn't see him from that time until I saw his body laying across the street. Q Had you seen Harrington come to the school that morning? A No, I didn't. Q You left there first? A Yes. I left there, left for the house. Q And you went home? A Yes. Q Later in the day -- A Now, Prosecutor just a minute. I can't recall whether I went to the house. I can't really recall that. Q Do you know whether Mr. Kehoe had a key to the school building or not? A I believe he did have. I believe he did have. In fact I am positive. I think the Deputy Sheriff has one. Q You had a key? (8) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, I had a key. Q And you sometimes went to the school building as purchasing agent? A Yes. Q Did you ever loan your keys to Mr. Kehoe? A I did when he was doing some repair work up there. Q You were on the school Board last summer? A Yes. Q Did Kehoe do some work around there last summer? A Yes. Q When was that? A It was sometime in the summer, during the vacation. Probably July, June or July, and he might have did some in August. Q Do you know what work he did? A He wired up our generator. He helped also to line up the engine. He did some tiling and minor repairs in and around the schoolhouse. Q This tiling that he did, when did he do that? A He didn't finish that until after school begun. Q Would that be about in August or September? A In September, because the children use to jump down in the trench, I remember that. Q When he was doing that tiling was there some cement joints? A Yes. There was two string of tiles, one is a drain from the schoolhouse, takes the overflow out of the septic tank, flows to the west. These joints are all cemented to keep the roots from going down in the tile, because our drain plugged and we had to pull them up. His suggestion was to cement all the joints where the trees get through, or where the roots get into the tile. Q He was working around there last summer with cement? A Yes. Q Do you know whether he took cement to the school himself, or whether somebody else took it? A I couldn't say, but I imagine he took it himself, and he done his own tiling. (9) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You never saw a bill go to you for the purchase of those supplies? A I did for the tile. Q And you say he took them there himself? A He did, yes. Q About this wiring that was done around there. When was that done, do you know? A No, I couldn't tell you exactly. It might have been in July, and it might have been in August. It was while we were putting in our engines. Q You had two engines there? A Yes. A Delco, and a Fairbanks-Morse. Q This wiring was done so you could use both of these engines if one broke down? A That was done by Barker-Fowler Co. Q Kehoe didn't' do that? A No, he just fixed the one for the large generator. Q In doing that wiring would he have to go under the flooring? A No. Q That wiring was all around the pump house, and in and around there? A Yes, sir. Q Did you ever see him around the schoolhouse working there last summer? A Oh, yes. A number of times. Q In the daytime? A Yes. Q Was his car around there? A Yes. Q He owns an automobile? A A Ford light truck. Q That is what we ordinarily call a Ford pick-up? A Yes. Q With a small detachable body on the rear? A Yes. (10) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You have seen that car so you could identify it? A I could at one time. Q This morning of the explosion where were you, did you hear the explosion? A I did. Q Where were you at that time? A There in the shop. Q Your shop is down on the west side of the street? A Yes. Q About how far from the schoolhouse is that? A I don't know, but about a third of a mile by the speedometer. Q You are at the extreme north of the business district? A Yes. Q And the schoolhouse is south of the business district? A Yes. Q What did you do when you heard this explosion? A Mr. Dutton was down stairs fixing a machine. He had a hoist hitched to the joist, and when that explosion took place I was there alone, and I said what is going on, and I run down stairs and I thought the hoist gave way and the machine dropped, and I said "What is going on down here", and I don't remember whether there was aybody in the building. I came out of the front part of the shop and looked out, and I came right around to the stairs, and as I came out on the walk somebody was hollering "The schoolhouse is blowed up," and I started up the walk, and when I got to the drug store. That morning before I went to work my girl said she had to be out before 10:30. Q You went to the schoolhouse? A Yes. Q What did you see when you went there? A I saw the north wing all demolished. Q That schoolhouse was built in the shape of a 'T'? A It was. (11) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And this north wing you speak of would be how large? A Sixty feet, eighty feet long. I couldn't say just how far, and probably forty, sixty feet wide. Q And you saw that some of the walls had caved in and the roof was down? A They was. Q Did you see Kehoe around there at that time? A No, I didn't. Q Or his car? A No, I didn't. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck? A Yes, I did. Q Where did you see him? A At the telephone office. Q As you came down? A No, when I came back. I had went to the schoolhouse and got my daughter and dressed a wound, she got a wound in her ankle. I hurried right back and went to the telephone office, and Mr. Huyck was there. Q Did you talk with him? A He said "Bert there is no use calling anybody, I have done all that can be done, I have called the State Department and the State Police, and there is no help that you can get, it is all done." I said "All right, I will go and get a private doctor for my girl." I hunted for Dr. Foster. Q Did you go back to the school? A I did. Q What did you find when you got back? A I went to the home economics room to see if -- Q Where is the home economics room? A In the old part on the north side. Q That would be in the central part? A In the old building, in the central part. Q To the back of the schoolhouse? (12) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A To the north of the schoolhouse, and back as well. Q What did you see around there? A I saw ruins. Mr. Everett Leonard and myself was in there at the time of the second explosion, Q Where were you when this took place? A I was in the schoolhouse in the home economics room. Q And did that take place shortly after you got back? A Yes, shortly after I got back. Q Who was with you you say, Everett Leonard? A Everett Leonard. Q What time was it when you heard the first explosion, have you any idea? A I dare say, railroad time it was 8:45. As I was coming up the walk I took my watch out, and the girl told me she would be out at 10:30, I took my watch out by the drug store, and it was 5 minutes to nine by the watch. I was going to the school after the explosion. Q Do you think that was ten minutes after the explosion? A It couldn't have been, because I had come right straight down from the shop and started up the street. Q How long do you think it was after that that this second explosion went up? A Well, I should judge twenty minutes. It might have been half hour, and it might not have been but ten minutes, I couldn't state, because I had taken my girl home dressed her wound, came back and called a doctor, and went back in the schoolhouse. Q At that time you didn't see Huyck out in front? A No. Q How long do you think you had been in the schoolhouse before this explosion went off? A I don't think I had been in there more than three minutes before this occurred. I had just got in and went into the manual training and back out. (13) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Where did you go after the second explosion? A I run around the north side to the front, right in front Of the ruins. Q What did you see when you got out in front? A The first thing I saw was Perry Hart on his hands and knees. That is the boy that is in the hospital. He was on his hands and knees. I went to the front side of the schoolhouse, and as I went to the front side of the schoolhouse somebody said Mr. Huyck is killed, and I said no, and they said Glenn Smith is laying over there. I went up on the road walk, and I came in contact with Mrs. Hall, and she said "Mr. Detloff, Mr. Huyck is killed", and as I remember I had a view of the body to make sure when I saw her. Q And you identified Mr. Huyck? A I identified him by his coat. He had a checkered coat on. Q You are sure the body there was Mr. Huyck? A Yes. I was positive of the coat. Q Then did you see Glenn Smith there? A Just glanced at him. I didn't stop to inquire or anything, just glanced at him. Q Was he alive? A Yes, I believe he was. Walking back and forth I had saw his wife hold him up. Q Did you see Nelson McFarren? A Yes. Q Was he alive? A He was dead, laying against the tree. Q You identified him? A No. Q Did you see Mrs. Perronia? A No, she was coming from our house. Q What is her first name? A Anna Perronia. (14) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q She had been to your home? A Yes. Q And was on her way home when this happened? A Yes. Q But you didn't see her after that? A No. Q Did you see any others? A Out there on the walk? Q Yes? A I saw a number of them. Q You didn't see Mr. Kehoe at that time? A No, I didn't. Q Did you see the body that was afterwards called Mr. Kehoe's body? A I did. Q. And could you identify it as Mr. Kahoe's body? A I believe I could. I just saw the head and face. Q Did you see the machine that was called Mr. Kehoe's machine? A Yes, identified the wheels, and the way I had of identifying it, he had a hub-meter on the left front wheel. Q From that you would identify it as Kehoe's machine? A Yes. I couldn't tell you the make of it, and there isn't very many with hub-meters on. Q After that what did you do, after you went out in front and saw these bodies out there? A I couldn't tell you what I did do? Q You don't remember? A. No. No. I was doing everything I thought was serviceable. In fact, I went around identifying bodies. I identified those they took out of the schoolhouse, I was busy around there. I wasn't around the ruins, I mean I was around the ruins, I was helping take them out. I helped with Miss Matteson. One of the linemen carried Miss Matteson out of the ruins, and I said "Do you want some help", (15) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and he said "Take her across the road to Mr. Smith's house", and I took her across the road to Mr. Smith's house and laid her on the bed. Q Did you ever do any work for Mr. Kehoe in the blacksmith line? A Not lately. I haven't been down for over a year, and that was on his tractor. Q Did he have any car outside from this Ford? A Not to my knowledge. Q Did you ever see him drive any other except this Ford? A No, I never did. Q Do you think of anything else that I haven't asked you? A I do not. No, sir. MR SEARL: If you gentlemen of the Jury have anything you want to ask, you may do so.
Q Mr. Smith, you are the janitor at the school are you not? A Yes, sir. Q How old a man are you? A Fifty-one. Q And are you a brother of Glenn Smith? A Yes, sir. Q He was the postmaster? A Yes, sir. Q How old was Glenn? A Thirty-three that day. Q He was married wasn't he? (16) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Did he have any children? A Not living. Q How long had you been janitor to the school? A Eight months. Q You live here in Bath do you not? A Yes, sir. Q And where is your home situated in reference to the school? A Right across the street. Q And yours is the yellow house across tho street? A Yes, sir. Q And a little bit to the north? A Yes, sir. Q What is your wife's name, Mr. Smith? A Leone. Q She lives there with you in that home? A Yes, sir. Q You have been janitor there about eight months? A About eight months. Q Who was janitor before that? A I couldn't say who the felow was. Q What time would you go to work normally in the morning? A Six o'clock, sometimes a little later, and I don't know but on occasions may be a little bit before. Q How late did you work at night? A Not later than six at the ordinary work. Q Did you go back in the evening? A Just when there was teachers' meetings, or something of that kind. Q You are speaking of slow time, railroad time? A Yes, sir. Q Were you ever around the building in the night time? A Never was around it. (17) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Unless there was a meeting there? A Not unless there was a meeting there. Q Did you ever notice there had been anybody around there in the night time, anything to indicate that? A No, I don't believe I ever did, Q You never saw any lights over there in the night? A No. Q You never saw any automobiles come up there and park there? A Might have been on the street, but not up to the schoolhouse. Q You never saw any back up to the schoolhouse? A No, I never did. Q Can you tell the Jury how this schoolhouse is built? In the first place, it is built in the form of a 'T'? A Yes. Q The main building was the old Bath school? A The main building was the smaller part. The new part was the long part that runs north and south in front. The main part came up and fixed the 'T' on the east. The front part, or new part wasn't ever excavated underneath. It was perhaps three feet between the floor and the ground. Q So that the entire new part, new structure that was built at the time the consolidation was formed never had any basement under it? A Never had any basement under it. Q The only basement was about three feet where the wall was built up? A Yes. Q The entire basement was under the old school building? A I think it was. I think it is. Q That gave you quite a small basement? A There is quite a large basement, but I am sure it in just under the old school. Q There was a main entrance in front? A To the building, yes. (18) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And just one main entrance, with double doors? A Yes. Q And two entrance beyond the front entrance? A One on each end. Single door at each end. Q Now, you could go down cellar from both of these doors or not? A No. You came from the north end you had to go through the main corridor there clear to the south end before you could enter the basement. Q But from the south door you could enter the basement immediately could you? A Yes. Q About how long was this building, do you know? A Why, no. I could make a guess is about all I could do. I never even thought how long it might be. Q I guess we can get it a little later. Now, when you went in this back door, this south door you speak of, the pump room is off to the right in the cellar? A Yes, the first thing is the pump room. Q That is quite a small room? A Yes, about 6 x 8. Q You have a small motor? A A small motor, and the pump, and this delco plant is there also. Q That room doesn't connect with anything except the corridor? A That is all, except the window that goes with that, with the engine room. Q And as you go out of that room where would you go? A You go into this hall leaking along into the engine room, There is a hall perhaps 14 feet long from the time you get to the bottom of the stairs before you get to the engine room, but the pump room is right at the foot of the stairs. Q Then you would have to turn off to the right to got into this engine room? (19) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Is there any room to the north there? A The room extends to the north perhaps 30 feet from this door where you enter. Q What do you use that room for? A Sort of a stock room where they keep lumber and equipment. Q Then east of this engine room is there a room? A Yes, the furnace room. Q There isn't any room east of the furnace room? A No, but to the north of the furnace room is the fan room. Q What is that? A That is the fan that distributes the air through the building, with a motor in there. Q Is there any room east of the fan room? A Just where they keep the coal. Q That takes up the entire basement we have named? A Yes. Q From this hall in front there is some trap doors about 18 inches square? A Not from the hall, but from the basement proper. Q Where is it located? A One is located just as you enter the engine room on the west side, and the other you have to go into the fan room to got to it. Q Didn't you find some of those doors out of place on one or two occasions? A Yes, I have in the fan room. Q In the fan room? A In the fan room. Q When was the first time you noticed that? A I don't know. I have been trying to recall who was with me, because I drew their attention. I had put this door in, and it was out, and that was the second or third time I put it in. I can't (20) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| recall, but I kind of think it was Mr. Huyck. Q About how long ago was that? A I am not sure but the last time was when Mr. Brya was over from Laingsburg, was over looking the motors over. Q Somebody was there? A Yes, and I called their attention to it. Q About how long ago was it? A It doesn't seem to me it was very long ago, not more than a week ago. Q You mean a week from now, or from the explosion? A From the explosion. Q You mean sometime the week before the explosion? A It seems like that. Q How long before that had you found it open? A Perhaps a week before that. Q How long ago do you think it was when you first found that open? A I don't know, but not very long ago. It seems to me I put it in three times, but I am not sure. It might not have been more than two times. Q Did you ever have occasion to take the door out to go in there yourself? A Not that door, but the other door. Mr. Huyck held a light and I went in there to look for a leak. Q When was that? A Seven or eight months ago, when I first went there. Q Early in the Fall? A Yes. Q When you went in there looking for the leak in the water pipe did you go clear to the front? A No. I just followed that pipe along, and he held a flashlight and I could see that pipe as far as I wanted to see it, then I came back. (21) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Was the pipe leaking? A No. Q You didn't have to repair it at all? A No. Q You didn't go up in front of the building then? A No. Q Did you notice any wiring at that time? A No, sir. Q Did you notice whether it looked like anybody had been in there? A I didn't notice it. Q Did you ever go into this other part from the fan room? A No, I don't think I was ever in there. Q This wvater pipe that you speak of -- Did you ever have a leak in a steam pipe? A Not in under there. Q Did you ever in the basement of the school look for a steam leak in the basement? A No. I did up above. Q Where, was the water leaking? A It was. Q I don't care to go into it in detail. Was it anything you would have to go in under the floors? A No. It was in the toilet. The pressure was low. Q So, as long as you have been janitor that was the only time that you have been up in under this part that didn't have a basement in under it? A I believe it is. Yes. Q Now, this morning of the 18th, what time did you get to the school? A Was that the morning of the explosion? Q Yes? A I couldn't say for sure, but I imagine about six o'clock. That was the time I figured on going over there unless I am firing. But this time about six o'clock. (22) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did Kehoe do some work around there last Fall after school started? A Not after I was there he didn't, but I think may be before started. Q Was you there when school started? A No. Q What time of the year did you start in the school year? A In the second month. Q That would be in October? A Yes, sir. Q Did Barker-Fowler do this wiring after you went there? A Yes. Q Did Kehoe do any wiring then? A No, I don't think he was in there. I remember him going in there once and going over it, looking it over; that is, going over it in a fast, quick way as though looking it over. Q So when you got there he had got this tiling all done, and that work? A Yes, sir. Q This morning of the 18th when you first came there did you see -- I waive that. Sometime that morning did you see Mr. Kehoe around in the building? A Yes, sir. Q And did you see Mr. Detloff there? A Yes, sir. Q And you had had some conversation with Detloff before this about the pump needing some repairs? A Yes. Q Was that that same morning? A No, not that same morning. I told him before. He was going to get a man as soon as he could, but not that morning. Q That morning Kehoe and Detloff came there to the building? (23) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q You had some conversation? A Only Mr. Detloff and I. He said I am in a desperate hurry. Q Did you hear them come in together? A NO. I heard them talking together in the pump room. Q Where was you, in the engine room? A I was in the engine room. Q And they were in the pump room? A Yes. Q And you heard a conversation between them? A Yes, something about pullingg thst pipe. Q Did Kehoe come in where you were, or you go in where they were? A They both came in there. Q Tell me again what Kehoe said? A If I remember right, he says "You know, I am in an awful hurry", and that was about all he said, and whirled and went out, and he seemed to be dressed pretty good, and I suppose you don't care for that. Q You didn't see him again until after the explosion? A I never saw him again. Q You did have an electric system, a separate electric system in the school for operating the lights and pump? A A separate -- Q I mean you weren't connected up with the City or anything like that? A No. No. It was an individual direct plant they had there. Q And you had engines to operate that? A Yes. Q Fairbanks-Morse and a Delco. Now was that connected up with the bell system for a class bell? A In fact I don't know how that was operated. Q Mr. Huggett would know more about that than you do? (24) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Did you start up the motor that morning? A No. Q The engine wasn't started, and you didn't have any electricity that morning? A Not that morning. Q After Mr. Detloff and Mr. Kehoe left what did you do? A I went over to Mr. Harrington's house to see if he was coming right over. Q Mr. Harrington is a plumber? A Yes. Q Had you made any arrangements with him about coming over? A Mr. Detloff had. As I came away from his place, I saw him driving in the school yard with his tools. Q Mr, Harrington lives near you? A Yes. Just a little back and a little south. Q 'When you got over there did you and Mr. Harrington go down to the pump house? A Not directly. Mr. Harrington was down there later, and I saw him and I said I didn't think we ought to start that job until after the last bell because of the children around where we had to pull this pipe, and he said he thought that was a good scheme, so he kind of hung around until after 8:30. Q One of the doors to the school in back was jammed so it wouldn't lock? A It was split so you couldn't close it. Q And about how long ago did that get split? A Well, it might have been four to six weeks ago, something like that. It has been a few weeks ago. It might have been six weeks ago. Q Do you know how it got split? A No, I don't. (25) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You locked up the schoolhouse each night? A Yes. Q And you locked the doors? A Yes. These doors were so when you were inside you could got out. Q Was it in the night or morning that you saw the door split? A At Night. The door wasn't locked in the day time, and I couldn't got it locked at night. Q From that time it was never locked? A It never was locked. Q So anybody could get in the school building from that door? A Yes, sir. Q Do you understand that Kehoe also had a key to the building? A I don't know. It was always my idea that he had a key to the building, but I didn't see it. Q Did you know this front door jammed so it wouldn't lock? A I know we had trouble with it, but we always got it locked. Q Was your attention called to the fact that somebody had apparently pried at the door to get in? A No. Q The door would jam some? A Yes, it would jam. Q How long ago was that? A It got to jamming about three weeks ago. Q Along about the 1st of May? A I imagine it was about three weeks ago the bracket was taken off the shock absorber and taken to Lansing. Q He was the man that you always called upon to fix anything at the schoolhouse? A Generally, in a mechanical line he generally took care of that. Q He was a good mechanic? A I understand, although he never did anything of that kind around there. Any job like that he always took to Lansing. (26) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q This morning you and Mr. Harrington were in the pump house you went to work at 8:30? A Perhaps 8:45. Q Was anybody else working with you there? A No, sir. Q How long did you work? A Well, may be, perhaps ten minutes, may be fifteen. Q And was that where you were when the explosion took place? A Yes, sir. Q You were both down there? A Both down there. Q So you think that took place about 8:45 or so? A It seems to me it must have from whet we had done, and the time it took to get down there, I imagine about 8:45. Q What did you do when you first heard this explosion? A I -- Q What did you notice? A I ran up the stairs as soon as I got straightened around, because it throwed me against the wall. I don't remember going down, but may be I did. And I ran up stairs to the hall and begin getting the children out through this south door. Q This end? A The south door. Q That would be the kindergarten and first grade? A The first and second, both. Q And those children were all at the south end? A At the south end. Q I don't suppose you saw Harrington after that in the excitement there? A I think I noticed Harrington holding the door open when I was herding these little fellows. Q That was the door that was split they were taking them out? (27) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No. It was the door at the north end that was split. Q Then what did you do after that? A Then I went around the building and began to digging for those in the other end. Q That would be the north end? A Yes, sir. Q You got some of the children out? A I don't remember getting any out. I was prying with a pry to get up the roof, and Lawrence Hart spoke about getting a telephone pole. Q Where did you go to get the telephone pole? A Up to Thomas Lowe's corners. Q How far would that be from the schoolhouse? A Why, I don't know. It would be three blocks. It would be, I should think, in the neighborhood of 80 rods from the schoolhouse. Q Did somebody go with you? A Lawrence Hart. Q He went with you? A Yes, sir, and took an automobile. Q And took an automobile and went? A Yes. Q Did you get a telephone pole? A Yes, sir. Q And came back with it? A Yes, sir. Q When you came to the school yard where did you come in? A On the southwest bank. Q Did you drive across the sidewalk? A Yes, sir. Q Did you drive across the school sidewalk? A No. We kept on the south side. Four or five follows came along and took hold, and I took hold and Lawrence, and then I heard (28) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the other shot on the street. Q Have you any idea how long it was between the first shot and the second shot you heard in the street? A It must have been quite a little over half hour it seems to me. Q You think it took you half an hour to do what you did? A I had been there getting the first and second grade out, and then I went and got a chain up to Mr. Hart's house, and then Lawrence and I went up there and we had quite a little trouble getting that telephone pole back and dragging it back, and quite a little while getting it round the automobiles. Q When you got back with this telephone pole did you see Mr. Huyck there -- the Superintendent? A No. Q Did you see Glenn Smith? A Yes. He helped with the pole. Q He was out in front then? A Yes. Q He didn't follow you around the schoolhouse? A No. Q Did you see Mr. McFarren? A I didn't notice him. Q Did you see your brother at any time after this explosion? A No. Q After this explosion did you go out in the street there? A As quick as I could got my eyes open I looked around where I thought it sounded, and I looked up. First, I thought they was shelling us from above, and I looked out there, I saw him lying out in front, and I dropped the pole and ran out there. Q Did you hear shells? A Nothing only that one explosion. Q Did you hear anything like bullets flying? A No. Q Or like bullets going through the trees? (29) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I didn't notice it. Q Did you afterwards find any bullets around there? A No, I didn't. Q And when you went out there did you go to your brother first? A Yes. Q How was your brother injured? A He was the only one alive. His leg was cut off here (indicating). Q His left leg? A Yes. And his side was all blackened as though shocked inside, and it was his left hand was pretty well chewed up, seemed like the back was off like. Q Was his right leg injured too? A I think there was a wound in his right leg, but that was smaller. Q Did you have some talk with him there? A Yes, he talked all the time. Q What did he say to you? A He kept repeating to us, said not to feel bad if he went. He says "I don't want anybody to feel bad if I go." He said when I first got to him, "I have been hit, it is all up with me." Q Did he make any mention about Kehoe? A I never heard him mention Kehoe's name, and I and my wife were both there. Q Did he say anything about Huyck being there? A It seems to me his wife says "Huyck is over there." Q Did he make any explanation as to how it happened? A No, he didn't. I don't think he knew. Q You went into Lansing to the hospital with him? A I followed him in. Q You didn't go in with the ambulance? A I didn't. Q How long did he live after he got to the hospital? A He died just as I got there. Q And then you came back out here to the school after that? (30) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Well, as quick as we could make arrangements there, I and his wife. Q The situation at the schoolhouse had been pretty well cleaned up when you got back to the schoolhouse? A It had. I understand the bodies had all been taken out. Q Do you know anything more about this that I haven't asked you about? A I don't. I can't think of a thing that would be of any consequences. MR. SEARL: Do you think of anything, Gentlemen, that you want to ask him?
Q Your name is Lawrence Hart? A Yes, sir. Q Where do you live? A Two miles north and east of Bath. Q And how old a man are you? A I am 26 now, 27 in June. Q Are you married? A Yes, sir. Q Did you have any children in this school here? A No, I didn't. Q Did you know Mr. Kehoe? A Yes, sir. Q And how long have you know him? A Well, I don't know, I can't remember where I first met the man, but I have known him for quite a number of years, four or five years I imagine. (31) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And where were you on Wednesday morning, the morning of this explosion? A At the time of the explosion you mean? Q Yes? A I was at the elevator with a load of wheat. Q You had just driven in there? A I imagine I had been there about half hour. Q That morning before the explosion did you see Mr. Kehoe any place? A No, I didn't. Q What did you do after the explosion took place? A About the first thing, I was wondering what it was, I remember I looked across the street and saw the Consumers Power fellows sliding down the poles. Q You saw them running toward the school? A Yes, and we followed. Q And who was with you? A I believe Tolman started with me, didn't you? We started and I know after I got as far as the drug store I was alone from then on up. Q And what did you see when you first got up there? You have heard it described here, how the roof was down? A Yes. The north wing had collapsed when I first appeared on the scene. Q Were there very many people there when you first got there? A Yes, there was quite a number of people that lived close. Q What did you do when you first got there? A the first thing I done was run to the end of the building and started to help. I asked if the children were in there, and they said they were, and I started to tear things away so they could get to them. Q You helped carry the children out? A I carried one or two across the street. (32) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q To Frank Smith's house? A Yes. Q Do you remember going after a telephone pole with Frank Smith? A Yes. My father-in-law said if we only had a pole so we could pry that roof up. There were some little folks underneath the roof at that time, and I started for a pole, and as I started out towards the road I met Frank Smith, and I said "Let's get a telephone pole." Q Who is your father-in-law? A Jay Pope. Q Did Pope go with you? A No. he didn't. Just Smith and I. Q Did you take your car? A No. I started up the street, and my truck was at the elevator, and I didn't know where we could get a car. There were lots of them there and I didn't imagine we could got them, and I met Mrs. Huyck, and I asked her if her car was home and she said no it is in front of the schoolhouse, and she said Mr. Huyck had the keys, and I said maybe I can start it with my jackknife, and I did. Q What kind of car was that, a Ford? A Four door sedan. Q The place where you went after this telephone pole was about three blocks or so? A Up at Lowe's corner. I imagine three blocks at least. Q And when you came back with it, Mr. Smith described how you came across the school yard, that is true? A Yes. Q At that time did you see Mr. Huyck? A I saw some men standing there. I was so excited I didn't know who they were. I remember seeing Glenn Smith there. He helped get it around a car there, and Frank Smith said "Wait a minute", and I looked back through the back glass and I saw Glenn Smith throw the telephone pole and come away from the wall. (33) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Was he at that time on the west side of the street? A Who, Glenn Smith? Q Yes. A No. He was on the east side of the street. Q And this car was on the east side of the street? A Yes. Q Do you think you saw Huyck? A No, I don't remember seeing Mr. Huyck. Q Where was this crowd of people that you saw on the street there? A They weren't crowded, just one or two scattered and standing around there. Q Did you see Kehoe at that time? A I might of. I remember there was a Ford car drawing up behind when we drove in there with the telephone pole. Q And do you think that was Kehoe's car? A I don't know. I thought at the time it was somebody helping. I didn't notice anybody in the car in particular. Q Did you go up to the building with the pole with Frank Smith? A We didn't get to the building with it. Q How close were you to the building? A I drove an near as I dare, and I got out and unhooked the chain, and there was just Frank Smith and I at the telephone pole at that time, and I called for help, and I called Charley Havelin and the oil man to help us, and I just got hold of the telephone pole and just dragged it ten or twelve feet when the second explosion came. Q Did that knock you down? A I believe it did. Q Did you walk out from the school? A Yes. I walked out kind of kitter-corner to the sidewalk. Q Did you see the superintendent, Mr. Huyck, there? A No. I didn't. Q Did you see Glenn Smith? (34) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A He was the first man I saw after it came to me what had happened. The first time I looked he was there, and the second time he appeared on the street, and he rolled down the embankment, rolled twice. Q Where was this embankment? A On the east side of the schoolhouse. Q Did you hear any shells exploding there? A No, just the one explosion is all I heard. Q Did you hear anything like bullets flying? A No. q Did you see this body that was said to be Kehoe's? A No, I didn't. In fact I didn't go close to any of those men after the explosion. Q Where did you go, back to the school? A No. The first thing I knew I was down to the elevator. I don't know how I got there. Q You just had a lapse of memory? A Yes.I remember seeing Glenn Smith, and I don't remember anything until I got to the elevator and I started back. Q Then you went back up to the school? A Yes. Q And assisted in taking out the children? A No. I couldn't do anything. I sat around there sort of dazed until they got my sister-in-law. Q You had a sister-in-law in there? A Yes. I recognized her. Q What was your sister-in-law's name? A Blanche Hart. Q You are a brother of Ross Hart? A Yes, sir. Q She was alive when they got her out? A Yes, sir. Q But she died later in the hospital? (35) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A She died the next day? Q Thursday? A About noon. Q Do you know anything else about this that I haven't asked you about? A Not to amount to anything, only just little occurrences, and I don't recall any of them to memory just now. A JUROR: Has anybody heard any explosions except the two that has been spoken of? A I heard three different explosions out to Kehoe's. Q When did that occur with reference to this? A This explosion was the first I heard and as I drove in the school yard somebody said "Kehoe's buildings are on fire", and I remember looking, and at that time I saw an explosion down there, and the explosion was in the house, and I don't know as I looked back. I went right to the schoolhouse from the sidewalk. You didn't hear any explosion down at Kehoe's when you were down at the elevator before? A No. Q Nor notice any fire down there? A No. Q When you came back from the elevator the second time, or at any time, did you see Kehoe? A No. No. MR. SEARL: Any more questions? (36) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q What is your full name, Mr. Huggett? A Floyd Huggett. Q And how old are you? A Twenty-six. Q And you were the Principal of the school here were you not? A Yes, sir. Q Where is your home? A Bellvue. Q That is Bellvue, Michigan? A Yes, sir, Eaton County. Q How long have you been teaching here? A Four years. Q Do you know how long Mr. Huyck had been Superintendent here? A I believe five years. He came one year before I did. Q And, of course, during all the time you were here you knew Mr. Huyck very well? A Yes, sir. Q Where was Mr. Huyck's office in the building? Did he have an office there? A Yes, sir. In the front part, to the north side. Well, there was one room between his office and the north end of the front part. Q That would be a class room? A A class room that seated about 25. Q You have noticed the building since this explosion of course. Are the windows in his room still standing, or are they down? A Oh, no. His office was in about the central part of the wreckage. Q And did you have an office in there? (37) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A « response missing from original copy of the transcript » Q You had charge of an assembly room? A Yes, sir. Q Where is that assembly room located? A That is in the east part that is standing, upstairs. Q To the north? A No. In the inner east part, on the upper floor on the inner east side. Q Now, in this part that was blown down downstairs, what grades were in there, do you know? A The Third, Fourth and Fifth. Q Were there three room? A Two rooms. Q So that the Third and Fourth were on the east side at the north? A Yes, sir. Q And the Fifth Grade on the west side to the north? A In the corner at the west side, and the Sixth Grade directly above. Q Above the Fifth Grade? A Yes, sir. Q And was Mr. Huyck's office up above the Third and Fourth Grades? A Yes, the north part of their room. Q What was on the east side there? A East of the Sixth Grade there was nothing. That was the wing there, and the hallway runs along the east side of the building. Q Was that all the grades that were in there? A The only other room, there was a small room on the east landing, and that was used as a first aid room. Q The Kindergarten, and the First and Second Grades were in the north wing downstairs? A Yes, sir. Q What was in the south wing? (38) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Chemistry and Physics Laboratory and class room, and the high-school library in connection with the laboratory. Q Then the high-school would be in the main part to the east? A To the east. Yes, sir. Q Can you explain to the Jury the system you had of ringing class bells? A We had two systems. Class bells were rung from a button back of my desk. When the generator was running downstairs they were connected directly with the lighting circuit that furnished our lights. If anything happened that the motor wasn't running, they had to step out and ring a gong that was attached to a chain in the hall. Q And on this morning of the 18th the generator wasn't running? A No, Sir. Q So you used the gong? A I used the hand gong. Q It didn't ring with any batteries, you had to pull the chain? A Yes, Simply pull on the chain. One pull on the chain rung the gong once. Q Did you know of any batteries that were there in the building except the ones in the physics laboratory? A None. I never saw any there except those. Q Did you see the dry cells? A No. Q Can you give the teacher's names that were in charge? A The Third and Fourth was in charge of Miss Wetherby. Q That is Hazel Wetherby? A Hazel Wetherby. The Fifth Grade Miss Blanche Hart and Miss Eva Gibbens. Q And who had charge of the Kindergarten and First Grade? A Miss Bernice Sterling First Grade, and Miss Leona Gutekunst. Q What did Miss Matteson teach? A Latin and English in the High-school. Q This morning of the 18th, do you know about what time it was that (39) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 3 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| you came to the school? A In the neighborhood of 25 minutes to eight railroad time. We were due there at fifteen to eight, and I was early, but I don't know just how many minutes. Q Were there any other teachers in the school when you got there? A Not to my knowledge. Q Did you see the janitor that morning -- Mr. Smith? A Notuntil about 8:20. Q Did school call on time that morning? A It did. Q And your regular time of calling is 8:30? A 8:30. Q What did you do immediately after school called? A I left the assembly and went down to the office and left some papers, came out and went out the side door to the south, and stopped over into the Methodist Church to practice Seniors for graduation. Q The Methodist Church is just to the south? A Yes, just a few steps. Q When you went over did some girls go with you? A They Went before? Q Who were they? A Two Seniors, Bertha Kumm and Thelma Kressman. Q This morning in school some of the students were absent? A Yes, sir. Q Was there reasons for that? A We were running final examinations upstairs and they had to be there only to hold their examinations, and some were scheduled for ten o'clock, and the seniors had written the week before and the seniors were to report at one o'clock that day. Q And the lower grades were there? A As far as I know. Q And your graduation was next day, the 19th? (40) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q And your school expected to close that week? A The final closing would have been today. Q Monday, the 23rd? A Yes, sir, All our reports were dated the 23rd. Q Now, when you went over to the church you went over to hear these two girls recite, practice some for graduation? A Yes, sir. Q And how long were you in the church? A The first girl had a poem, and she had given that poem which consisted of only three stanzas, and I had just started to give a correction on her method of delivery. Q Then what happened? A I was conscious of an explosion. I don't know what happened. Q Did that throw you down? A No. I was standing leaning over the back of the desk, my hands clasped over the desk. Q Then what did you do after that? A Turned and run in the south entrance of the school. Q Then what did you do? A I helped part of the First Grade, and I broke open the partition and helped out some of the Second Grade. Some had got out. And I noticed some High-School boys there, and then I went on into the Third and Fourth. Q During the time you were in the school building was there considerable dust?. A Yes. When I first went in, you couldn't see at all. Q Where did you go after that? A On through, and started to help throw away where the Third and Fourth Grade was, and I saw some children pinned down under the roof, and I tried to lift the roof off, two or three boys tried and we couldn't move it, and then I thought possibly in the excitement nobody had telephoned any help, so I jumped down from the north end (41) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and went down to the telephone office to make sure all telephone calls had gone through. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck then? A Yes. I encountered him about half way across the yard as I was going to the telephone office. Q Where did he come from? A I don't know. The first I noticed, we was running side by side. Q Did you go to the telephone office together? A Yes, sir, to make sure all the calls were in, all the calls we thought of, and started back to the schoolhouse. Q Did Huyck go back to the schoolhouse with you? A I went about half way, and I turned around, and he went on, and I don't know why I went back to the telephone office. I went back, and I paused there just a moment inside the door, and I heard the Operator talking with Lansing people, heard her verify that everybody was coming that possibly could, and then I went across the street to Mr. Smith's house. Q That would be Frank Smith's house, the Janitor? A Yes. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck over there? A No. I didn't. Q Did you hear he had made arrangements there for beds? A No, I did not. Q Did you stay there? A I stayed there, and out in front, for several minutes helping in cars in putting the injured children into the ambulances, into cars that served as ambulances. Dr. Haynes was there, he know me, and he examined them. Q There was another explosion? A Almost as soon as I got there. In fact, before I did anything at all, the second explosion in the street -- Q That would be after you got back from the telephone office the second time? (42) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Were you in the Smith home at that time? A I had just about reached the walk in front of the home. Q Did you see the Kehoe car there? A I saw several cars. People were driving in, and I didn't notice any particular car. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck out in front? A No, I didn't, Q Or Mr. Glenn Smith? A No, I didn't. Q You didn't notice any of those people in the excitement? A I was across the street, and the cars were between me and them. In fact, I didn't look that way until I heard the flash of the explosion. Q Did you go over where the explosion was then? A No, I didn't. I started to. I realized then, and I heard somebody say that Mr. Huyck was killed, and somebody grabbed onto me and said it was a set job, and they got Mr. Huyck and "They will got you," and I realized there was nothing I could do, and I went on helping with the youngsters there. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck's body afterwards? A No, I didn't. I knew it was there. Q Did you know Mr. Kehoe? A Not well, no. The only occasion I had to meet him was when he gave me my check at the end of the month. Q You never had any conversation with him? A No, very little. Q Did you ever see him up around the schoolhouse? A Occasionally, yes. Q Would that be in the daytime? A Usually. I was very seldom there except when something was going on, and as I think back I don't remember any meetings we were (43) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| ever at. Q In your Judgment, how long was it between the first explosion and the second explosion at the schoolhouse? A It all depends on how long I was working in that First and Second Grade, and I haven't any idea, but I should say possibly 20 minutes and possibly longer, because I have no idea how long I was in the First and Second Grade. Q Between these two explosions did you hear any explosions out to Kehoe's farm? A No. I didn't know the explosion had taken place until after the second. Q Did you know whether the grades were planning on a picnic the next day? A Yes, they were, Q Do you know where they were going on the picnic? A As far as I knew they hadn't definitely planned. I didn't have to plan that for them. All I know, I heard them speaking about it at the table the night before. Q Did some of these teachers board at the same places you did? A Nearly all of us. Q Do you,know whether or not this picnic in the lower Grades was an annual event? A Yes. We have had one since I have been here, the Grades have always had a picnic. Q Do you know of their going out to Kehoe's, and having them in his woods? A It seems to me two years ago they did, but I am not able to verify that. Last year they went north and east of here in the woods. Q Would the Grades get together on them? A There was some fort of a plan, The were to divide. Last year the First and Second went together; and the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth went together, but whether or not there was any such division this year I don't know. (44) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You didn't hear Miss Sterling call up Kehoe's about using his woods? A No, I didn't. Q Or Miss Gutekunst? A No. Q Do you know whether or not Huyck was quite a hand to Work in his office evenings, did he sometimes go to his Office in the evening? A I never was there very much myself, and I don't know for sure, except that I have heard that he did go back occasionally. That is, he would forget something and go back after it, or take something there, so he was running in and out, but so far as I know he didn't work. Q If he did work, could he work without this gasoline engine rurming? A Yes. We had two gasoline lamps. Q Where were they kept? A In the Janitor's room where they kept his supplies. Q And if either one of you did work around there in the evening, you could use one of those lights? A Yes. Q Do you know whether or not for two or three weeks preceding this, whether or not he worked in his office in the evening? A I do not. Q Did you ever see automobiles drive up across the school yard? A They did oocasionally. We were trying to discourage it as much as possible, but they still did it this Spring. Q Have you ever seen automobiles in there at night? A Not to my knowledge, except those that were there for meetings. Q You never saw any car backed up against the school door? A No. Q Do you know whether or not Kehoe worked around there last Fall after school was started? A I don't know as he worked any more than usual. I saw him occasionally, and he was there. He was there working, but I thought (45) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| nothing of it, he was a Board member. Most of his work was in the basement too, and I was upstairs, and while I saw him occasionally, I don't know what he did or exactly when. I do know he was there at times. Q Mr. Huyck wasn't going to stay here next year? A No, he wasn't. Q And you didn't intend to either? A No, sir. Q Did you know of any trouble between Huyck and Kehoe? A I know there was some friction there, but Mr. Huyck wasn't of that type, he wouldn't tell me. He would speak of things the Board expected to buy, office equipment and things like that, but their little difficulties they had, he never said anything to me at all. Q Did you know anything about this north door downstairs being open? A I didn't. I had a key to the south door, and I went in and out that door. To my knowledge, I never have been through that door this year. Q Do you know of their having trouble with it? A Several times we had difficulty locking it, and I waited one night after Parent-Teacher's Association Meeting and helped the Janitor lock it, but I believe that front door was always locked. Q When did you notice it first begin to jamb? A Sometime in the winter. We laid it to ice. We found some ice --- Q Up to that time did it lock all right? A As far as I know it had been locking all right. Q Did Huyck ever speak about that? A About the door not locking? Q Yes? A Yes, he did. Q That did he say? A Only that he was dissatisfied, he didn't feel that the schoolhouse was as secure as it should be. (46) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Do you remember around the 5th of May that the front door wouldn't shut, there had been a jam there, been a pry on it? A No, I don't remember, Q You don't remember talking with Huyck about that? A No. It was in the winter, there had been ice back of the door, and we spoke about it. MR. SEARL: That is all. (Recess)
AFTERNOON SESSION,
Q Your name is George Leonard Harrington? A Yes, sir. Q How old a man are you Mr. Harrington? A I am 58. Q And what is vour occupation? A I am a well driller and plumber. Q You live here in Bath? A All the days of my life. Q And at one time were you janitor of the school building? A I was. Q How long were you janitor? A Ten years. Q When did you cease to be janitor? A Two years ago, and I have done some work off and on since. I was janitor about a week for Mr. Smith when his mother died about four weeks ago. (47) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Before Mr. Smith was janitor who was janitor? A There were two ahead of Mr. Smith, between Mr. Smith and myself, there were two. There was a Mr. Barnhardt. Dewitt Barnhardt had it only one year. No, I am mistaken. I relieved Mr. Barnhardt on the last three months of his term. Q Who else? A Then there was this man from St. Johns, and he was there a couple of months, and then Mr. Smith took his place. Q Your business is drilling wells and plumbing? A Yes. Q You were janitor at the time this now school building was built? A I was. Q And were janitor in the old school building? A Yes. Q Do you know, as a matter of fact, that when the now part was built there was no basement built under the new part? A Yes, sir. Q That was built up just with the walls from the ground? A Yes, sir. Q So there was just a basement under the old part? A Yes, sir. Q Did you ever enter under this new part? A No. You see the plumbing was new. Q No call to go in there? A Never looked in there. Those little doors instead of being on hinges, was with a nail put in it and bent down. Just nailed right in. Q Those doors were about 18 inches square weren't they? A Just about 18 inches square. There were two of them. Q They have been described here by Mr. Smith, you heard him describe them? A I did. (48) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You would say they were in about the same location as he has described them? A The same, yes. Q You went there this morning of the 18th? A I did. Q To do some plumbing there? A Yes, sir. Q Something about fixing their well? A Yes, sir. Q. Who spoke about that to you? A Mr. Detloff, one of the members of the Board. Q The day before? A Yes. As a matter of fact, this well had been bothering them for two or three days, and I had been there and repaired it, and as it developed, we couldn't get any pressure, and it was down in the well more than where we had been working, but this last job that was done on the well Mr. Detloff had seen me and contracted for it the day before. Q So you had prepared the day before to go there and do that? A I was notified so I could get my tools. I started out a little early to get my tools. Q What time did you go to the school building, about the time the school called? A No. When I was eating breakfast at home it was six o'clock Fast Time. Q That would be six o'clock Bath time? A Five o'clock. Q Five o'clock? A Yes. I thought may be they would want this work done before school. Oh, may be I was ten minutes or fifteen eating breakfast, and got right up out of the chair and got right into my car and went over and got my wrenches and collateral and came right back from the lake and drove around in the school yard and around to the (49) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 4 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| back door and unloaded. I shouldn't think it was more than thirty minutes because it is good roads from there and I skipped right along. It wouldn't take me more than five minutes to pick up them tools and come right back Q Was there anybody at the school seen you come there that morning? A Mr. Smith, and as it develops, Mr. Smith and Mr. Detloff and Mr. Kehoe had been there and gone. The reason I know they had been there was because the building was all warm. Q There did come a time when you went back to the school building? A I stayed there. I didn't go away. Q You were waiting for the school to call so you could get at your work, so the children would be out of your way? A Yes. Mr. Smith said to wait, and I hung around there until the school called, and Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Detloff wasn't there that I saw, but they were there while I was over after the rig. Q During the time you were janitor at the school did you know of there being any long hooks at the school, like fish poles, anything like that? A Yes, sir. Q Where were they used? A The boys have got a game of throwing. Q Called javelins? A Javelins. And the boys used them to see who could throw them the farthest. Q Did you have any tools around the building there -- I think you know more about this than I do -- a stick used in the well, a male and female? A We didn't have any around there. Those were used before this new school. Was used in the old school. Q Never been around the new school? A No. Q How long has the new school been built? A Five years. (50) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How long would those pieces be? A About 16 feet. Of course they could very easy be from 12 to 16. Q A female opening on one end and an end that would screw in there? A Yes. Q So the poles would screw together? A Yes. Q And they were used in tubular wells? A Yes. Q Do you know it Mr. Kehoe had any of those? A He took all of those from the school. He was quite a hand for that, if there was a new pole put in he took all the old. Q How long ago was that he took them home? A Just shortly after the new well was completed. Q How long would that be? A During the first year. School started before they got the wall completed. Q Between four and five years ago? A Yes, sir. Q Have you ever seen them out to his place since? A Not until after the fair, I was up there, and I saw several of those connections that I recognized there after the Fair. Q Did you see these at the school after the explosion? A I saw them. The State boys brought them out and wanted to know what they were, and these sticks were cut right in two in the middle. They had been sawed right square in two. Q The ones you saw brought out of the schoolhouse? A All of them. They were all the same length. Q What was the idea in sawing them in two? A The ends of them would bring them to a point, and if he had a square end, what was going ahead of it wouldn't have a chance to slip by it. Give him more of a blunt end. Q How many of those did you say you saw brought out of the school- (51) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| house, or out in the yard? A I should say there were four or five of those pieces, and all of those javelins. Q Now, after you went into the schoolhouse to fix this well, Mr. Smith rang the last bells, the janitor? A Yes. Q And then came down? A Yes, sir. Q And were you in the pump house then? A Yes. Q And then you started your work? A Then we started our work. Q How long did you work there? A I worked, as near as I could guess at it, about ten or fifteen minutes. Q Then an explosion took place? A Yes, something. Yes, it was an explosion. Just what it was then I didn't know, and it was an awful noise. Q Did it knock you down? A It didn't knock me down. I stood about five or six inches from a big heavy wall, and it throwed me up against the wall and back again. Q Then what did you see? A I turned around, and Mr. Smith, I wouldn't say he was down, but was partly down, and was straightening himself up, and he said, " For God's sake, what happened." He started up the stairs, and me right after him. Q And you assisted in getting the children out? A Mr. Smith and myself was in the building after the explosion until after the one on the road. Q You say you were in the building until after the explosion in the road? (52) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. Getting those little fellows out, and we did get them all out that south door. Q Mr, Smith said he went after a telephone pole and some other equipment. Did you go with him? A No, I didn't. I just got out on the grounds there when they struck out across the grounds. Q Did you see these men out in front? A Yes, after they had fell. Yes, I saw them out in front. Q You knew Mr. Huyck the Superintendent? A Yes, I did. Q You saw him there? A I had to take special notice to see who that was, he was in such bad shape. Q You would identify him as Mr. Huyck? A Yes. I identified him by the coat, and he had a big heavy Masonic ring on his hand. Q No question in your mind but what that was him? A Not a bit in the world, and as I was looking around I found a foot and a shoe, and I laid that down by the rest of it. Q What did you do after that? A I looked around for Mr. Glenn Smith and the rest of them there. Q And I presume you assisted in the rescue work there? A Yes, done what I could. Q Did you see Kehoe's car? A Yes. Q Did you see what was left there? A Yes, sir. Q Would you identify that as Mr. Kehoe's car? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe's body? A I did. C Would you identify that as Mr. Kehoe's body? A I would. (53) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q No question in your mind about it? A Not a bit. Q Do you know anything about this front door of the schoolhouse being jammed? A Yes. Q What do you know about that? A The front door, what we could call the hardware to that door, that would be the lock, the hinges and the apparatus that opens it, all comes in a set, and it was a very expensive set. I think the hardware for that door they claim was $75.00. There was a bar that went across each door, if you pushed on it it would open right up and let you out. And it got so it wouldn't work, and the doors got somewhat sprung, I don't mean sprung, I mean shrunk, so there was quite a crack in the center of the door so the catch would hardly come over, and it was a very easy matter to take any little thing and slip that chuck back, that hook back, and walk right in. The children got so expert at it that they wouldn't stop three seconds and walk right in. They could open it quicker than you could with a key. Q Did you ever talk with Mr. Huyck about that? A Yes. Q What did you say about it? A We figured on stopping that by putting an angle on this one and letting it lap over on this one. Q Was that put on? A Yes. Q When? A About a year ago. Q Do you know anything about it being sprung the last few weeks? A I don't think it was. Q You didn't have any talk with Mr. Huyck about it during the last (54) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| six weeks? A No. Not any more than we talked with Mr. Smith about it snapping, locking, and you couldn't unlock it any time during the day. I told him it ought to be fixed, and he said he would fix it. But it bothered for about a year, and I said that was such an expensive lock it ought to be kept in shape. MR. SEARL: Well, you Gentlemen any questions you want to ask. I think that is all Mr. Harrington.
Q What is your name? A Job T. Sleight, Jr. Q Mr. Sleight how old a man are you? A 46 next August, 45 last August. Q Where do you live? A Adjoining the Village, on the northwest of Bath. Q Did you know Andrew Kehoe during his lifetime? A I knew him since he lived here nearly. In the Spring he moved here, but I don't recollect the year. Q That would be about eight years ago? A I think so. And along in the Fall, I had been interested in tractor plowing, and I had never seen them at work and I went over in his field to watch him, and when I got there I told him who I was, that was the first I ever met him, and told him what I went there for, and he was pleased to see me and had me get on the tractor and go across the field. Q You have lived here all your life? (55) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Except 16 years lived in Alma. Q Did you know Andrew Kehoe's wife? A NO. Q You met her? A I must have met her a few weeks -- Q It doesn't matter. A What I was trying to think of, the hogs got out and I met her before I ever saw him. Q During the time Mr. Kehoe was alive would you meet him at social occasions? A Yes, sir. Q He was a man to got out among his neighbors? A Yes, sir. Q And his wife belonged to a Friday afternoon club? A Yes. Q And he went to these? A Yes, sir. Q And sometimes gave speeches, toasts there? A Responded to toasts. Q He was a man that took part in the politics of the community? A Yes. Q Had a political following? A Yes. Q Did you know his stand on taxes? A From what he told me, He said in his estimation the taxes was so excessively high he didn't know what would become of us. Q You had been to different places with him? A Yes. He had been with me. When I would make trips to Lansing I would invite him to go with me. Before he had to take the accommodation because he had no other way to go. Q He was a man that lived within his means? A Yes. (56) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Nothing extravagant? A No. Q I understand he didn't own an automobile until about a year ago? A Not until he was township clerk. Q Maud Detloff was Clerk and she died, and Kehoe was appointed in her place? A Yes. Q He filled in the rest of her term? A Yes. Q And he was beaten in the caucus? A Yes. Q He ran this last caucus for some office? A For Justice of the Peace I think. Q And he was beaten in that? A Yes. Q Did his farm come clear through to your place? A His farm would corner on mine if it wasn't for the highway in between us. Q Did you ever change work with him? A No. Q You had some relatives killed in this accident didn't you? A Yes, sir. Q Who? A I had a nephew's wife killed, Mrs. Hart. Q That would be Mrs. Blanche Hart? A Yes. And Rose Hart's brother's boy, Arthur Hart and Maud Hart's boy, and Lavere Hart's boy, that is a cousin of my wife. Q And before Kehoe had an automobile didn't you use to take him to Lansing on occasions with you? A Yes, I did one time, and sometime in October -- Q Just a minute, we will got to that a little later. You made various trips to Lansing and other places as an accommodation to him? (57) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. Q And after he got an automobile, do you know of him accommodating neighbors in the same way? A Yes. Q Mrs. Rounds, bringing out mild for her? A Yes. Q Did you know of his taking a Bert Smith to Lansing quite often? A Yes. Q This Bert Smith lived a neighbor to you? A Yes, sir. Q And he had some trouble with his eyes so he couldn't drive his own car? A YEs. Q And on different occasions he administered to the community in that way? A Yes. Q I understand you went to Lansitg and brought things out for the school, some engines and something? A Yes, in October 1925, he asked me if I would go to town for him to get some bolts, pipes and fittings, and some range boilers he wanted for mufflers for the engine, and he wanted to know when I could go, and I selected my time according to the weather conditions. So we went up to the Michigan Supply Company and got some pipe fittings, and got two range boilers and brought them up to the school building. Q Now, did you change work with him any? A No. Q Up around his place Somewhere? A No. Not as I ever remember of. Q Kehoe was a man that was a natural mechanic? A Appeared to be to me. He was a skilled mechanic. He had his machinery so he could operate them from his tractor; hiS pointing levers and tilting levers were fixed so he could operate them from (58) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the tractor. Q Had all kinds of tools? A Yes. Q Do you know whether or not he was an electrician? A Yes, he told me he was. Q Did he tell you he had worked as electrician? A Yes, as a lineman. Q That was out in Iowa? A Yes, out in Iowa. Q That was after he graduated from Michigan State College? A Sometime after. Q You use to visit with him on the way to Lansing? A Yes. I remember one time in Lansing we were held up in the driving, and he said, "This isn't much like it was when I went to college here, you could get a street-car anywhere in the block, but now you have to watch and get it on the corner. Q You didn't know of him being insane in any way? A No. Q You knew of his wife being sick? A Yes. Q Were you ever around his home during the last six or eight weeks? A Yes. Q Did you notice any wiring? A Nothing of any kind. I wasn't around the buildings, just in the house. Q When were you there? A Two weeks ago yesterday. Q You were just in the house? A Just around to the back door to call on his wife. Q Was she there? A No. She was staying at her sister's in Lansing. She was taking treatments in the hospital. (59) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 5 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q He didn't buy this automobile until 1926? A That was about the time his time was out as Township Clerk. Q Sometime in the Fall of 1925 he asked you to make a trip to Jackson? A Yes, sir. Q Did he say why? A Yes. Q What did he say? A He called me up one evening, "Would you like to do me a favor and go to Jackson," and I said "I presume I can, maybe I can go soon, I have got to go to town anyway, and I will think it over and let you know." I did, I went to town the next day, and stopped and told him I could go> Q Did you go that day? A No. We made plans when we were going so he could write down to the parties for what he wanted. Q What did he say he wanted? A He said he wanted some pyrotol. Q Explosives? A Yes. He said it Was explosive. He wanted to blast stumps on the west side of his farm. Q Did you know of him dynamiting some on this farm? A Yes. Q And he had dynamited some? A Yes. Q He marked some of the stones? A Yes. He marked all the blown stones with sticks. Q Didn't you know that this pyrotol was put on sale by the government, and could be purchased from farm agencies? A Yes. Q Kehoe worked for the farm bureaus? A Yes. He was very free about working for farm bureaus. He worked free of charge. (60) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q He was going to get this pyrotol from a man in Jackson, from a man by the name of Decker? A Yes. He said he would write to Mr. Decker when he would come there, so he did, and we went, and had a good day for it, and got the pyrotol seven miles northeast of Jackson. Q How much did you get? A Five hundred pounds. Q And that was in ten boxes, fifty pounds to the box? A Yes, sir. Q When you came back what was done with that pyrotol? A We drove to his home and put it in the main barn on the main floor. Q Was anything said about selling it? A Yes. On the way home he said he could sell some of it. He said he wouldn't mind selling it, and he said, "If you know anybody that wants to buy it, they can get it for a little more than I paid for it." Q Did he tell anybody about his having it? A Yes. Q Who? A Harry Barnard. On the way from unloading pyrotol at his home, and I went to the freighthouse to see about a stove I had there, and we loaded it on, Elder Barnard rode on the back, watching the stove. I told Elder, "I haven't been home since morning, I have been down to Jackson, I have been down with Andrew Kehoe to get some pyrotol." And Harry said, "I wish I had know that, I would have sent for some." We unloaded the stove and never thought any more about it. Q Did you tell anybody about it? A Several months after I told Mike Gawn. He said his brother Fred wanted to blast out some stumps. I told him he could get some pyrotol, they called it, from Andrew Kehoe, I went down to (61) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Jackson to get it for him, and he had 500 pounds, and I said maybe he can get it from him, and he said I will tell Frod, and probably he would want to get it there. And a few days after that, I asked him if Fred got his pyrotol from Andrew and he said no he didn't, he called him and couldn't get him, and he went to Lansing for it. Q You don't think he ever got any there? A No. I am quite sure he didn't. I know of Gawn blasting after that for two or three days. Q Do you know of Kehoe blasting after that? A Yes. Very often, one to a time. Q You don't think he used up any quantities? A Not of any quantities, not to amount to anything while I was at home. Q This pyrotol came in square boxes? A Yes, in square boxes. Q And had "Pyrotol" stamped right on the box? A Yes. Q Do you remember numbers being stamped on the boxes? A Yes, I do. Q Would you remember any boxes? A No, I wouldn't. Q Did this farm bureau agent in Jackson say anything about having a whole carload in there? A No, he did not. He asked Andrew how much was left, and he said it was nearly all gone, there was a party there from Perry that got a thousand pounds. Q This pyrotol could be purchased by anyone that wanted to get it? A I understand they were selling it to the farmers. Q There was a lot came into Clinton before that? A I understood there was. Mr. Kehoe said he applied to Mr. Kittle for some, but it was all gone. (62) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you ever have any talk with Mr. Kehoe about this pyrotol? A Shortly after New Years time I was up here on the street and Harry Cushman said, "Say Job, did you hear a dynamite explosion New Years night," and I said, "No, what of it," and he said "Kehoe shot off some New Years night about midnight," and I said, "He was shooting off the old year," and he said, "I guess so, he was out looking the next morning to see if his chimney was on the house." Shortly after, I happened to call in to see Mrs. Kehoe, and she wasn't to home, and my wife was with me, and I happened to think of it, and I said, "I heard you were shooting off dynamite" -- I called it dynamite -- "New Years Eve," and he said "Yese, I thought I would shoot some off, I set some out and wired it up and set it for twelve o'clock." Q Hie told you he had wired it up and set it for twelve o'clock? A Yes. Q Did he say whether it went off? A Yes. He said, "I guess I jarred them up." Q Did he say he was trying to experiment with it, and it worked all right? A I don't remember he did, He just laughed in a kind of cheerful way as he always did. I didn't hear the report. Q Did you ever have any talk with him about dynamite after that? A That was the last time, and the only talk that I can remember of. Q You didn't see the alarm clock? A No. Q You don't know how he had it wired up? A No, I didn't question, didn't know anything about it. Q You never used this dynamite at all? A Never had any experience, only what I seen my father use it. Q You never got any of this pyrotol? A No. Q Did you know of his getting any Giant or Hercules dynamite? (63) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, nothing more than that. Q Any caps? A He got the cap When we was there, four boxes. Q Four boxes of caps in Jackson? A Yes. And Mr. Decker wrapped them up by themselves, and I said, "You don't want those caps any place but in your pocket, and you keep them caps right with us," and he did. Q Were they caps to be set off electrically? A I don't know. I never even saw them. I think they were wrapped up in newspapers. Q Did you ever see any of this dynamite or pyrotol after that around his barns? A No. I never was around his barns very much. I never happened to inquire about it only the time of the explosion New Years. Q You say your wife was with you at the time he spoke of wiring it up? A Yes. Q Was his wife there? A Yes. Q What did his wife say? A I don't know. I don't know as they had knowledge of it. I guess my wife did know. Q Did you ever know of any trouble between Kehoe and his wife? A Not at all. Q On this morning of the 18th, did you hear the explosion at the schoolhouse? A I did. I was in the barn doing some chores. I had a sick headache. I had taken a little cold, I was out all the day in the cold and rain. I had the chores practically done, and my head felt as if I had stopped into a hole, and just then I heard an explosion, and of course I figured then it wasn't all my headache, it must have been the concussion of this explosion and I shut the door and went out in front and looked, and what was on my mind, I thought possibly (64) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the Power Company might be blasting to set poles, and by the time I got out to the door there I happened to think that Mr. Kehoe was blasting over there with pyrotol, so I looked over in his direction. I thought probably he had it in his barn, and it had exploded, and I didn't see anything was disturbed. Q There wasn't any fire? A No. Just then Mrs, Miller came rushing up and said, "Oh, they say the schoolhouse has been blown up," and I said it can't be possible, and just that soon I looked over and Mr. Kehoe's buildings was all in flame, and the big barn was in flames two-thirds the length of it, the sheep barn the smoke was floating up. Q Did you hear any explosions over to Kehoe's place? A Several took place. Q What did it sound like? A Like dynamite, dull thud. It wasn't a sharp crack, but a dull thud. Q Sort of muffled? A Yes. Q Did you see pieces flying up? A No. But there was such a black smoke I couldn't tell. Q Did you come up to the schoolhouse then? A Yes. Q Did you see Kehoe at all? A Just as I got down the road about four or five rods I saw a man, I thought it was Monty EllsWorth, but I saw it was Andrew Kehoe. I couldn't believe it, but there was a man by the name of Homer Jennison, and he hollered to me, "Wasn't that Kehoe," and I said I thought it was. Q Did Kehoe speak to you? A He waved his hand. Q Did you see his face? A Yes, I saw his face. (65) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did he seem to be natural? A I couldn't see very good, but he seemed to be natural. Q He was alone? A Yes. Q And he had this Ford pick-up? A Yes. Q Just like Monty Ellsworth's? A Yes. Q And at that time he was going west? A Yes, sir. Q To go to your house from the schoolhouse you go down here to the end of the road and then turn to the left? A Yes. Q Then how far out? A About 45 rods. Q And you met him about half way between here and the corner of your house? A Yes. Q Homer Jennison was behind you? A Yes, sir. Q He spoke about it being Kehoe? A Yes. Q Was he driving rapidly? A No, I had to get out of the road, and at that time he swung out of the road towards my yard, and I said is it possible he is going to stop in my place. Of course, he was turning out to clear the machine with the load of wheat. Q Were you with your car? A I was on foot. Q Did Homer Jennison overtake you? A Yes, and we stopped and talked. Q And then you came right on in town? Q Yes. I started out ahead by myself, and I got north to the (66) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| corner and Rob Gates and his wife motioned to me to jump on the running-board, and I did, and rode up to the schoolhouse. Q What did you do when you got here? A When I got here I saw some of the children laying out in front of Frank Smith's, and laying on the ground, and I Said to some around there, "What do they seem to be doing," and they said get water, and then of course it came to me that was what to do, and I got a pail and rushed over to where there were two children and I sat the pail of water down and left the water there, and as I was standing there the boy said, "What is the matter with me," he said, "I can't move." I could see him kind of wiggling his shoulder, and he said, "What is on my left hand," and of course I could see his hand was like a pumice, and a big lump on his head nearly the size of your fist, and at that time I left them. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck? A No, I saw his wife. Q There was another explosion at the school yard? A After I got hold of this pail. Q After you got to the school yard? A After I was holding this pail. Q Did you see Andrew Kehoe except that once? A Only on the road. Q What did you do when that second explosion took place? A I was in position where the flash blinded me. I could see a belt of a blaze go the whole length of the automobiles, and it just tossed it along, and it fired the tops as it went along, and I couldn't imagine what was causing it, and I even thought can it be possible anybody is shelling this place. I had read about the shells in the War. Q Did it sound like shells? A I imagined it did, it was such a sharp crash. And everybody was shouting, men and boys, "Come away from there," and the rest (67) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| of us did all leave, and I came up to the sidewalk, and I met Clyde Cushman, and he said come hare and I said what is it, and he said dynamite, and he said they ought to go away until they can investigate it, and I went home, I was sick. Q Then, did you recognize, or didn't you see the body of Kehoe? A Not until I was up here again. Q Did you see his car or anything? A No, no. Q Did you ever notice Kehoe around his yard at shooting practice with a rifle? A No. He had a new rifle. I spoke to him about it once, he had a new rifle. And he took quite an interest in it. He had an old gun of Monty Ellsworth's one day that wasn't much use, and he was showing me that at the shop one day, and he said, "I am going to get a new one, and he showed me the new one, and I was never any hand for a gun, only to shoot sheep dogs or like that, so I handed it right back to him and never thought any more of its. Q Have you any reason to think there was anybody else in this except Mr. Kehoe? A I couldn't think so. I couldn't think there was anybody else in it except Mr. Kehoe. MR. SEARL: That is all.
Q Your full name is Melvin -- A Melville Warden Kyes. Q How old a man are you Mr. Kyes? (68) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Sixty-one. Q And you have been a member of the School Board here for how long? A Four years. Q You have held the position of Secretary how long? A Four years. Q During all the time you have been on the School Board? A Yes, sir. Q Where do you live from Bath? A I live northwest Of Bath on Section 1 of Dewitt. Q How far would that be from Bath? A Possibly five miles. Q During the time you have been on the School Board you have known Andrew Kehoe? A For three years. Q He has been on it for three years? A Yes. Q And during that time you knew him? A Yes, sir. Q And you and Mr. Kehoe had some little trouble, didn't you? A Yes, sir. Q And that was about the school matters, and how the school should be run? A Yes, sir. Q You often differed about the policy of the school? A Yes, sir. Most of the time. Q You never had any trouble with him about the books, or any reason to suspect he was dishonest about the records? A No, sir. Q He was always accurate about that? A Very accurate. Q There was something said about a little difference of 23 cents which was simply a matter of bookkeeping? A Just a small matter of bookkeeping. (69) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 6 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Do you know of Mr. Huyck sitting in on the School Board? A Yes, sir. Q Sitting on the School Board? A Yes. Q And Mr. Kehoe made some trouble about that? A Yes. He didn't think Mr. Huyck should be on the school Board with us. Q Did he show his enmity toward you on these meetings? A Yes, sir. Q Was there an open friction on the School Board between the two of you? A Yes, sir. Q Now, during the time you were on the School Board do you know about his doing work up around the school? A I do. Q And did that cause some trouble between you? A Well, yes, as far as pay was concerned. Q You took the position that a member of the School Board couldn't contract with the School Board for work and things? A I did. Q And you had some trouble with Kehoe about that? A Yes, sir. Q Last summer he did some work around the school? A Yes, sir. Q Do you know when that was? A It was in August. Q What kind of work? A He did some wiring there. Q Do you know of his digging a sewer there? A Yes, sir. Q When was that? A About the same time. Q Was he working there about all of August? (70) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir, and the fore part of September. Would it be necessary to go back to that time? Q You can fix it near enough I guess just by that. There was a resolution passed by the School Board at that time turning over some work to you and Mr. Kehoe, the supervision of some work. When was that? A Mr. Kehoe and I? Q Yes? A It was Mr. Spangler and Mr. Kehoe. I made the motion that Mr. Spangler and Mr. Kehoe look after the repairing of the school property. Q I see. Then you know as a general thing that Spangler didn't do any work around the schoolhouse, but Kehoe went ahead and did the work? A Yes, sir. Q So, in the month of August and before school started he had access to the school building? A Yes, sir. Q And was around there alone? A Yes, sir. Q And nobody would be there with him? A No member of the School Board. Q He often came with his truck? A Yes. He done some of his repairing there. Q And had cement to work with? A Cement and tile, and what he would need. Q I guess there is no question in the Fall in the trouble with the wiring, the Barker-Fowler people did that? A That is what the record shows. That is what his bills show, and what they saids. I wasn't present when Barker and Fowler was there. Q You don't know except what the bills show and what he said? (71) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A All I know, the Barker-Fowler bill came in. Q That did come direct from them? A Yes, that came direct from there, There is a difference of one cent on that bill that he had. Q Did you know of some trouble on the School Board last year, when Kehoe wouldn't sign Huyck's contract? A I do. Q Did he finally sign the contract? A He didn't. Q It never was singed by Kehoe? A No, sir. Q And that was because of something personal between Huyck and Kehoe? A Yes, sir. He didn't want him. Q Huyck, I understand, was quite an advocate of the consolidated school, and Kehoe was against it? A Yes, sir. Q On January 29th, 1927, motion was made to hire a new Superintendent wasn't it? A I wouldn't say, but I think so. There was a motion made the motion is moved by A. Detloff we accept Harry 0. Brandt. Q After that did Huyck and Kehoe seem to get along all right? A Not when I was present, they didn't have much to do with one another. Q You and Kehoe never got along up to the last? A No. Q There was always open friction? A Open friction, yes sir. Q Do you remember being at the schoolhouse about the 5th of May, and finding the front door jammed? A Yes I did, I unlocked and closed it. Q And you had a meeting there, a school meeting? A Yes, sir. (72) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q That was in the evening? A Yes, sir. Q Did you make some examination of the lock there? A I did not. It was dark. At this time I noticed that it had been tampered with. Q Did you say anything to Mr. Huyck about it? A Mr. Huyck wasn't present. Q Did you ever say anything to Mr. Huyck about it? A I never met Mr. Huyck afterwards. Q You never saw anything about Mr. Kehoe to indicate insanity, or anything of that kind? A No, sir. Q You think he was sane all the time you knew him? A I do. Q Did you ever neighbor with him, or go to his farm? A No, sir. I only went to his farm once, and it was -- Q Something on business? A In regard to our school work. Q You had something to do with the Farm Bureau during its operation here in the County? A Yes, sir. I was Vice-President a year. Q And how long ago was that? A About seven years, something like that. I couldn't recall just the time. I know it was about the first of its organization. Q During the last two or three years do you know of the Farm Bureau selling pyrotol around here? A I met Mr. Kittle soliciting for the sale of pyrotol. Q How long ago was that? A Possibly four years. Q You don't know whether any of that was sold to Mr. Kehoe or not? A No, I do not. It was sold to my nearest neighbor, (73) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Who was that? A Mr. Henry Byerly. Q Several of the farmers bought it around here? A So I understood, but he was the only one I knew. Q Where was you when the explosion took place? A I was home painting? Q Did you come right down? A As soon as I could. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe around that day? A No. Q You saw the body? A Yes. Q You identified that body as Mr. Kehoe's? A Yes, sir. Q How did you identify it? A By raising his head up and looking at him. I took Mr. Howell out to have him recognize him. Q Did he recognize him? A Yes, he did. Q Did you see his car? A I did. Q Would you recognize it as his car? A No, the back part was gone. Q Did you ever notice that speedometer on the left wheel? A No, I didn't. You see I never had much to do With Mr. Kehoe. Q You kept away from him and he kept away from you? A Yes, sir. Q Mr. Kehoe wasn't to your farm this Wednesday? A No, sir. Q To go to your place would you go past this farm? A Yes, sir. Q And then when you got to Job Sleight's which way would you go? (74) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A North mile and a half, two miles. Q Were you ever down in the basement of the school? A I was. Q Were you down there last year any? A Yes, sir, several times. Q When was the last time you were down there? A I was down there most every meeting. I couldn't tell exactly when the last time was. Q Did you ever notice anything unusual, or anything to indicate anybody had been tampering around the school? A I did not. I noticed a few things in regard to Mr. Kehoe's actions. We use to enter the north stairs, and I noticed him in going down the steps with his flashlight, and it was spoken about, the engine, and he would be down there looking after it as I supposed, seeing if it was in working condition. Q Would that be after the school meeting? A Yes, nearly at the close of the meeting. Q When was that? A Oh, probably the last two or three months. Q How long would he be down there? A Just a minute or so. Q And then he would come back up and go out? A Yes, sir. Q Did some of the rest of you going down there with him? A Sometimes we did, and sometimes we didn't. I noticed him going down twice alone. Q Did you ever go down with him? A No sir, not alone. Q Who did go down? A Why, I think most of the Board went. Q Did you say how long ago it was that you were last down in the basement? A I think I was down there in Feruary or April. Let's see, in (75) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| April. Q In April? A Yes. Q You didn't see any wiring of any kind then? A No, I didn't see any wiring. You see we had these flashlights, our lights weren't running. Q Do you remember an occasion last Fall when some bees got into the school? A I do. Q And Mr. Kehoe was hired to get them out? A Yes, and I think Mr. Mr Hugget and Mr. Huyck both tried to get rid of them. I know it was talked of. Q Do you know whether he took out any bricks or not to get in there? A No, I couldn't say. I wasn't around there only just at meetings. I was called in there once or twice in the daytime, but I didn't pay any attention to his work. I wasn't taking any interest in that, I wasn't called upon. Q Did you ever hear anything about Kehoe having dynamite to sell out at his place? A Not until after the explosion. Q You have heard it some? A I have heard it some since then, that he had dynamite. Q Do you know anybody that ever bought any off him? A No, I don't. Q Did you hear these explosions out to your place? A I did. Q Can you tell how long it was between the first explosion and the second one? A I couldn't, because my son just got back with his post and my wife called the schoolhouse was afire, and I came right up here. Q When you got here Kehoe had been blown up? A Yes, sir. (76) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q That explosion took place when you were on the way here? A Yes. Q How near was you to Bath when you heard that explosion? A I couldn't say. I don't know as I heard that explosion. MR. SEARL: I think that is all. Do you know of anything that I haven't asked you about? A I don't think so. Those bamboo poles I saw them on his bench when I happened to be there. Q You saw them where? A Laying on his bench. Q At his home? A Here at the schoolhouse. Q Where he was working? A Yes. Q When, last Fall? A Last August. Q That would be the bamboo poles, not the well rods? A Yes. Q Those would be the so-called javelin poles? A Yes, sir. Q Did the School Board buy those for the children? A That was bought I think through the athletic fund. MR. SEAARL: I think that is all, unless you men have some questions.
Q How old are you Harry? A 46 years of age. (77) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You have always lived aroud here in Bath? A How? Q You have always lived around in Bath? A No. I lived in Victor. I was born in Victor, and lived there until about four years ago. I was born, I think, four miles and a half north of the city here, of the village. Q You know Job T. Sleight, Jr.? A Yes, sir. Q Did you know Andrew Kehoe? A Yes, personally knew him. Q How long have you known him, or about how long? A Why, ever since about the time he came in this vicinity. Q Did you ever have any talk with Job Sleight about buying some dynamite from Kehoe? A I did. Q He told us about the time in the Fall of 1925 he met you down here? A He met me down by the depot, and he told me he had an old cook-stove. Q While you were loading the cook-stove, you had some talk with him? A Yes, about going over there and getting some dynamite. He said he got 500 pounds. I was afraid of the stuff, always had been. Q Were you looking to buy some? A No, I didn't care about buying any. He told me, said if I saw anybody that wanted any to tell them. Q Did you ever go to Kehoe's after any dynamite or anything? A No. Q Do you know of anybody that did buy any off him? A Not to my knowledge now. Not that I can ever recall of anyone. Q Have you been to Kehoe's farm? A Yes. I exchanged work with him. Q Exchanged work with him? (78) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A And threshed there when I worked at the Howard Dolton farm. Q Were you around there recently, during the last eight or ten weeks? A No, I haven't been there to my knowledge in four years at least. Q Have you met Kehoe on the street so you would know him? A Yes, but not to have any personal talk with him. About four years ago I think I had a personal talk with him about my boy coming here. Q Where were you when this school blowed up? A Right in front of the drug store here in the Village. Q The first explosion you heard, was here at the schoolhouse? A It was. Q What did you do then? A I had some fishing tackle in my hand, and I run up and set it down at this yellow house across from the schoolhouse, and I run over toward the schoolhouse, and I didn't know whether it was time for school to call and it confused me, and I went around to the west side on the inside and went to rescuing. Q You saw the children? A I recollect the rescuing of two, Q Did vou set Mr. Huyck, the Superintendent? A I did not, not to my knowledge. Q Did you stay up around the schoolhouse at the time of the second explosion? A I had a teacher in my arms when the second explosion took place. Q Where? A On the west side, on the north side of the walk. Q Did you see Andrew Kehoe drive up there? A I didn't. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck? A No. Q Did you see Glenn Smith? A I saw Glenn Smith. (79) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 7 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q He fell over? A He Fell over. I heard the explosion, and my vision caught Glenn Smith at about that angle (indicating), just as he was going over. That was the last I ever saw of him. Q Did you see this acar of Kehoe's afterwards? A I saw what they said was Kehoe's car, what was left of it. Q You didn't know it well enough to identify it? A No. Q Did you hear some talk up around there at that time about there being some dynamite? A Not that I can recall. Q Do you know anything else about this, about the cause of it? A No, I don't know as I could give any oath that I could tell what was the cause of it, William. MR. SEARL: That is all, unless you men have some questions. A JUROR: Were you around the school yard when they took the dynamite out of the schoolhouse? A No, I didn't see any dynamite, and I didn't see anyone that took any out. A JUROR: How long from the first charge was it before his buildings was afire? A As near as I can recall, when I was coming here from the depot, I must have heard an explosion, but I can't refresh it to my mind enough so I can give evidence to it, but I looked that way. I saw that smoke, and thought it was where his buildings would be because it was coming up real high, and I couldn't say I could have heard any report but these two, the first one and the last one, or we hope it is the last one. MR. SEARL: Anything else, gentlemen? (80) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q Mr. Hiatt, how old a man are you? A Twenty-five. Q And where do you live? A I live in Lansing. Q And you are in charge of the Standard Oil Station here in Bath? A Yes, sir. Q And how long have you been here in charge of that? A Well, I have worked here five years the 3rd day of this coming August. Q You were acquainted with Mr. Andrew Kehoe? A Done business with him. Q Delivered gasoline to his place? A Yes, sir. Q Know where he lives? A Yes, sir. Q When was the last time you delivered gasoline to his house? A May 10th. Q How much then? A Eighty gallons and 118 gallons of kerosene. Q Was that put in drums some place? A Yes, right there in the tool shed. Q At the time you were there did he have kerosene on hand? A Oh, two tanks had 110 and I filled them up and he had 30 on hand. Q Did he have any gasoline on hand. A About 10 gallons. He had 135 gallon storage, and I put in 100, and he had about 20 gallons. Q About 20 gallons on hand. In your business dealings with him you never had any trouble with him. (81) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, Sir. Q Always paid you for his gasoline? A Yes, sir. Q When he got it? A When he got it. Q When you were there last did you notice any wiring there? A No, sir, I didn't notice anything out of the way. Q How did he act, perfectly natural? A Yes. That is, he did and he didn't. I didn't give it a thought when I was there. He kind of sat there when I was filling up his tanks, and he saw a pheasant going across the fields, and he said he wished he had his gun there, he would get it. That is all he said about it. I asked about his wife. Q Do you think you would have noticed it if there had been any wiring there? A Yes, I was familiar with the place, and I probably would have noticed it. Q It was true that the Consumers Power was coming in here? A Yes, sir. Q It wasn't anything uncommon for people to wire their buildings, there might have been and you not noticed it? A I didn't notice any. Q Did you see anything to indicate insanity on Mr. Kehoe's part? A No. Q That was the last time you were there? A That is the last time I was there. Q Were you in the habit of filling these tanks every time you went there? A I was in the Spring of the year. He always bought gasoline for his car on the average of once a mouth. Q Do you know when he bought kerosene before this? A Not since last summer. (82) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q He hasn't been running his tractor to need it? A No. Q Do you know when he bought gasoline before that? A Probably about the last part of March. Q When this explosion took place at the schoolhouse were you here in front? A I was right at the warehouse down there. Q And where is the warehouse, just west of the tracks? A Just west of the tracks. Q On the north side of the road? A Yes, sir. Q Did you hear any explosion before the explosion at the schoolhouse? A No, sir. Q Do you think if there had been an explosion at the Kehoe farm, do you think you would have heard it? A If it had been very loud. Q You were at your station? A I was there at the warehouse, or at the blacksmith shop. Q But when you heard this explosion you were at the warehouse? A Yes, sir. Q what did you do then? A I locked up and went right up. Q When did you see Andrew Kehloe before that? A I don't know whether it was that morning or the day before, I saw him mail that package. Q You saw him mail a box? A I saw him mail a box. Q About what time in the morning was that? A Probably around 7:30 railroad time. Q And when you got up to the schoolhouse what did see up there? A Just saw the wrecked building is all, and kids screaming. (83) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q The general conditions as has been described here? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck any place? A I saw him coming off that back lean-to roof down a ladder. Q Did you see him after that at all? A I saw him going around in front, that was the last I saw of him. Q Did you see Glenn Smith, the postmaster? A Yes, sir. Q Where did you see him? A Right on the sidewalk. Q Out in front? A Out in front. Q Did you see Mr. McFarren there? A No, sir. Q Or this woman along there? A No, sir. Q There was a second explosion at the schoolhouse? A Yes, sir. Q About how long after the first one? A It wasn't over twelve or fifteen minutes. Q What were you doing in the meantime? A They called for help to prop up the front arch so to keep it from tumbling, and I run out to help them, and I was in about 40 feet of his car when it exploded. Q When it exploded did you look out in front? A I looked and saw the postmaster fall. Q Saw Glenn Smith fall? A Yes, sir. Q Rolled down this embankment? A He was on the sidewalk, and he fell and started to get up. Where he was later I don't know, because I went away. Q You went away? (84) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I went to a safe distance, because I thought there might be some more explosions. Q Did you hear about dynamite? A Yes. Q What did you hear about dynamite? A I don't recall, just that somebody said the school was full of it. Q And you got out of the way? A I got out of the way. It wasn't long after that they made them all get back until they were sure it was safe. Q Was that after the State Police came? A I don't know whether it was or not. Q Do you know what kind of a car Andrew Kehoe drove? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see this wrecked car out in front? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see anything by which you could identify this car as his? A Nothing, only he had this hub speedometer. Q Did you see Glenn Smith, the postmaster, any after the explosion? A No. Q Did you se Mr. Huyck after the explosion? A No. Q Do you know anything more about this? A Only what I have heard. Q You haven't any reason to believe there anybody else in this? A No, I haven't. Mr. SEARL: I think that is all. These jurors may have a question. I guess not. That is all. (85) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q Mr. Howell, how old a man are you? A 61. Q And you live a little west of Bath do you not? A Yes, sir. Q How far west? A Oh, possibly a mile and a quarter. Q And what section do you live on? A 19. Q To go to your farm from Bath, you would go south to the edge of town and then straight west? A Yes, sir. Q And David Hart lives to the east of you? A Yes, sir. Q Joins farms with you? A Yes. Q Lafayette Rounds lives west of you? A Yes. Q And Andrew Kehoe lived across the road from Harts, didn't he? A Yes, sir. Q Just about straight across the road? A Yes, almost direct. Q How long have you lived in your present location? A Nine years last March, lst of March. Q Where did you live before that? A Ovid Township, Clinton County. Q And Mr. Kehoe moved in where he lived about eight years ago? A About one year later. Q And you have known him since then? A Yes, more or less. (86) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And neighbored back and forth with him? A Yes, sir. Q And he neighbored with other neighbors? A Did he neighbor with other neighbors? Q Yes? A Yes. Q Did he neighbor with the Rounds? A Yes, and the Armstrongs. Q Where did Armstrongs live from you? A The next farm west of me. Q The next farm west of you? A Aha. Q Now, you have been down around Mr. Kehoe's house some; that is, during the last six weeks or so? A Oh, yes, yes. Q You and your wife have been down there some? A Not together, My wife and son was down there about two weeks ago, somewhere about that time, I don't know just when. Q You and your wife use to go down there off and on? A Oh, yes. Q And did you continue to be good friends with Kehoe right up to the last? A As far as I know, unless there was some feeling with him. Q Did you have any trouble with him at any time? A Never, at any time. Q I heard something somewheres about your having some trouble with him last Fall over his beans, about you went down there to help harvest his beans and he didn't want you to? A Melvin Armstrong went down there one evening, and he declined our offer, but there was no friction as far as I know, I didn't realize any if there was. Q When do you think was the last time you were down to his house prior to this explosion? (87) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Two weeks ago yesterday, I wasn't in the house, but I was there in his yard. Q Did you go there on business of some kind, or call on him? A Yes, sir, on business. Q What business did you have there? A He was going up to see his wife, which he did most every day, and we had a little offer to send up to her, was what it was. If you wish to know what it was, it was asparagus. Q His wife was sickly? A Yes, sir. Q She had been away from home more or les since last October? A A greater part of the time. Q And he has lived alone there the most of that time? A Yes, as far as I saw he did, when I was there anyway. Q Would you go down to see him when he was alone, would you be in and around the house? A Possibly I was there once or twice, I was there when he was alone. Q You didn't notice anything unusual? A Not anything that had been misplaced. I noticed a difference in him. Q You did notice a difference in him? A Oh, yes. Q When did you first notice that? A Possibly three months ago. Q What did you notice that was different? A Well, he was cooler than he had been before; that is, he wasn't talkative. Q Your friendship ceased then? A Yes. His mind seemed to be occupied by something else besides neighborhood talk. Q At that time you were down there two weeks ago yesterday did (88) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| you notice any wiring around his buildings? A I didn't that time. In fact, I didn't at all. Q There was a time when your son called your attention to it? A Yes. Q That was about ten days before this explosion?. A Such a matter as that, I can't just remember, I think it was the week before the explosion, sometime during the week. He was down here to Bath with the team and het was going home, driving slow and he noticed it. Q And came home and told you? A Yes, sir. Q Did you think anything about that, mistrust anything about that? A The boy asked me what I supposed it was for, and I told him he probably expected to link up with the Consumers Power Company when they came in here. Q The Consumers Power was coming in here to Bath? A They expected to. Q You didn't think it anything unusual for a man to wire his buildings? A No, I didn't. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe around there any during the last two or three weeks? A Not in the last two or three weeks. Q Had she been home much before that? A She was home at one time for possibly -- now, I can't remember just how long she was there. I was down there once when she was home, just to make a neighborly call and see how she was. Q How long ago was that? A I don't recall just how long ago it was. I should judge it was six weeks ago, possibly two months, but I don't think it was quite that. Well, I wouldn't be positive what time. Q Did you notice last year that Mr. Kehoe along in the Fall of the year seemed to neglect his farming? (89) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 8 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A He neglected it from the time he put the corn in. Q From the time he put the corn in? A Yes, I don't think he worked it very much. Q Did he harvest any crops after that? A I don't think he harvested a crop. He didn't harvest the corn or the beans. He may have harvested his beans, I wasn't home much in the daytime. Q You were away in the daytime of this last year? A Yes, sir. Q Where were you working? A In Lansing. Q You just came home nights? A Came home nights. Q You did know he was a man that was mechanically inclined? A I do. Q Did you take things down for him to fix for you? A Several times, small things. Q And did you know of other neighbors bringing things in for him to fix? A Yes. Q And would several of the neighbors do that? A I don't know as there was very many. I know of two. Q Who were they? A Melvin Hafelin and Bert Armstrong. Q Do you know of Bert Smith taking some things down there? A No, I do not. Q He was always handy in fixing things up like that? A He certainly was. Q He had a lot of tools? A He had every tool in the blacksmith line you could think of. Q Would you say he was a good neiehbor? A Yes, he was. (90) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Right up to the last? A Yes, right up to the last, but, as I said he acted a little cool, as if his mind was preoccupied. Q There did come a time when you saw there was wiring on the buildings? A No, I didn't. I didn't happen to be down by there after he had the wiring done. If I was I didn't notice the wiring, I didn't see it. Q On this day of the 18th, the day of the explosion, you were working in your yard? A Yes, sir. Q And who were with you? A My two boys and young Armstrong. Q What is your boys names? A S. Robb and Alden P. Q Are they your own boys? A S. Robb is. Q And this Melvin Armstrong is a neighbor boy? A Yes. Lives on this first farm west. Q How old a boy is he? A About 28. Q From where you were working in the yard could you see Mr. Kehoe's buildings? A Very plain. Q You did hear an explosion there? A Yes, sir. Q As you were working there? A. Yes, sir. Q Do you know whether that explosion came from his buildings or from the school? A I am positive it came from the school, because It was just in the direction of the school, and I mentioned it to the boys at the (91) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| time, I said, "That is about in the direction of the school." Q You spoke to the boys about that? A Yes, as they were standing there. Q Did any of them say anything to you? A One of them said possibly the boiler has exploded. Q You thought the boiler had exploded then? A Yes. Q Did you see anything down to Kehoe's place at that time? A Well, just possibly a minute and a half after that we heard an explosion there, not a very loud one, like a heavily-charged firearm being discharged. Q And did you get in yolir car, or somebody's car and come down toward Kehoe's? A Yes, sir. Q Did you do that before the explosion at Kehoe's place or afterwards? A Afterwards. Q You saw the fire down there? A Saw the smoke. Q Where did you see the smoke? A Coming from the north barn the first I saw of it. Q And then did all four of you get in the car? A Yes, sir. Q Whose car was that? A Melvin Armstrong's. Q Did you have any other talk before you got there? A We saw Mr. Kehoe, we supposed it was, running from the house toward the barn just before. Q Did he have anything with him? A Not that I could see. Q You would have seen it if he had had anything in his hands or arms? (92) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Anything of any size, anyway. Q When you got down to the Kehoe farm the buildings were all ablaze? A Yes, they were blazing more or less. Q Armstrong drove down by? A Yes, he drove down by Mr. Cushman's place. Q Did you and the boys get out of the car when you got there? A Yes, sir. Q You got out when Mr. Armstrong drove by. A He came to a pause, and I advised him to drive on by there because his machine might get afire because the wind was in the north. Q When you got in the yard where you see Mr. Kehoe? A Out between the corn-crib and the barn, or the tile tool and the barm. Q The house was nearest the road? A Yes, sir. Q And the driveway went on the west side of the house? A Yes, sir. Q And then there was a tool shed and some other buildings in the rear? A 0h, yes, all the barn buildings were in the rear of the house. Q And what do you call the barn thsy was behind his house? A Directly behind it? Q Yes? A That was the large barn. I think the dimensions were 40 x 80. It was 80 feet long, and I don't know about the width, but I think that was about 40. Q That was what he called his stock barn? A Yes, sir. Q And north of that and east was another barn? A Yes, sir. Q How large was that? (93) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A About 30 x 60. Q And west and south of that was a tool shed? A There was a tool shed west and south of the north barn. Q And how large was that? A I should judge about 20 x 80 feet. Q There was some other buildings in there? A A double corn-crib with a driveway in between. Q And didn't that set between this tool shed and this sbeep barn? A Yes, sir. Q The main barn that you spoke of, that run which way? A North and south. Q And the sheep barn run which way? A East and west. Q And the tool Shed run which way? A East and west. Q And which way did the corn-crib run? A North and south. Q And then there was a chicken coop off to the east? A Between the house and the large barn, only to the east of it. Q And this house and the farm barns were all relatively large buildings? A Ohm yes. I might mention there was a hog house between the house and the main barn and a little to the east that he used the last two years for a shop. Q That was where he had his tools? A Yes, sir. Q When you got down there were all these buildings ablaze except the hen-coop? A Every one I think. Q And when you saw him out by the barns there, what was he doing? A He was in his little truck, Ford truck. Q He had a Ford pick-up, a little Ford truck? A Possibly you would call it that. (94) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Was he doing anything? A He was sitting in the seat. Q Was he backing up? A Possibly. The smoke was so thick it wasn't so discernible as it might be. Q Did he come up to the house? A He drove up that way. Q Did you see him have a funnel in his hands? A I didn't, one of the boys said he did. Q When he got opposite to you did he stop his car? A Yes, sir. Q Which side of the driveway were you standing? A East side. Q What did he say to you? A "Boys", he said, "You are my friends, you better get out of her," he said, "You better go down to the school." That was all he said that I remember of. Q What did you say to him? A I said all right. I knew when he gave that warning possibly there might be something doing. Q How did he look when he said that? A Rather wild eyed. Q Was his face white or not? A No, I wouldn't say that it was. Q Did you notice that he looked peculiar, or anything? A I saw he looked wild eyed, and as if he was excited. Q He was well dressed at that time? A I don't remember what kind of clothes he had on at all. Q There was nobody else with him in the car, he was all alone in the car? A All alone. Q And what did you do, did you get out of there or not? A We run for the road. (95) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You ran for the road? A Yes, sir. Q All three of you? A Yes, sir. Q When you got in the road what did you do? A We started east. Q Up to that time did you hear any explosions in the buildings? A I don't remember of it. Q He hadn't taken out any furniture or anything out of the house had he? A Not that I noticed. I am almost sure that he hadn't. Q And did you run down the road to the eest or walk? A Oh, we walked after we got on the highway. Q Did he go out ahead of you, or you ahead of him? A No, we went out ahead of him. He drove out behind us after we went out. Q Did he pass you on the road? A Yes. Q Where were you when he passed you? A Oh, to the east of the house possibly eight or ten rods. Q Did he say anything to you when he went by? A Not a word. Q How was he driving, fast or slow, or how? A Just a moderate rate of speed as I remember it. Q What did you do then? A We walked on down until we met Melvin Armstrong. He was going west from where his car was parked and we told him what Kehoe told us, we better get out of there, and we stopped and looked back at the buildings a little while, I rather think we did, and then we continued on down to his car, which was parked in Harry Cushman's driveway. Q And then you came on in to the school? A Came on in to the school. (96) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And did you hear another explosion before you came on in to the school? A No, sir. Q You didn't? A No, sir. Q Where were you when this last explosion took place? A Helping them get out bodies at the schoolhouse. Q Did you see Kehoe when you drove in there? A No, I didn't. I didn't see Kehoe from the time he passed us on the road near the buildings, until I saw his body lying in Mrs. Smith's yard. Q You didn't catch up with him? A No. He had a chance to got a long way ahead of us. Q And when you drove in, you went up into the school yard and helped getting out the bodies of the children? A Yes, sir. Q And did Armstrong and the boys? A I don't know whether Armstrong did or not, the boys did. He had to park his machine, and we jumped out and ran toward the school. I don't know where he parked his machine. Q What kind of a machine has Armstrong? A About 1921 Dodge Touring. I wouldn't be positive about the model, but a Dodge Touring. Q Do you drive a car of your own? A Yes, sir. Q How did you happen to drive Armstrong's that day? A I didn't drive it. Armstrong was there at my place, and he drove his own car. Q Have you a car of your own that you drive? A Yes. Q What kind? A Ford Coupe. Q Ford Coupe. And it isn't one like that Kehoe had, with the (97) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| truck body behind? A Oh, no. Q That is the only car you have got? A Yes, the only one I have got of my own. Q And when you got to the schoolhouse where were you when you heard the explosion, up in front or behind, or where? A I was on the west side, just north of the archway there possibly 20 or 25 feet. Q And what did you do then, did you go out in front? Q I stood up and took notice that was the first thing. Q Then what did you do? A Continued to work again after we looked around a little while. Q Did you go out in front to examine? A Not at that time. Q Later on you did go out in front there? A Oh, yes. Q And you say this body over in Mrs. Smith's yard that you identified as Kehoe's? A Yes. Q You identified it as Kehoe's body? A Yes, sir. Q No question? A Not in my mind. Q How did you identify it? A By the face. Q You saw the face? A The face was intact so I could identify it. Q And his hair? A And his hair. That was one peculiar mark about it, the way he wore his hair, we often noticed it when he was alive. Q You were familiar with his car, you know what kind of a car he drove? A I knew what kind of a car he drove. (98) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Could you identify that car there as his car? A Identified the speedometer on the front wheel as his. Q You would identify it by that? A That was all I could identify it by, because most Fords are alike of that years make. Q You didn't see him come up, come around any time after that? A No, I didn't see him after. Q You don't know whether he continued on down town ahead of you, or came in behind you? A I don't know anything about that. Q How long do you think it was between the first and second explosion at the schoolhouse? A I should judge somewheres between half and three-quarters of an hour. Of course, I was working, but it seemed that long. Q How long do you think it was before the explosion at the schoolhouse the buildings caught fire? A I should say less than three minutes. Q You say the sheep barn caught fire first? A I noticed the smoke shooting from there first. Q When you went in his yard did you see anything in the back of his truck? A No, I didn't. I don't know as I looked in the back, I was was watching him. Q Did you se anything in the front of it? A No, because he got out on the opposite side of where we were standing, and I think the curtain was on the east side. Q Did he get out and come around where you were? A He got out first and went to his gas tank opening Where they fill it in the cowl there, and the first I remember of noticing -- at that time was watching the fire part of the time -- he was peeping down into it, looking into it, and he raised his head up and took the screw-cap and screwed it back in rather deliberately. (99) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 9 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and walked around his machine to where we were, didn't appear to be in a hurry Q Didn't say anything to you all that time? A Not until he got to where we were. Q Where was it he was looking at his gasoline, down by the sheds? A No, up where we were. Q Did you se a rifle in the car? A No, I didn't see a thing. Q Do you think there was a rifle in the car, do you think there could have been one there and you not see it? A Oh, yes, it could be in there and I not see it. Q You were so excited then? A I presume I was excited. Understand we were possibly 25 or 30 feet from him. He wasn't up near us; that is, the machine wasn't. Q And did you notice any shells around there any place? A No, I did not. Q He was quite a man to shoot with a rifle? A Yes, quite. Q You would see him shooting out around his place there some? A I have heard him different times. Q You knew he had a high-powered rifle? A Yes, sir. Q And he had some other guns around his place, revolver and things? A I never saw a revolver. Q What other kind of guns, shotgun? A I think it was a shotgun. Q Did Kehoe ever talk With you about the school matters here? A Yes. Q And he was generally disgusted with the way the things were run? A Oh, well at times. Q About taxes being too high? A Yes. (100) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did he say the school was costing him a dollar a day for taxes? A Never heard him say such a thing. Q Have you heard him talk about Mr. Huyck, the Superintendent? A Yes, I have heard him talk about Mr. Huyck. Q Complain about the consolidated school? A Yes, to a certain extent. Q What do you mean by a certain extent? A Well, he wasn't so very rabid about it, if that is what you mean. Q You have heard some others in the Township complain about it? A I certainly have. Q Did you make some complaint about it? A Yes. Q That was on account of high taxes was it? A Yes, sir. Q Did he talk with you any about Mr. Kyes, the Secretary of the School Board? A Oh, once in a while we would talk the whole of them over. Q Kind of hashed them all over the coals? A I don't know as we hashed them all over the coals, but we naturally talked about the School Board if we were talking about it. Q I mean about the expense of it? A Yes, about the expense. Q Did you know about his doing work up to the school? A I saw him working there I don't know just how much, but I have heard of him being there to work a great deal more than I saw him. Q When did you begin to realize up here to the school Kehoe was the one that had done that, or had suspected? A Why, I didn't suspect, I didn't think until I saw his body or his machine. I saw the machine, and I made up my mind that was what -- that was his machine. (101) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Were you sure that was his body right from the first? A No, not from the first, because I didn't lift the face for a while. Q You doubted it for a time? A I did for a time. After a time I lifted the face and then was convinced it was Kehoe. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe's body the next day around the sheds there? A The one that was supposed to be hers. Q Were you around there any Wednesday? A No. I wasn't Wednesda evening around the tool shed. Wednesday evening I don't think I went any further back than just the house. Q Were there many people around there Wednesday evening? A Quite a number. Q Mostly up around the house? A Well, yes, mostly. The greater portion of them were. Q You saw where this body was found? A Yes, I presume I was there by it two minutes after it was found, because the man that found it waved his hand to the crowd up by the house, and called them to come down there, and several others ran over there. Q You saw what was the remains of a hog car? A Hog chute. Q And you had made that hog chute? A No, sir. I gave Mr. Kehoe the wheels, and he made the chute himself, I suppose, as far as I know. Q And do you know how long that chute was? A I should judge seven or eight feet. Q And it was built so that the wheels could be moved along the chute, wasn't it? A Yes, sir, to adjust the heigth. Q And about how wide was it, do you know? A Possibly two feet and a half. (102) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And it had sides on it? A Yes. Q How high were the sides? A Oh, I don't just remember, two foot and a half, three feet. Q And was that all made of 2 x 4 stuff? A Not as I remember. Q I mean two-inch stuff? A Not as I remember. Q What was it made of? A The cross-pieces were possibly made of 2 x 4, and possibly some of the upright. His slats along the side was inch stuff. Q What was the floor made of? A I think inch stuff. Q And was it braced in some way? A It had braces along the bottom, in under it. Q Was there any iron braces used in it? A Not to my knowledge. Q These were adjustable wheels that could be easily taken apart? A They could be taken from in under it. Q That is what I mean, so they could be separated from it? A Yes. Q You saw the body there the next morning as it lay there, you said? A Yes. Q Have you any reason to think that Kehoe killed his wife? A I don't know what to think, because I know nothing of it. Q What do you think about that body being out behind there? A My supposition -- or I formed an idea that he carried the body there after she was dead, thinking that the neighbors might possibly find it, because it wasn't hidden back farther from a building, and the intense heat of the buildings burning had ignited this chute and burned there. Now, that is only supposition, I know (103) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| nothing about it. Q That is only what you suppose? A Yes. Q Did you notice any evidence of oil on this chute? A No. Q Or any evidence of oil on the wood? A No, sir. Q Kerosene oil? A I didn't. Q Do you think he poured kerosene oil on there to make it burn? A I know nothing of it. Q From where you was on the morning, could you see that body from where you were standing? A No, sir. Q The buildings would be in the way? A The corn-crib would be. Q That body was west of the corn-crib a little? A Yes. Q And north of the tool shed? A North of the tool shed, but not north of the tool shed from where we were standing, about straight north of the east end of the tool shed. Q Well, you don't know, when you say you think he might have killed her before she was taken out there, you are just guessing at that? A I am just guessing at that. I haven't been around Kehoe's for two weeks, or Sunday it would be a week and three days I hadn't been near to his farm, previous to the day we ran in there the buildings were afire. Q You didn't see her around there at all? A I didn't see her around there alive. Q Do you go by Kehoe's on your way home? A No, sir. (104) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You come in from the west? A Come in from the west. Q Your best recollection was there was a light down there about nine o'clock the night before? A I rather think there was, I wouldn't be positive of it. Q You heard about this time clock in the schoolhouse? A Yes, I heard there was a time clock in the school. Q Have you any reason to think he set that to go off at some other time then when it went off? A No, I haven't, only that it didn't fire the whole thing, it made me think possibly it might have played him a trick. Q Because the whole thing didn't go up at once? A Yes. Q You thought possibly the clock played a trick on him? A Yes, sir. Q Do you think he meant it to go off the night before? A That was my idea. Q During the School Board meeting the night before? A There wasn't any School Board meeting. Q There was a Parent-Teachers meeting there the night before? A Yes, sir. Q You thought he intended it to go off then? A Yes. Q Why do you think that? A Because he had no enmity toward the children, and I thought possibly he might have toward the people. In fact I never know him to have any hatred, be vindictive, but after the thing was blowed up, I made up my mind he must have had a hatred, and thought possibly -- Q Do you kriow of any reason why he should have killed the children? A No, I don't know of any reason whatever. He was fond of children as far as I knew. He didn't have children of his own. (105) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Never had had as far as you know? A Not as far as I krow. Q You had seen him drive out of his place nights there some? A No, I don't know I saw him drive out of his place nights. Q Or in evenings? A Yes, in the evenings. Q From Lansing? A He went west somewhere, I don't know where he went, I suppose on account of his wife. Q Did you ever see him on top of his buildings working there or anything of that kind? A No, I didn't. A JUROR: Did you ever notice any of the young trees being girdled? A The night after the fire. A JUROR: Not before? A No, sir. A JUROR: Was this chute that Mrs. Kehoe laid in, was that burned up? A Yes. A JUROR: Did you notice any of the wire fences being cut? A I surely did. Q How long before that fire? A Not until after the fire. Q Did you see this sign on the fence, Mr. Howell, "Criminals are made not born." A I did not. I heard of it the evening of the fire. MR. SEARL: Any other questions. I think that is all. (106) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q Are you the son of Sidney J. Howell? A Yes, sir. Q How old are you? A Eighteen. Q And have you always lived with your father on the farm there? A Yes. Well, last winter for about four months I boarded in Lansing. Q You knew Mr. Kehoe? A Yes. Q Worked down there at his place some? A I never worked there except when Andrew was drawing manure several years ago. Q And you have been down around his house some? A Often been there, yes. Q You have often been there? A Yes, sir. Q You know about his having a rifle? A Yes. Q And that was what kind of a rifle? A It was a Winchester Model 54, bolt action, I think not less than '25 or '26. It was chambered for 30 caliber Springfield 1906 cartridges. Q You saw some of the cartridges that were picked up in the street afterwards? A Not to my knowledge. Q Some were shown the other day to you? A Yes. I don't know where they came from. Q You identify them as fitting that gun? A Yes. (107) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You know of his having a revolver? A He told me he had got a revolver. Q You saw some shells here the other day, some 38 caliber shells? A Yes, sir. Q You identified them as shells that would fit a 38 revolver? A Yes. Q Did you se him at different times shooting at a mark? A With which gun? Q With the rifle? A Yes. Q On his farm? A Yes. Q And did you ever see him shoot birds and things with it? A No. Q Did you ever see him hunt with it? A No, I never saw him hunt with the rifle. Q He showed that rifle to you last Fall? A Yes. Q Explained its action and how it worked? A Yes. Q Did you ever see a quantity of shells for it? A He had two boxes. They come 20 to the box, and neither of the boxes were full. Q That is all you saw around there? A Yes. Q Was he a man that done a lot of shooting? A He done considerable. Not any more than I do. Q You noticed that wiring on the house? A No. Q Was that another brother of yours noticed that? A Yes. Q Did you ever notice it on his house at all? A No. (108) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q When was the last time you were down there? A About two weeks ago, somewhere along the latter part of the week, I don't know whether it was Thursday or Friday night. Q What did you go down there on that occasion for? A It was a letter that I wanted a notary to sign, and Mr. Kehoe didn't have the seal, and he wouldn't sign it for me. Q He was a notary public! A Yes. Q Had a commission as notary public? A Yes. Q And you had gone down something about that? A Yes, sir. Q And were you in the house at that time? A I was in the house, in the dining room. Q Did you notice anything unusual in the house at that time? A Nothing unusual except his table was covered with books. I saw several books you would tear out, like writing books and check books, and they looked like journals and ledgers. Q Did you ever see the school books? A No. Q It might have been the district school books? A Possibly so. Q Did you notice anything else around the house unusual in any way? A No. Q How was he, as natural as ever? A Not quite as natural as ever. He seemed to try to entertain us, but I don't know, he seemed preoccupied. Q Who was with you on that occasion? A My mother. Q And that was the last time you were there? A That was the last time I was there, yes. Q Now, this Monday before Wednesday, that would be Monday the (109) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 0 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| 16th, you saw him coming home from Lansing? A Yes, sir. Q And that was sometime in the evening? A Yes. I should say 15 or 20 minutes before dark. Q He passed you in his car? A Yes. Q And there was some lady in the car? A As he came up alongside me he blew his horn, and I saw it was Mr. Kehoe, and as he went by I could look in the back vindow and saw a lady's hat. Q Do you know Whether that was Mrs. Kehoe or not? A No, all I saw was the hat. Q Did you recognize it as her hat? A No. Q Where was that? A West of our place. Q On the morning of this explosion, I understand you were working with your father there in the yard? A Yes. Q Which explosion did you hear first? A One apparently down town here. Q And was there some talk between you about it being down to the schoolhouse? A Yes. The only thing we could think of was it being the boiler in tho school. Q Who spoke about that? A I think I spoke about it being the boiler. Q Had there been some talk about it, about the boiler might explode? A Yes. Q That was the only thing you could think of was it! A Yes. Q What else was said between you? (110) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We must have stood there a couple of minutes, and then we saw kind of a haze raising down by the school, and we could see the chimney and a portion of the roof standing, and we didn't see anything to realize it was blown up. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe's buildings then? A In perhaps a minute, two minutes we heard a small explosion at the Kehoe farm, nothing near so loud as the explosion at the school, it was more like a high-powered rifle. A little afterward we saw smoke roll from the sheep barn, and then we saw smoke coming from them all. Q Did they all appear to go at the same time? A Practically the same time. Q Did you see Kehoe around there at that time? A As soon as we saw the flame from the sheep barn we started to run toward this automobile, and I rode on the fender, and I looked up and I could see Mr. Kehoe run down the slope from the houses toward his other buildings. Q Do you know where his car was at the time? A No, I don't know where his car was. Q Did you drive rapidly down to his place? A I should say 35 to 40 miles an hour, as fast as we could gather speed. Q When you got down there, Armstrong went on? A Armstrong slowed tip just a little east of Kehoe's, and I jumped off, and I think the rest did, and Melvin took his car on east. Q And then what did you do? A I ran up toward Kehoe's house until I was half way in the yard, and there was such clouds along the buildings, and I turned back to see if I could get in the house, and as I looked in the upstairs windows there was flames coming out of the windows, and no flames outside, but the inside just a mass of flames. And as I stood there trying to look into the smoke my brother and father came there and stood with me. (111) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you see Kehoe when you got down to the farm? A As I stood there I heard a Ford, and in a few minutes later he drove out of the smoke opposite me. Q Did you notice whether he had a funnel in his hands? A No, I didn't see a funnel. Q You didn't see the funnel? A No. Q Did you have some talk with him? A He got out of the farther side of the machine and went around the machine, and I didn't notice That he was doing, and the next I noticed he was coming up to the bank. Q Did he say anything? A He said, "You fellows are friends of mine, please get out of here and go back to the school." Q Did you say anything to him? A I didn't say anything. Q Did your father? A He said, "All right." Q Was anything else said by anybody? A Not that I heard. Q What did Kehoe do? A He turned around and started out toward the road. Q Did you se him looking in his gas tank t any time? A No. He was standing opposite his car, I don't know what he was doing. Q How did he look when he said this to you? A I just got a flash or glance at his face, it appeared to me that his face was dead white, and his eyes to be black. Q You all three went out in the road? A Yes. Q And then started east, walking toward the Armstrong car? A Yes. Q Then what did Kehoe do? (112) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We got down perhaps 10 or 15 rods east of the Kehoe place, and we heard a car and we looked around and recognized Mr. Kehoe in his car, and he passed on and went towards Bath. Q And when you got down to the Armstrong car, you got into that and all came on into Bath? A Yes. Q Did you catch up with Kehoe on the way any? A No. Q Did you ever see him again after that alive? A Never. I saw his car pause as he was going into Bath near Mr. Ellsworth's oil station. It didn't seem to stop. Q You did se it pause? A Yes. Q When you got to the school what did you do? A Armstrong was driving the car, and as soon as he slowed up I jumped off and ran towards the school. Q Did you see Kehoe's body afterwards? A No. Q Did you see his automobile? A I saw his two front wheels and the axle out in front, and I should say that was Mr. Kehoe's automobile. Q You would identify it as being Mr. Kehoe's automobile? A Yes. That was the only one I know of that had a speedometer on the left front hub. It also had two new tires on in front. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck or Glenn Smith up around the schoolhouse? A No. Q Where were you when this second explosion took place at the schoolhouse. A I was at the north end. Q How long do you think it was before the explosion at the school and the time that Kehoe's buildings started to burn, or you heard that explosion down there? A I think somewhere near a minute. (113) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And how long do you think it was between the first and last explosion at the school? A We were working very hard, and I couldn't say just what it was, but it seemed to me 20 minutes or half hour. Q Can you think of anything else about this that I haven't asked you? A Not that I know of. MR. SEARL: Have you gentlemen any questions.
Q How old are you? A Twenty-three. Q And you live with Mr. Howell? A Yes, sir. Q And he has raised you there as a son? A Yes. Q How long have you lived with Mr. howell, for the past nine years and upwards? A About twelve years. Q You were acquainted with Mr. Kehoe of course? A Yes, sir. Q And you worked down there around his place some? A A little. Q And helped him with his work some? A Some. Q When were you down there last? Q Well, over a year? (114) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q What? A Over a year. Q Where have you been in the last year? A Home. Q Didn't you go down to Kehoe's during that time? A Hardly any. The last I was down there I was helping him in his harvest. Q Last summer? A Lonh about a year ago. Q Did you help him last summer? A Not a thing. Q You saw this wiring down there? A Yes. Q A week ago or so before this accident, didn't you? A Yes. Q Were you down around his buildings then? A No. Q Just going by in the road? A Just going by in the road. Q What did you notice about his wiring? A I saw it run from the house down to the big barn, and then to the other barn. Q Did see there was two wires? A Two wires. Q And what part of the house did they come out? A I couldn't say. Q The north end somewhere? A Yes, I hle north end somewhere. Q And then from the house to the big barn? A Yes. Q And then from the big barn to the sheep barn? A Yes, sir. Q And then where did they go, from the sheep barn to the corn- (115) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| crib? A I didn't notice any to the corn-crib. I noticed they went to the tool shed. Q Were they fastened to the top of the buildings? A Close to the top. Q Did you ever see him on top of the buildings? A I saw him once, just before a big storm. Q How long ago? A Week or so ago. Q Before the explosion? A Yes, sir. Q Which building was he on top? A The big barn. Q And what time of day was that? A At night. Well, I should say about seven o'clock. Q Which end of the barn was he on? A He was just about the middle, right near the lightning rods. Q Could you see what he was doing? A No, I couldn't. Q Did you ever see him up on any of the other barns? A No. Q Did you ever see him working on these wires? A No. Q Did you notice from time to time that there was more wires up? A No. They were all up when I first noticed. Q Did you tell your father about the wiring? A I asked him what Mr. Kehoe was going to do, if he had his buildings wired. Q And he didn't make any further investigation about it? A No. Q Have you ever seen this gun of his? A No, I haven't. Q Did he ever talk with you about it? (116) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No. He never said a word about it to me about guns. Q Do you know about his gettirg this pyrotol from Jackson? A Never said anything to me about it. Q Never talked with you about it? A I never was interested in guns so he never tole me anything about it. Q Do you know of him blowing up stones sometimes on his place? A I have know of him blowing up stones and a few stumps. Q Did you ever assist him in that way? A No. Q This morning the school was blown up, you were working with your father in the front yard, and the Armstrong boy was there? A Yes. We was -- he was standing there visiting. Q What did you hear first? A This large explosion. Q What was said then? A We wondered what it was, and we looked down toward the school, and we saw a big cloud of smoke or dust, I don't know what it was at that time, and it settled down. Q Did you think it might be the school? A We thought of the school first, that it was a boiler first. Q Who spoke about that first? A My brother Robb. Q And then did you see the smoke at the Kehoe place? A I glanced down there and heard a similar report, and about a minute after that smoke was coming up. Q You got in the Armstrong car and came down to Kehoes? A Yes. Q When you got down to Kehoe's what did you do? A He slowed up, and we jumped off and went in to Kehoe's yard. Q And when you went into Kehoe's yard did you see Kehoe there? A No, I didn't, not until after he drove up in his car. Q What did you do then? (117) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I was looking around the house. First I noticed him get out and take the funnel out of his gasoline tank and look down in. Q Take the funnel out of his gasoline tank? A Yes. The funnell was in the gas tank. Q You don't mean inside? A Just sticking in like any funnel would. Q And he took that off. A Yes. I didn't Se him do anything else until he spoke to us. Q When he took this funnel out of his gasoline tank, did he get out of his car to do that? A Yes. He got out of his car and looked down in the gasoline tank after he took the funnel out. Q And that was after he had driven up to where you were? A Yes. Q And did he put the cap back on the gas tank? A I didn't notice him do that. Q What did he do with the funnel? A I don't know. Q Did you see any rifle in the car? A No. Q Do you think you would have noticed one if there had been? A No, I don't think I would. Q What did he say when he came around where you were? A He said, "You fellows are friends of mine, you better go on down to the school." Q Did you say anything to him? A No. Q Did you hear anything said to him? A No, I didn't. Q Didn't hear anything said at all? A No. Q What did you do then? A Turned around and went right out onto the road. (118) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you notice Mr. Kehoe's face at that time? A No, I didn't. Q Did you run out in the road? A I don't know. I couldn't say as I run, I walked right along. Q And when you got in the road where did you go? A Drove east towards Bath. Q Was your father And your brother with you at that time. A Yes. Q And then you came down and got in Armstrong'se car? A Yes. Q And come on in to Bath? A Yes. Q Do you remember seeing Kehoe stop be Monty Ellsworth's oil station? A I noticed him slowing up. Q And had you got into Bath yet? A No. We were stil walking. Q When you got in to Bath did you se Kehoe's car at all? A No. Q Did you see Kehoe at all? A No. Q What did you do when you got there? A Run around the school and jumped down in the back end and helped got the children out. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck the Superintendent, or Glenn Smith the Postmaster? A No. Q Where were you when this last explosion took place? A I was kind of in the cellar; well, it wasn't the cellar either, kind of in the basement getting out children. Q And that would be around in back of the schoolhouse? A In the north end, yes. Down in under the roof. Q Did you go out in front when you heard this explosion? (119) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 1 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Just as soon as I heard that, we all run out in the street to see what happened. Q And you saw this machine all lying there? A Yes. Q Did you afterward see Mr. Kehoe's body? A No. Q Did you go and look at his car? A I went and looked at his car, and saw the speedometer on the left front wheel. Q You would identity that as his car? A I am sure it was. Q Did you go back that night to the Kehoe farm and look around? A Yes, after it cleared away down here. Q What time was it when you came back to the Kehoe farm? A Right around six o'clock. Q Did you go down around this tool shed and corn-crib when you came back there? A I don't think I did. Q Were you back there the next day with your father when her body was found? A Yes. Q You saw her body there? A Yes, sir. Q You hadn't been out around there to set it the day before? A had been around there that morning, but I didn't notice. Q You didn't notice until your attention was called to it? A No. Q Did you know about this hog car? A I had seen it. Q Or hog chute. You had seen the chute? A Yes, at a distance. Q About how long was it in your opinion? (120) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I should say about eight feet, may be a little longer. Q Had you ever used it? A No. Q Do you know anything else about this that I haven't asked you about? A I think not. MR. SEARL: I think that is all, unless you men have some questions you want to ask. That is all, I guess.
Q Your first name is Ann Rounds? A Ann Rounds. Q And you live west of Mr. Kehoe's place, and across the road north of Mr. Howell, do you not? A Yes, sir. Q How long have you lived there Mrs, Rounds? A I have lived there about 37, 38 years. Q And you have known Mr. Kehoe ever since he moved into that place? A Yes, sir. Q Before Mr. Kehoe lived there who lived there, Lawrence Price? A No. Q That is the old Lawrence Price place? A That was Mr. Stewart's people I think. Q That is the old Lawrence Price farm? A Yes, the old Lawrence Price place. Q Lawrence Price built the buildings there? A Yes, sir. Q And did you know Mr. Kehoe before he moved in there any? (121) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No. Q Did you know Mrs. Kehoe? A Yes. Q Did you know her when she was a little girl? A Since she was about 14 years old, before that even. Q After the Kehoes moved in there did you neighbor with them some? A Yes. Q And he always proved to be a good neighbor? A He certainly did, as far as we were concerned. Q Did you exchange work back and forth? A Up to the last two years we did. Q Did there some trouble come up? A No. Q What was the reason? A Mr. Kehoe wasn't doing much farming, and there was no reason to the last we should exchange. I think Mr. Kehoe drilled our beans a year ago last Spring. Q That would be two years ago this Spring? A A year ago this Spring. Q A year ago this Spring? A I think so. No, I believe that was it. Q Last year he didn't put out or harvest many crops? A That was Lavere Hart that put them beans in. Q It won't make much difference. Last year he didn't harvest any crops? A No, sir. Q Left his beans in the field? A Yes. Q And his corn? A I believe so. I never seen the field. Q Did he have other crops? A Not anything that I know of. Q Was he away a good deal in the summer? (122) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, not particularly. Q His wife went to the hospital in October, didn't she? A I think so, about October. Q And during the winter after the time she went to the hospital did you ever see him working around the farm much? A No. Q Would he seem to be around there in the daytime? A I don't know as I ever saw him in the fields after that. Q You know of his doing some blasting around there on stumps and stones? A Mostly before that. Q Did he do any this last fall or winter? A I don't think so. Q You knew he lived there on the farm, stayed there? A Yes, sir. Q Did you ever see his machine going in and out nights? A I saw it going in several times, but I don't remember seeing it go out of the yard after night. Q Did you ever see a light down in his place late at night? A When I saw him drive in, I thought it was from the hospital. Q That would be somewhere aroud nine o'clock? A Around nine o'clock. Q Nothing unusual about that? A Nothing unusual. Q Did you see any lights there three or four o'clock in the morning? A No, sir. Q Or any machines driving in there? A Not any. Q He neighbored with you right up to the last, didn't he? A Why, yes, any favors we asked of them he was perfectly willing to do, and done it, and seemed anxious to be called on to do it. Q Before his death he brought milk for you from Lansing? (123) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Two weeks before his death. Q Why did he stop? A We didn't need any. Q You didn't have any trouble? A No, not a particle. He stopped in the yard and asked Lafayette if he wanted any more, and Lafayettte said no, we had enough of our own. Q If anything was wrong did he come up to your place and fix it? A Yes, he certainly did. Q Did you ever notice anything about him to indicate he was insane? A Why, no, we didn't think he was insane. Q When did you last see him? A As he was going towards the schoolhouse, when his buildings were burning. Q When did you last see him to talk to him? A About two weeks, three weeks ago I think, it was on Saturday afternoon. Q Before his buildings were burned did you see him on top of his buildings? A No, sir. Q Did you notice any wiring between his house and the other buildings? A No, I didn't notice any wiring. I have trouble in walking, and I didn't notice anything about it. Q You did see him driving out after the fire? A Not that morning. Q When was it you saw him driving toward the school? A I couldn't see him that morning. I saw him drive out of his yard different times, but not that time, because after the smoke started I couldn't see him. Q Did you hear the explosion? A I think the first one was at the barn. Q Was that a loud explosion you heard? (124) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A It certainly was. Q And did you afterwards hear, within two or three minutes, hear other explosions? A I should imagine it was ten or fifteen minutes when I heard the second one. Q Where was that? A I thought it was at his barn in some machinery or something. Q You thought both were at his barn? A Yes, I laid it to the buildings. Q Do you think there was an explosion at his barn before the one at the schoolhouse? A I believe so. Q How soon was it after you heard the explosion at his barns before you saw them burning? A It couldn't have been more than a minute. I just had time to turn my head, and I saw it coming from the tool shed or hog barn, I couldn't tell which. Q Did you see any smoke or dust arising near the school? A No. Q How long was it between the first you heard and the last one? A The last one of all that happened, you mean? Q Yes? A Well, I couldn't tell. I certainly couldn't tell, but I imagine about 20 minutes. I wouldn't be certain. I supposed the explosions were all at his buildings until I heard the schoolhouse was blowed up. Q You haven't any way of telling which was first? A Not anything, only just as I was back in the back yard and when I went into the house I heard the one at the barn as I believed, and I went in the house to the telephone. Q The first one was the loudest? A Yes, the first one was the loudest. And when I went to the telephone, Mrs. Cushman was talking, and she said, "Hello, Lydia," (125) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and she said what is that, and I said Kehoe' barn is burning, and I went outdoors, and the second one came that must have been at the schoolhouse. Q How loud was that? A I don't think it was quite a loud as the first one as near as I could imagine. MR. SEARL: I think that is all, unless you people have some questions. Q You didn't go down to Mr. Kehoe's house, you stayed at your own home? A I stayed at my home until my daughter came after me, and I went to Bath. That was after the second explosion, after the schoolhouse had been blown up. MR. SEARL: That is all I think.
Q How old a man are you Mr. Rounds? A Seventy-one. Q You live with your wife on your farm? A Yes, sir. Q Now, you have know Mr. Kehoe I take it ever since he has lived in the neighborhood there? A Well, eight years, but I never thought anything about this coming off at all. Q No. And you neighbored back and forth there with him? A Some. Q Knew him, he was a man mechanically inclined, and got him to (126) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| fix things around your farm? A Once in a while, when he could do it handy. Q Did you ever see anything to indicate he was insane? A No, sir. Q Seemed to be perfectly sane? A Yes, sir. There couldn't be a better neighbor than him. Q You knew about him taking a part in public affairs? A No, never knew about it. Q You knew he was a member of the School Board? A Yes. Q And ran for Township offices? A Yes, sir. Q And took part in election, and things like that, and social affairs some didn't he? A Yes. Q Did you see him around working around on his buildings? A I saw somebody up there about a week ago, just as I went to put my cows in. It was a nasty, rainy day. Q That was the Monday night before the explosion at the school there? A Yes. I was putting my cows in, and I saw a man up there. I couldn't tell which one it was, and he was up there about three-quarters of an hour. Q What building was that? A The big barn, and when I looked he was gone. Q You say he was there three-quarters of an hour? A I think so, because I went in to milk, and when I came out he was gone. Q Did you ever see him up on the buildings at any other time? A No, sir. Q Or anybody else up on the buildings? A No. Q Did you ever see any wiring around his place? (127) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, sir. Q Did you hear this first explosion? A Yes, sir. Q Where do you think it took place? A I thought it was down to his place. Instead of that, they said it was down here. Q You saw his buildings catch fire? Q. Yes, sir. I was mowing my lawn, and there was some awful cracking going on around there, I could hardly stand on my feet. Q That was other explosions? A Yes, sir. Q How many? A A lot, I couldn't tell. Q That was during the time the buildings were on fire? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see anybody go down toward his buildings? A No, I must have been on the north side of my house. Q Did you see Mr. Howell go down there? A No, I didn't see him go by at all. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe go by your house at all? A No, sir. Q Any time after that? A No. My wife seen him go by, but I didn't. I was mowing the lawn on the other side of the road, back of the house, so I didn't see nobody, but she said she saw him go by, and he waved his hand at her when he went along. Q When was that? A The morning of the fire. Q Was that after the schoolhouse had been blown up? A Yes, sir. Q She saw him going up there? A Yes. The first shot went off, and he went back and touched off (128) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the other. Q He went by your house going east? A He went clear around the square. Q You didn't see these wires down to his place? A No, sir. Q Were you down to his house after the fire? A Yes, I was down there Wednesday afternoon a while. Q Did you notice these trees that were girdled? A Yes, sir. Q How many did you see? A Golly, I guess all of them. Q Do you know how many there were? A No, I didn't count them. Q The fruit trees out in the orchard? A No, just around the house. Q Just the small trees around the house? A Just the small trees around the house. I didn't know anything about the orchard trees being girdled. Q You didn't go down to the school? A No. Q You have a bad heart, and didn't go down? A Yes, sir. MR. SEARL: That is all.
Q Mr. Kyes, how old a man are you? A 31 the 31st of October last year. Q And you drive one of these school buses? (129) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 2 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Four years if I had drove today. Q And that bus goes out and picks up the children and takes them to school each day? A Yes, sir. Q And do you take them home at night? A Yes, sir. Q And you are the son of Melvin W. Kyes? A Yes, sir. Q Now, you were acquainted with Andrew Kehoe? A Not until he got on the School Board. Q Then, that would be the last three years? A About that. I knew him when I saw him, but I wasn't acquainted with him. Q During the time he was on the Board, did you attend the school meetings? A Yes, sir, most generally. Q On account of taking your father there? A Yes, sir. Q Did you have any business there? A No business. Q Did you notice this friction on the School Board between Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Huyck? A He seemed to be against everything, every proposition that was put up. Q Some friction between he and your father? A No more than anyone else. Q When you drove this school bus you went by his house? A Tha wasn't where my route was. They gave me that privilege of cutting across half mile south and coming across on the gravel. Q When you went home at night the last year did you go by his place? A Not unless the roads were bad. Q So how long has it been since your route his been by his place, (130) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| or you would drive by his place? A I could go by there any time. Q There was a time when you would drive by his place every day? A Two years ago that was my route. Q Did You notice at that time anything unusual about him? A No, I didn't know him well enough. Q There was a time when you came by he looked at his watch? A He did once when he was in the road back of his farm. Q He would be in the field there? A He would be in the field there, and he would always look at his watch, and I always figured he looked to see what time I was making. Q Did he do that every time you came by there? A About every time I came by there and I noticed him. Q During this time did you notice anything unusual about him to indicate he was insane? A No, sir, I thought he was an awful smart man. Q On this morning of the 18th you had brought the children in? A Yes, sir. Q Had you gone home? A The first explosion I was just a little over a half mile from my home. Q That would be about 4-1/2 miles out? A Just about. Q You live with your father? A No, sir. Q Where do you live? A Just across the river on Section No, 1. I lived with my father for about six months after I was married, and then went across the river. Q Did you see Kehoe that morning in town? A No, sir. I didn't stop that morning in town at all. I most usually do. Q You didn't see him around at all? (131) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, sir, didn't look for him. Q Before that it was the custom for Kehoe to give you your check? A Yes, sir. Q When did he give you your last check? A The last pay-day, that would be 20 days from today. We draw our check every 20 school days. Q At that time did you havo some conversation with him? A That morning he seemed awfully good-natured. Before that he always handed me the check. I always spoke good morning, and he would hand me the check. On this morning my feet slipped off the clutch and I dropped it on the floor, and he said "You better keep that, that may be the last you will ever get,"" and I looked at him and laughed and said, "Are you going broke," and he said, "I guess not." Q He would be there to meet you with your money? A Yes, absolutely, always. Q When you heard this explosion down to your place did you come in to Bath here? A May be I stayed at the house just a minute, and I heard that awful explosion, and I said to Finn what is that. I knew it must be an awful explosion to cause that smoke and the sound, and I may be stayed there a minute, and I went right out and got in my bus and drove home, and I left my bus and I put a bridle on a horse I had for riding to work and I heard the second explosion, and I came right to Bath. Q How long before the first and second explosion? A I wouldn't say more than 15 minutes. I might have stayed there at that house longer than I figured. Q Then you came in to Bath? A Yes. Q When you got in here -- A When I got in here I knew something awful had happened. (132) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q When you got to the school what did you see? A I stopped at the railroad track, the little ones were running across lots like rabbits. Q You picked some of the little children up? A Yes, sir. Q And then you helped here? A Yes, sir. MR. SEARL: That is all. (Recess)
BATH, MICHIGAN,
Q Mr. Ellsworth, how old a man are you? A Thirty-nine. Q And where do you live? A I live half mile west on the Gunnisonville road. Q You run this Shell gasoline station? A Yes, sir. Q And how long have you lived there, running that station? A Just about three weeks I started there. I lived there about three years. Q What was your business before that? A General store in Bath. Q Run a meat market in connection with it? A Yes, sir. Q You are a married man? A Yes, sir. Q Were you acquainted with Mr. Kehoe? (133) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Very well. Q How long had you known him? A Practically eight years, since he lived there. Q And have you been up around his farm some? A Yes. Q When you ran store here in town did you live out there? A No. Q You lived here in town then? A Yes. Q Did you buy any cattle off him? A I bought one beef off him is all. I bought hogs off him several times. I bought hogs from him about three weeks ago, I bought what hogs he had. Q About three weeks ago? A Yes. Q At that time you bought all the hogs he had? A Yes, sir. Q Did he have any other stock around the plece at that time? A He had two horses at that time. Q No hogs, or cattle, or sheep? A He sold his cattle about a year ago. I don't know when he sold them, he just took them right down and shipped them. Q During thiS time he had no other cattle? A About the time I bought his hogs he let Al. McMullen take one of his horses. He didn't tell me this, McMullen did. He was all excited, said Andrew wanted to let him take a horse, and he had harnassed it that morning, and it got loose and ran down the road, and I says I will take you and help you find it. McMullen is crippled up and can't walk very well, so I said I will take you. Somebody told him it came down the back road, so I took McMullen about a quarter of a mile this way and we found the horse, but I understand he took the horse back. Q You understand the horse was at Kehoe's when the fire occurred? (134) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. Q Did you ever have trouble with Kehoe of any kind? A No. Q he was always neighborly? A Yes. He always repaired my boiler in the slaughter house, and he set it up in fact, and I am no mechanic and if I had anything wrong he would come up and fix it. I knew he was shooting a lot. In fact, he showed me a new rifle he bought last Fall. Q What kind of a rifle was it? A It was a '30', bolt action. I never looked at it. I use to go up to the Department of Conservation and get guns, and there was a 25-30 rifle and when I went out of the store he wanted to know what guns I had, and I told him about this. It run along to a couple of weeks ago, and I was down to get some couplings and he said, "I thought you was coming down and fetch your rifle." Q Did,you know of his shooting around his farm considerable? A Yes. I went by there two or three times and he had a target set out there between the tool house and corn-crib, and I said, "I won't be very busy tomorrow, why don't you come up to my place,"so the next day he came up and we shot about 20 rounds apiece. Q You say that was about two weeks ago now? A About two weeks before the explosion. Q He came in his car? A Yes. Q Did you notice what he had in the car? A There was a box in there about two feet long and about a foot wide, and there must have been a thousand shells in there. Q Would that be these 30 caliber shells for the rifle? A Yes. It was full the whole length of the box in the bottom with those boxes setting up edgeways. Q Small boxes of shells? A Yes. (135) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you say anything about that? A No. Q Do you know whether he was a good shot with a rifle? A Yes. he was. Q Very good shot? A Yes. We was shooting three hundred feet, and we shot off-hand, and he was very close off-hand at 300 feet, so he wasn't very nervous. Q Did you see him after that before the explosion? A Let's see. Yes, I was down there, I don't remember -- I went down for something, but I can't tell now what it was, and he asked me, he says, "I like that rifle of yours, will you give me $25.00 difference for that rifle of mine," and I said, "No, I wouldn't give that much difference because I have no use for them." I did say I would give $10.00, and he said, "That gun cost me $50.00, and they didn't have the sights I wanted, and I had to sent to Detroit, and they cost $11.00. Q How soon was that before the explosion? A I think it was the next day after he was down to my house. Q And during any of that time did you see anything about him to indicate he was insane? A No. Q Did you see any wiring about his place when you were down there? A No. Q It might have been there and you not notice it? A Yes, sir. Q Where were you on this morning of the explosion? A I was planting melons east of the gas station. Q From where you were planting melons could you see down to Kehoe's? A Yes. Q Could you see the schoolhouse? A I could see the chimney, but not the schoolhouse. (136) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You heard the explosion sometime that morning? A Yes. Q About what time was it that morning? A Gee, I don't know what time it was. Q Around eight or nine o'clock? A Yes, somewhere. Q And that was on Wednesday the 18th? A Yes, sir. Q Now when you heard theat, can you tell which way the sound came from or where it came from? A No, I couldn't tell. It seemed .to be all over. The first thing I looked off in this direction, but I was looking on the ground in those woods. It sounded as if it was in those woods that are in a northwesterly direction, and I just glanced in there, and I swung around scanning the ground to the north and to the west, and when I swung around there was a cloud of smoke came out of the barn the east and I hollered to the section men, and I hadn't more than got that out of my mouth when smoke came out of the big barn and the gable end of the house, first came out of the north end of the gable, right in the top, and the other buildings I saw the smoke coming out. I couldn't tell where it started because the black smoke rolled up. My wife was just cleaning house and had the curtains down, and she run to the window and she saw everything in the air, and she said, "My God, the school is blowed up," and she came downstairs and we came down here. Q Your wife came down with you? A Yes. And somebody said your boy is safe, and the wall had dropped down and there was a pile'of children under that, and there was Joe Pope and a half dozen others -- I remember Joe because we tried to lift that up. Joe said if we had a rope I think we could pull that over, a I said I will run to the slaughter house and get some there. I started back, and when I got to the corner here, about half way down that road to the west I met Kehoe, and he (137) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| grinned, and I could see all his teeth. Q He was in a car at that time? A Yes. Q What kind of a car was he in? A Ford pick-up. Q You are familiar with his car? A Oh, yes. Q Did you meet this Armstrong boy that morning in the car? A I don't remember. Q Do you remember seeing Mr. Howell? A I don't remember. I went to the slaughter house and throwed those ropes in, and I stepped back and threw in a set of tackle block, and I drove up to the school as soon as I could, and I throwed those ropes out and somebody came out and started to sort those ropes out near the -- Q Where were you standing at that time? A Just to the west of the schoolhouse. Q When you drove up did you see Mr. Huyck or Mr. McFarren or Mr. Smith? A No,I didn't. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe when you drove up? A No. Q How long do you think it was between this first blast you heard and the last one? A Well, it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes at the outside, because I don't believe I was down here -- I don't believe I was here more than five minutes before I went after rope, I might have been. I don't believe I was here more than five minutes, and I drove back there and throwed them in, and I had just nicely got the ropes out when this blast came out in the street. Q Did you go out there? A No. We just stood there like a lot of dummies, and somebody said we will have to get these bodies out of the cars. The cars (138) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| were starting to burn. Q Was it necessary to get water to put the fire out on the cars? A They rubbed them off, it wasn't big blazes. Q Did you go out where the automobiles were? A Yes, sir. Q What did you see? A First I saw Glenn Smith, and then I turned around to get a rope or something to bind his leg and when I came back somebody had a belt off and put that on, and when I came back Mr. MaFarren lay there, and somebody said who is that, and I said Nelson McFarren. Q You would identify him as Nelson McFarren? A As soon as they told me I saw who it was. Q Did you see the Superintendent, Mr. Huyck? A Yes, sir. Q You could identify him all right? A No, I couldn't. Q Did you see this Mrs. Perone there? A No. I seen her at the building when I was there the first time. I remember seeing her there. Q You do remember seeing her there before you went home after the ropes? A Yes, but not afterwards. Q You saw this car of Kehoe's afterwards? A About an hour afterwards. Q You would identify that as his car? A I certainly would. I had looked at the speedometer. I looked at the speedometer this Spring. It set there, and I looked to see how far he had drove, and it was nearly 8,000 miles. About an hour after it happened, I didn't know it was him, and we looked at those front wheels. Nobody thought whose car it was, and I didn't think about the speedometer until later, and somebody said he saw it, and I went and looked again and there was over 9,OOO miles on his car, so I said that was his car. (139) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 3 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Would you identify that as his car? A Oh, yes. Q Did you see his body? A I Just glanced at it. Q You didn't see it well enough to identify it? A No. Q Did you go back and help take the children out of the school? A Yes. I couldn't do very much. I helped carry them out, the other fellows took them out mostly. Q Did you see Kehoe come down past your gas station? A No. Q While you were working the melon patch did he drive up by your place slowly? A No. Q He didn't call or wave at you that morning? A No. Q Do vou know of any reason why Kehoe should have blowed up the school? A No. Several times he spoke about his high taxes, but I never argued with him. But he use to say that school made an awful exspense, but I never answered him. But he hadn't said a word, as I recall, in over a year even about his taxes. Q Have you any reason to believe there was anybody else in with him? A No, knowing Mr. Kehoe, I wouldn't. Q Why do you say that? A He was always by himself. He seemed to be a man with himself always, I had that impression. Q A man that didn't take other men into his confidence? A While he was awfully friendly, there was something about him, you didn't feel right close to him. Q You knew about his living alone there? A Yes. (140) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q About his wife being away? A Yes. MR. SEARL: I guess that is all, unless you men have some questions.
Q Mr. Whitney, you live here in Bath? A I do, yes sir. Q And how old a man are you? A I am 66 my last birthday. Q Whereabouts in Bath do you live? A Well, I live right -- that is, my house faces this streat that crosses right here. Go down to that first -- Q You live near the telephone office there? A We11, just this corner lot between the telephone office -- Q Between here and the telephone office? A Between my house and the telephone office. No, I don't live between here and the telephone office. Go down that street and my house site on the back end of the lot. Q You live west of the telephone office? A Yes. You asked me where I lived from the schoolhouse? Q Yes. You live about a block or two from the schoolhouse? A If I came around the road it would be a block just about; that is, one length of a block. Q And on this morning of the 18th were you at home? A I was. Q And were you doing some work in the house that day? A I was. Q What were you doing? (141) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I was helping my wife clean the kitchen. Q Did you hear an explosion that morning? A I did. Q About what time was it you heard it? A I would say Standard Time, somewhere about nine o'clock. Q You mean Central Standard Time? A Yes. Q And was your wife in the house? A Yes. Q Anybody else there? A No, not that I remember of now. I don't think there was. Q What did you first hear there? A The explosion at the schoolhouse. Q Then what did you do? A In order for you to understand, I was standing on a chair right by the south kitchen door, next to the schoolhouse, and had started to wash the woodwork for the top of the door, and it either shook me off the chair or shook the chair out from in under me, and my wife said, "My God, what is that," and when I got up she was out the door, and she said it was the schoolhouse, and we started to the schoolhouse. Q When you got to the schoolhouse were there other people there? A A few, yes. Q You were one of the first there? A I must have been, because all the time it took me to get there was to run to the schoolhouse, perhaps 20 or 25 rod. Q What did you first see when you got up there? A I saw some people working, and I saw the schoolhouse was all blown to pieces. Q You saw this roof down that has been described? A Yes. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck around there? A Just at that time I didn't, but I went up to the northeast (142) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| corner of the schoolhouse and started to work in there, and Mr. Huyck came around to the east side of the schoolhouse, and he said to me, "Go and got some ladders and help get those scholars off the roof.". So I went out and got a ladder and put it up and helped take those scholars off, and came back and went to work at the northwest corner, and that was the last I saw of Mr. Huyck. Q You didn't see him after that? A No. I saw a body that had a blanket laid over it, and they said Mr. Huyck laid there, but I didn't see him. Q Did you se Mr. Kehoe around there that day? A No. I don't think I did, I don't remember. Q Did you hear another explosion that morning? A When the car blowed up. Q Where were you? A I had got the ladder and was working at the northwest corner. Q You were helping get the children out? A Digging and helping get them out, yes. Q How long was it between the first and second explosion? A If you had asked me then I would have said ten, fifteen minutes, but after thinking it over, it must have been 25 minutes, because I couldn't have done all of that short of 25 or 30 minutes. Q And did you see anybody do anything just before the second explosion occurred out by those cars? A No. My back was turned to the cars. Q Your attention was attracted that way until the explosion? A Until the explosion, yes. Q Did you know Mr. Kehoe? A Yes. Q How long have you know him? A Know him ever since he came here I would say, it was somewhere about eight years. Q Have you been with him on occasions? Q Well, I operated a cream station in this building right here, (143) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and I bought his cream most of the time he sold cream. Q Do you still run the cream station? A No, I don't. Q When was the last business you had with him in the cream station? A I presume to say that he sold cream within a week of that, but I went out of the cream station a year ago last June. Q You have sen him off and on since then? A Oh, yes. Q Did you ever see anything about him to indicate he was insane? A No, I didn't. Q How recent had you seen him before the explosion? A I don't recall, but the last I remember was when I was standing in front of the pool-room when they were having a school meeting, and he went by with some books and spoke, I don't know what, and went right on to the school meeting. Q For all you know he appeared to be perfectly natural? A Why yes. Q Have you ever ben on the farm? A Not since he has been there. I can't recall but once of being on the farm since he was there. Q Do you know anything else about this that I haven't asked you about? A Why, not that I can recall, not in the shape of any threats or any remarks. Q Did you ever see Kehoe around the schoolhouse nights? A No, I never did. Q Or daytimes? A I have seen him around there daytimes. Q When was that? A Last Fall, they tore up that drain. I saw him there then. Q When they tore up the drain? A Yes, from the schoolhouse down. (144) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you ever see him working around with his truck? A I have seen it in front, and I have seen it in the yard when he would be there to work. Q You have never seen him around there nights? A No, I never have. MR. SEARL: I think that is all.
Q What is your first name, Mrs. Howell? A Charlotte. Q And you are the wife of Sidney J. Howell? A Yes. Q And I assume you live with your husband on his farm west of the Village? A Yes, sir. Q Your husband said you lived there about nine years? A I think so. Q I assume you are acquainted with all the neighbors, the Harts and the Rounds, and you knew Mr. Kehoe? A Yes. Q And you knew Mrs. Kehoe? A Yes, I did. Q I understand you and Mrs. Kehoe had been quite friendly since you people lived there? A I think always the best of feeling, as far as I know. Q Your families went back and forth there? A Yes. Q Did there ever come up any trouble so you didn't go back and (145) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| forth? A No, no. When Mrs. -- now, I hardly know how to answer that. When I was in there the hired girl asked me to go upstairs up to the room where she was. Q When was that? A Last winter, and she ran to me and she started an awful coughing spell, and I said Mrs. Kehoe if I possibly hurt you I will go out, and she said I will hurt you, and I said Mrs. Kehoe you know there is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for you, and she said I know it, and I went out. Q Was she out of her head or anything? A No. She had an awful coughing spell, she had asthma. Q Was she troubled with tuberculosis? A They said they found a couple of germs once, and they say since they decided it wasn't. Q You knew of Mrs. Kehoe going to the hospital last Fall? A Yes, sir. Q And she was gone most of the winter wasn't she? A Yes, nearly from the first Of September. Q Do you remember of her coming back this Spring; that is, she did come home for a while this Spring? A Yes, sir. Q About how long ago was that? A I can't tell you. Q Do you remember being down there to the house with your son? A Yes. Q When was that? A He had a paper he wanted signed and Mr. Kehoe was a notary, so we went down sometime in February and said he wanted a notary, and Mr. Kehoe said there wasn't one in Bath that had a seal like he wanted, so he took him to Lansing. Q You went down a couple of weeks ago? A Yes. (146) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q When was that? A About two weeks. Q You think it was about ten days before this explosion? A It was that much, and possibly two weeks. Q Whem you went down there was Mrs. Kehoe at home? A No, she wasn't. Q Mr. Kehoe was there? A He was there. Q And you went in the house and visited with him? A Yes, the boy and I both. Q When you were in the house and you saw him, did you have some conversation with him? A Yes, sir. Q Did he appear to be entirely natural to you? A I didn't think he was natural. Q What did you think was out of the way? A I couldn't tell, it was intangible, but I could feel there was a difference. He tried to be courteous and everything, but he was different. Q Did you notice anything to indicate that he was insane? A Not unless it was cunning insanity. Q What do you mean by cunning insanity? A I had a brother-in-law that went like Mr. Kehoe, and he was just shrewd. Q Did you notice the wires from his house to the barn? A No. Q Didn't your son speak about them? A No, that was after dark. Q Didn't your son speak about it? A The other son. He came in from the field one day and he said, "Andy is getting ready for electric lights," just that way, and we didn't know anything about it. Q That is your son Alden? (147) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. Q Did you look down toward his house to see? A No, I couldn't see. Q You couldn't see that far? A No, I couldn't see. Q Now, on the day of this explosion on the 18th of May, you were at home weren't you? A Yes, sir. Q And your husband was working in the yard? A We were all out in the yard, and Melvn Armstrong. Q You were out in the yard too? A Yes, all of us. Q Were you there when they spoke of the explosion? A Yes. Q What was said? A They looked and said what is it, what is it, and one of them said it must be the school, and then there is smoke, and then the other explosion came like a rifle explosion, and then the buildings all burst out. Q You say it was like a rifle explosion? A Yes, to me. Q You have heard rifle explosions before? A Not many. Q You heard Kehoe shooting there at other times? A Yes. Q Did you hear this explosion on New Years Eve it midnight? A I don't remember. Q Did he ever tell you about that? A No, I don't remember. Q Have any conversation about setting off a charge of dynamite on New Years Eve? A Not that I remember. I knew of him setting one off on the 4th (148) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| of July one time, and we started toward there thinking something was wrong, but that was two or three years ago. Q Did he do it with a clock? A I don't know. She said the little boy was having some fun. Q She meant Mr. Kehoe? A Yes, it was just a joke. Q This day of the explosion, Mr. Armstrong and your husband and two sons went down toward the house? A Yes. Q Did you go across to Mrs. Rounds' house? A Yes. Q Had some talk with Mrs. Rounds about the fire? A I didn't say much about the fire. I went to her and asked her if they would watch our horses, I unhooked them and left them in the lane, and of course I didn't know anything about the school. I got worried about the acetylene tank in the basement, and I know father always got out to fight a fire so I went down to find them. Q Down to Kehoe's? A Yes, and I couldn't find them anywhere around and of course I didn't know anything about that, and I thought may be they got in the basement where the acetylene tank was, and I couldn't hardly get home. Q Did you walk down there? A Yes, sir. Q Did you go in the house? A Oh, no, it had been burning there. Q Did you see some other men there? A There was men out in the road. Q Did you see some men out in the road, and have some talk about it? A I might of. Q Do you remember of telling them there was somebody it the (149) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 4 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| building, or something in the building that ought to be got out? A I thought she was. I went over to Mrs. Hart and she screamed, and I asked her if Mrs. Kehoe was in the house and I finally got her to say she wasn't, and I said I am afraid she is. Q Did you know whether Mrs. Kehoe was home or not? A Not for sure. Q You climed over the fence? A Around by the buildings to see if I could see the Armrstrong machine. Q You couldn't see the Armstrong machine from where you were? A No. I didn't know what was going on. I couldn't see any signs, and I asked two or three and I came back home. Q Before you went home you climbed over -- which fence would that be, a little east of the house? A I was in two or three of those little yards trying to get back. Q Did you go clear around the back of the buildings? A Not clear around. I came around to the henhouse. Q And everything was blazing around there at that time? A Oh, yes. Q And lots of smoke and dust? A All I remember was seeing the flames, I was pretty excited. Q And how did you got out of there? A Why I must have come out over the fences, there was no other way. Q You don't remember? Q I remember coming out at the road, at the guard-rail. Q That would be the guard-rail east of the house? A Yes. Q And did you see anybody else around there? A Oh, yes, lots of cars and lots of people. Q Came along there and stopped? A Yes. Q Did anybody go in the house and try to get things out while (150) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| you were there? A No. Q Then what did you do? A I went home. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe around there any place? A No, I didn't. Q Did you see anybody else there that you could name? A Saw may be Mrs. Hollister. I don't remember whether she was in the car, I think she was in the car. Q Did you come up to the schoolhouse then? A No. Q Did you know anything about the schoolhouse then? A No, no. I went up then as fast as I could go there and asked a man to let me ride to see where Armstrong and the boys were. He told me they was all right as far as he knew. Q That morning did you see Kehoe go by there? A No, I didn't. Q Didn't you see him drive by after this explosion? A No, I didn't. Q If he had gone by there he would have passed you in the road? A If he had gone west. Q If he had gone east he would? A Oh, no. I don't know. Q After his buildings caught fire if he had come down that road wouldn't you have noticed? A I wouldn't, so many cars. Q Do you know whetherany cars passed you going east? A I think there was. There was so many cars that went to the house, and they were moving. Q After you went after Armstrong did you go back home? A Melvin took me home. Q And did you come up to the schoolhouse at all that day? A No, I wasn't to the schoolhouse until, I think it was Thursday or Friday, Mr. Chapman's boy was buried. I don't know whether it (151) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| was Thursday or Friday. I wasn't to the schoolhouse then. Q Have you been over to Kehoe's house since then? A Yes, when they found her I went down with two sheets. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe's body? A No, the State Police had it covered, and they didn't want my sheets. Q Did you ever hear Kehoe make any remarks about blowing up the schoolhouse or anything of that kind? A Never. Q You knew he did kick about the taxes. A Everybody did. Q Who do you mean by everybody? A I have heard different ones kick about the taxes. I have heard most everybodykick about the taxes being high, speak about it. Q Do you know of any reason why Kehoe should have blown up the school? A No. MR. SEARL: I think that is all unless you men have some questions. That is all I guess, Mrs. Howell.
Q Your full name is La Hall Warner? A Yes, sir. Q And there is no period after the initials? A No. Q You live here in Bath Mrs. Warner? A Yes, sir. (152) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How long have you lived here? A Well, all my Life except five years. Q That five years has been some time ago, how long have you lived here recently? A For the last ten years. Q You are a widow as I understand? A Yes, sir. Q You live about a block north of the school? A Yes. Q And on the west side of the road on the corner? A Yes. Q Have you some children? A No. Q And this morning that the school was blown up, Where were you? A I was standing right opposite my front window on the front porch, putting up a curtain. Q And you heard this explosion? A Yes, and it broke the glass to the window I was putting up the curtain. Q What did you do then? A I ran outdoors and to the schoolhouse. Q What did you see? A Before I got there I saw the roof falling. Q You saw the roof falling as you were running to the achoolhouse. A Yes. When I got to the schoolhouse it was all down. Q Did you go in the school yard? A Yes, I went all the way round the schoolhouse. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck that morning? A I did, and talked with him. Q Where did you see him? A On the roof. Q And was that when you were in back of the school? A Yes, on the east side. (153) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q What did he say? A He asked me to get axes and ladders. Q Did he say what had happened? A No. Q Did you ask him? A No. Q Did you get axes and ladders for him? A Yes, I had ladders and axes home, and I sent Harrison Ewing after them. Q Who is that? A The young man in the store. Q Is that the same as Don Ewing? A No, a brother. Q He was a brother of Earl Ewing? A Yes. Q Earl was one of the brothers that was killed? A Yes. Q Were there children on the roof when you got there? A Yes; that is, a lot of them on the roof. Q Did you see Glenn Smith? A Yes, sir. Q Where? A I was on the sidewalk, but I saw him when I came back the second time after I got the axes and ladders. Q You didn't see him before? A I didn't see anybody until I got clear to the schoolhouse, there wasn't a person in sight. Q So you were the first person that got there? A I believe I must have been, because I didn't see Mrs. Huyck until I got around to the north side. Q Where did Mrs. Huyck live? A South of the schoolhouse. Q And she had run over there too? (154) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A She had ran over there too. Q You run over to your home to get these ladders and axes? A Yes. I carried the axes myself. Harrison Ewing carried the ladders. Q Where did you go, back then? A They asked me to get my beds ready, and I didn't go back. Q After you had delivered the axes you saw Glenn Smith? A Yes, sir. Q Did you talk with Mr. Huyck again? A I never saw him again then. Q Did you talk with Glenn Smith? A Yes. Q What did you say to him? A He asked me if I would open my house and get my beds ready for the children, and I told him I would. Q Where was Glenn Smith when you met him? A He was on the street sidewalk going south. Q And then you came back home and opened up your house for the children? A I did. Q And you didn't go back to the schoolhouse? A I didn't go back because they came and asked me to make sandwiches and coffee, and I was so busy. Q Did they bring some of the children to your home? A No. They came and got bedding and everything I could give them to take to the schoolhouse, and they also got a cot to take to the hall. I was up that way, but I didn't go to the schoolhouse because I was busy making sandwiches and coffee. Q Did you hear a second explosion? A Yes. Q Where were you when that happened? A I was in my home the second time. Q How long had you been in your home before that second explosion? (155) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Not more than 15 minutes. Q You would estimate the time between twelve and fifteen minutes? A Yes. Q Which was the louder? A The second one done more damage to my house. I don't know as it was louder. It blew out more windows, and done more damage to the house than the first. Q Was there just one window broke in the first place? A No, I had four broken. Q How many was broken by the first explosion? A Just one I think. There may have been some of the others. I didn't know there were others. The second explosion it blew one of the locks out of one of the doors and blew the screws clear across the floor. Q Where was that door, on the south side of the building? A Yes, and I think a window broke out that time, because I heard glass. Q Do you know anything else about this? A No. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe in town that morning? A No. Q At any time? A At no time. Q You knew Mr. Kehoe? A Yes. Q How long had you known him? A Ever since he came to town. I didn't know him very well, only when I saw him. Q You didn't have any business transactions? A None whatever. I was well acquainted with his wife, I had known her all my life. Q You don't know anything else about this in any way? (156) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No. MR. SEARL: That is all.
Q How old a man are you Mr. Fizzell? A Fourty. Q And where do you live? A I live on the Gunnisonville Road two miles south of Gunnisonville. Q And how far west of Bath would that be? A Four miles west and two south. Q You remember this day the 18th of May; that is, last Wednesday? A Yes. Q You were at home that day? A Yes, sir. Q And do you have a man that works for you upon the farm? A Yes, sir. Q What is his name? A Fred Krull. Q Was he at home that day on the farm? A Yes, he was. Q And were you doing some work around there? A Building fences. Q Did you hear an explosion that morning? A No, sir, not until after I came over here. Q Was your attention directed some way to Bath? A We saw the smoke. Q You saw the smoke of some buildings burning? (157) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We thought it was, we saw black smoke roll out. Q What did you do then? A We got in the car and came over. Q And when you came over toward Bath you would come down the Gunnisonville Road? A Aha. Q Do you know Andrew Kehoe? A No. Q You know now where his farm was located? A Yes, sir. Q Did you come past that farm? A Yes, sir. Q Did you stop there. A I did. Q Did you see anybody around the buildings when you stopped there? A Nobody around the building, they was all out in the road. Q Did you have some talk with someone there? A I was talking with a lady there. Q Do you know Who that lady was? A No, I had never seen her that I positively know of before. Q How would you describe her? A She was quite a stout lady, gray hair, quite a heavy-set lady. Q A young woman or not? A No, she was quite an oldish lady. Q Do you know Mrs. Sidney J. Howell? A No. Q She lived near there. She says she was down around the farm that morning, and climbed over some fences. Did you see her climb over some fences? A I helped her climb over some fences. Q Was that shortly after you got there? A Yes. Q Did you have some talk with her? (158) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I talked with her a little bit. Q What did she say to you? A I first asked her what caused the buildings to burn, and she said a carbide plant blew up, and I asked her where the carbide plant was, and she said it was in the cellar in the house, so I said that seems strange, they told me the tool shed blew up first, and well she says they kept gasoline in there, the gasoline exploded. Q Go ahead and tell Wht else was said? A She seemed to act as though she was worrying that somebody or something was burning up somewhere in the fire, and I couldn't make out what it was, and my man said perhaps there is stock in the barn she is trying to tell you about, and I asked if there was stock in the barn that was burning, and she said no, she didn't think they had any, and I said do you think the man of the place is in the place and didn't get out, and she said no, he got out and went in his car for help, and she said if I could got over the fences I would look for myself, and I said I will help you over, so I got down and helped her over, and I saw her getting over the next fence, and when I got in the car to start for Bath she was over in the lot east of that, coming back towards the road. Q And that would be the east of the house? A That was all east of the house. Q Did you see Mrs. Howell this morning here? A I saw a lady that is the same one I saw out there. Q The lady that came in here and testified? A Yes. Q You think she is the same lady you saw out there? A Yes. Q You didn't see any other lady around there? A No. Q Did you come down to Bath that morning? (159) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 5 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I did. Q And came to the school? A I did. Q There is some testimony here about two explosions. Were you at the school before the second explosion or not? A No, it was when we came up to the school, the wrecked cars was in the road there, that was the first thing I noticed. Q Did you hear any explosion while you were at Kehoe's farm? A I did. Q Where was that explosion? A Up to Bath there was one. and there was two in the house. Q You heard two explosions in the house? A I did. Q And you heard one up at Bath? A Yes, sir. Q How long do you think it was after you saw these buildings burning that you heard this explosion at Bath? A I had just got there, and I hadn't stopped the car even and I heard an explosion in the house, and I drove down east along the fence and stopped, and I hadn't been there more than two or three minutes before we heard the explosion up here. Q What would be your judgment on how long it was after you saw the buildings burning before you heard this other explosion up town? A Why, I don't imagine I was more than 10 minutes driving over. Q When you got up here you saw these wrecked cars? A Aha. Q Did you assist in the school there getting children out? A I worked there until about noon. Q And you saw the wrecked school building and the condition that existed? A I did. (160) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Outside of that, do you know anything more about this matter in any way? A Not anything. Q You don't live in this neighborhood, and you don't' know many people over here? A No, I don't. MR. SEARL: That is all. Pardon me gentlemen, did you have any questions you wanted to ask? That is all.
Q Mr. Krull you work for Herbert Fizzell? A I do. Q And live with him on his farm near Gunnisonville? A Yes. Q Were you with him this morning on the 18th of May when he came down to the Kehoe farm? A I was. Q He says at that time you were both working on a fence on his farm, and noticed some smoke over here? A We did. Q Who noticed that first, you or he? A I don't know. Q And you came down in the car? A Yes. Q Tell what you know about this woman, Mrs. Howell, and any conversation you had with her when you came down to the Kehoe farm? A I just heard what she said to Mr. Fizzell. When he talked with her, she wanted to get around the little buildings there and get (161) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| over the fence, and he helped her over the fence, and that is about all I heard or saw there. Q Did she talk about being afraid somebody was in the fire? A She talked as if she thought somebody was in the fire. Q You say he helped her over the fence? A Yes. Q And you saw her climb over another one? A Yes. Q And then where did she go? A She went over the second one, and I saw here start back. 4 Did she come to the road? A She was coming towards the road. Q How did she look and how was she dressed? A She had on a gingham dress and straw hat. Q How old a woman was she? A She was a elderly lady, her hair was gray. Q Was she quite fleshy? A Yes, quite fleshy. Q You never knew Mrs. Kehoe? A No, I didn't. Q And you didn't know any people in this community before that? A No, I didn't. Q Did you see any other women around there, I mean in around the buildings, inside the fences? A No, I didn't. Q Did you go around the buildings? A I didn't. Q You and Mr. Fizzell came down to Bath? A Yes. Q Did you go around the buildings on your way back? A No, I didn't. Q You didn't stop there? A No. (162) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Do you know anything more about it? A Nothing, only I came up to the school and helped here until Mr. Fizzell went home. MR. SEARL: That is all. (Recess)
Q Your full name is Arthur Woodman? A Yes, sir. Q And how old are you, Arthur? A Seventeen. Q Are you in school here, have you been in school? A Yes, sir, three years. Q What were you this year, Junior or Senior? A Senior. Q On this morning of the 18th were you up around the school building? A I was in the school building until the last toll rang. Q Then where did you go? A Outdoors to play ball. Q Who were there? A Donald Ewing, Charley Havelin, and William Robb and I. Q One of those boys is here? A I don't see him, no. Q After school called you four boys were out in front and played ball? A Yes. Q Where were you playing ball? A In the middle of the road. I was catching, and the other three (163) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| pitched to me. I was about 20 feet the other side of that cross-road, and Charley throwed me a high one and I was chasing that up by that house. Q The first house south of the schoolhouse on the east side of the road? A Yes, sir. Q And then you heard that explosion while you were chasing that? A It kind of knocked me down, and when I looked up it was going in like that (indicating). Q You saw the roof falling in? A The roof was caving in on top of the children. Q You saw children in there? A I saw the children in there. Q You saw some climb on the roof? A I didn't see any climb on the roof. The first thing I done was to go after a ladder after I ran around the schoolhouse. Q You did run around in back of the schoolhouse? A Yes. Q Did you see these other boys? A They were on the south side where they had been pitching to me, on the other side of the schoolhouse. I didn't see them until after the wreckage was cleared. Q Where did you go to get a ladder? A Willitt Whitney, I think he was painting, and we put his ladder in the car and drove up to the schoolhouse. Q Where did you go after the ladder from the schoolhouse? A About a block and a half. Q And you put a ladder on the schoolhouse? A Yes, and got some of the girls and boys out. Q What did you do then? A There was one girl that couldn't find her brother, and she wanted me to bring her down town to help find her father. Q Who was that? (164) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A The Sage girl. Q Where did you go then? A I went back to the schoolhouse. Q Where were you when the second explosion took place? A In the front of Frank Smith's house. Q On your way back to the schoolhouse? A Yes. I stood right in front of Mr. Huggett when it exploded. Q During any time did you see Mr. Huyck? A When I was going down town with Mary Sage he was at the telephone office, he and Mr. Huggett. Q Did you have any talk with him? A I don't believe I said a word to him. Q How long do you think it was between the first and second explosion? A I don't believe it could have been more than twenty minutes. Q Do you think it was about 20 minutes? A Yes. Q Did you se any of those people out in front, Nelson McFarren and Glenn Smith? A I saw them when they came up, but I didn't see them afterwards until they was dead. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck? A I saw what they said was Mr. Huyck. Q You know he was identified as Mr. Huyck? A That is what they said, I didn't go and look at him, they had him covered up. Q Did you se Andrew Kehoe there that morning? A Not that I know of. There was a lot of cars came up. Q There was a lot of cars came up and parked? A Yes, until they stopped them. They had men out in front stopping them. Q When was that? A After the first explosion and after the second. (165) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How soon did they stop the cars from coming in there after the explosion? A Right away. They stopped them down town so they would have room for the ambulances. Q The ambulances or doctors hadn't got there before the second explosion took place? A No, they hadn't got there. Q Had they came a few minutes later? A Yes. Q How long after that? A Not over ten minutes after the second explosion. Q After the second explosion what did you do? A Well, there was an auto George Barrett drove in town, a Durant Touring, and we drove it in front of Frank Smith's and we got two children and took them to Lansing to the hospital. Q Did you hear any talk around there about this being a set job of dynamite? A While I stood beside Mr. Huggett a man came up and said it was a set job. Everyone was talking around, everyone thought it was a set job though. When the first explosion took place we thought it was the house next door, and then we heard the car, and they said if they know whose car it was they would know who set it. Q Did you hear talk of dynamite around there? A Yes. Everyone seemed to think it was dynamite, because it sounded like dynamite, and they didn't see any fire. Q Did you hear Kehoe's name mentioned? A Everyone was mentioning his name as soon as it got noised around. Q You don't know who said that? A No. Q Did you hear somebody tell Huggett that it was a set job? A Yess sir. Q Did you hear somebody tell him to go back? (166) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A « response missing from original copy of the transcript » Q And that they got Huyck and they will get you? A Yes, that is what they said. They said they got Huyck and they will got you too. Q Do you know anything more about this? A Not of any consequence I guess, no. MR. SEARL: That is all, unless you gentlemen have some questions.
Q What is your name? A Byron Robson. Q Do you live here in town? A No, out in the country about three miles. Q And how old are you? A Seventeen. Q Are you a Senior in school? A Yes, sir. Q And this morning of the 18th were you at school? A Yes, sir. Q Whereabouts in the schoool were you? A I was going down in the hall to the east, and the stairs turn to the west, and I was right where you turn when it blew up. Q You were right where the stairs turn, on the Landing there? A Yes. Q About what time was that, do you know? A I should think it was about 8:45 Central Standard Time. Q And when this explosion occurred what happened? A Well, there was a crash and an awful noise is all that I know of. But I think it was black smoke I saw seemed to be coming up (167) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the hall, and then it turned white. I think it was this blast. I started to go downstairs, and I changed my mind and jumped out of the window, and I had to go out to the grape vines before I could get my breath. Q You jumped out of a window? A Yes. Q On the stairway? A Yes. Q And you run around to some grape vines in back? A Yes. Q And when you got out there what did you do? A Then I turned and went around to the east side of the schoolhouse and around to the west where it caved in, and then I came around west and jumped in the window and got in the third grade room and started to pull out some of the kids. Q The Third Grade is where? A On the south side of the entrance. Q And some of those children you were getting out of there were injured? A Yes. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck around there? A I think he was about the first one I saw. He was in the Assembly Room, and he got out of the window on this little lean-to and stood on there hollering to get a ladder, and somebody started for a ladder, so I went around and started to get out the kids. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck afterwards that morning? A No, I didn't. Q There was another explosion a little later? A Yes. Q About how much later was that? A Well, I couldn't tell you exactly. It might have been thirty minutes, and again it might not. Q During the interval between were you assisting in getting out (168) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| those children all the time? A Yes. I got some out, and I brought one down to Crum's and I met Cushman and we was pumping up a tire to take some of the children to their homes or to the hospital when the second explosion happened. Q You think there was about 30 minutes between the two? A About 30 minutes. Q Did you se anybody out in front between the first and second explosion? A No. Q You didn't see Mr. Kehoe at all that morning? A No. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck afterward? A No. Q Where did you go after the second explosion? A I went up to the schoolhouse and started home to see my folks, and then we came down the road and we met this man Fritz and he wanted us to take him to the hospital or home. Q What is Mr. Fritz' first name, do you know? A No, I don't. Q Do you know how he got hurt? A He said he was sitting in his car and the car exploded and something went through under his lung. He said it was under his lung, a piece of iron or something. Q Do you know anything more about this? A No. MR. SEARL: I think that is all unless you men have some questions. (169) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 6 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q You are the wife of David M. Hart? A Yes, sir. Q You live across the road from the Kehoe farm? A Yes, sir. Q You have known Mr. Kehoe ever since he has lived in that neighborhood? A Yes, sir. Q And up to some two or three years ago did you neighbor back and forth? A Always did. Q Did you neighbor back and forth up to the time of this occurence? A Oh, no, I hadn't been over there, oh it was a club meeting, I can't just tell you when, a couple of years may be. Q You knew Mrs. Kehoe did you not? A Yes, sir. Q She was a rather frail worman? A She has been the last year. Q Not very fleshy? A No. Q Do you know how old a lady she was? A I don't know. I did know her age when they came there, but I would say she was around 50 years old. Q Did she have gray hair? A It was kind of iron gray, not very gray, it was iron gray. Q Did you notice Mr. Kehoe wiring his buildings any? A No, sir. Q You weren't over around the farm at all? A I had never been in the yard for probably two years. I could see those little white knobs, I noticed on the east end of the barn (170) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| I could see two little white knobs like that. Q How long before the 18th did you notice that? A I should say two weeks. Q Fully two weeks? A I would say no. May be I am wrong. I saw those two little white knobs, and we did too see the wires when we were going down the road. Q How long would that be before the explosion? A May be two weeks. Q Did you see where the wires went? A No, sir, never paid any attention. Q You never saw him out there in the daytime working on wires? A No. I would see him when he would drive in. He would always drive in to the hog-house and back to the hog-house, and his car would be to the hog-house so much. Q Where would the hog-house be? A Kind of northeast of the barn. Q Between the house and the barn? A Yes, but a little further east. Q And didn't he use that for a tool shed? A Yes, sir. Q You saw him back up with his truck there? A Yes, always back up there. Q Did you see him have anything in his truck? A Yes, like boxes, with a blanket over it. Q Did you see him take those boxes out? A No, when he got back there it would be out of sight. Q When did you see him do that? A The last two or three week he would be doing it every day. Q When he drove in where did he come from? A Always west practically. Q Did you ever set him back his car up to this hog-house and load things in and go away? (171) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We saw him with a load and it looked like old wheels and junk like that, and I said to Mr. Hart, "You don't suppose he is junking his tools." It looked like junk. Q Did you see wire? A No. It looked like wheels, and I know one Of the neighbors spoke about he must be junking his tools. Q You knew about Mrs. Kehoe being away from home most of the winter? A Oh, sure I did. Sure I did. Q Was she home a little while this Spring? A Town meeting time she was at home a while, and they had a girl two or three weeks, and she was down here to Bath and voted. Q And she went back to the hospital? A She went back to the hospital on Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday shortly after that. Q After Town Meeting? A She went right that day, the girl went that day, and I can't say what day after that we heard she went. I didn't see her go. Q Town Meeting was on Monday. A Yes, sir. Q And it came on the 4th of April this year, or don't you remember? A I don't remember. Q It would be the first Monday in April? A Yes, sure. Q You think she went away either Tuesday or Wednesday that week? A Somewhere. I think you will find she went right in in a day or two, two or three days. Q Did you ever see her come back home after that? A No, but this Monday when he drove in there was somebody in the machine, because he cut across the yard, and he told Mr. Hart she was coming home, and I saw there was two in the machine. Q Did you see a woman get out? A No, I couldn't even tell there was a woman in there. (172) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you hear her talk over the telephone the next day? A No, sir. Q Did you see her around the house? A No, never saw her at all. Q Did you hear him talk over the telephone? A Oh, I heard their phone ring. They have had hardly any rings because she was away, and I don't remember whether I heard it or not. I beg your pardon, he did talk over the telephone Monday night with Blanche Hart. Q Did you hear what he said? A She asked him how Mrs. Kehoe was, and he said "She is getting along fine, I have got her home here with me, and she is fussing around." Q Did you hear anything else? A Not a word. They had had all their conversation. Ross Hart would know what she went and called him for, I don't know. Q This morning of the 18th did you see Mr. Kehoe around there? A Yes, I saw him walking around, and the car was backed up to the hog-house again, and the big doors open, all open. My chicken house, I would go out there, and I saw him around there. Q What time in the morning did you see him around there? A Around seven, eight or nine o'clock. I stood right in the front yard when he drove away. Q Did you see him load anything in the truck? A No, sir. I never paid any attention. Q Did you see him come down town. You saw him drive away when the buildings were burning? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see him come down town earlier in the morning? A No, sir. Q How long before you saw the buildings burning did you see him back his truck up? A I didn't see him, I just saw it was backed up to the hog-house. (173) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How long before the buildings caught fire? A May be an hour. I don't know positive. I didn't think anything about it, and didn't pay enough attention to it. Q Did you see these buildings on fire and hear this explosion? A I was right out in this little brooder house. I thought something had struck the building, and I went out to see if I could see anything around my little chicken coop, and I didn't see anything, and I picked up water dishes and came out kind of in front of the windmill, and I heard like a gun, but he was always shooting so much, and I just turned around and looked, and I won't say whether I stood longer than usual, and the first I saw was some smoke right around the roof of the corn-crib, and I saw that smoke and I stood and watched it, and just in a minute the flames from this corn-crib I saw, and I tried to make Mr. Hart hear and he was shelling corn, and I ran in and gave the alarm that Mr. Kehoe's corn-crib was on fire, and I called Mr. Hart and he started to run, and at that time the barn and everything was a mass of flames, and I said "Don't go over, because he certainly set it himself." Q Had you heard at this thing about the schoolhouse being blowed up? A No, not a thing. Q Did you go over to the Kehoe place? A No, sir, I kept right in my own yard. Q Did your husband go over there? A No, sir. Q Did you see Mrs. Howell down there that day? Mrs. Howell said she was down there looking for her husband. A I don't' believe. I saw Mr. Howell and the two boys come down and go into the place and went to the car, and he must have said something because they just went flying like down the yard by the fences, I saw them go. Q You saw them running out of the yard toward the road? (174) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, I did, but I can't remember seeing Mrs. Howell there at all. Q Did they talk with Mr. Kehoe long? A No, no. Q Do you know wbat he said to them? A Not at all, only what Mr. Howell told me. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe walking around his car at that time? A No. The smoke was so dense from the house you couldn't see very plain. Q Did you see Kehoe drive away in his car? A Yes, sir. Q How soon after that talk with the Howells? A There was two other men came along just as he was driving out of his driveway into the road, and they came over into our yard. Q Who was that? A I think one was the man that lived up in the little house. Q What little house? A The little house over south of us. I think his name was Croyer. Q And which way did Mr. Kehoe turn when he came out of his yard? A Came toward us, went east. Q And did you hear any explosions over at Kehoe's house? A Yes, which would bang about like a gun, or a little harder, heard ever so many of those. Q Did you see anybody go in the house and try to bring out some furniture? A They did. Q Do you know who they were? A I think Mr. George Hall was one of them, and I think Mr. William Horning, both of them went in and got out stuff. In fact, they told me they did. Q Did you see some stuff taken out of the house? A Yes, sir. That was taken into our barn. Q When was it taken into your barn? (175) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A That afternoon, a cousin of Mrs. Kehoes asked if they could put it into our barn. Q Did you come down to the schoolhouse that day? A Ten or fifteen minutes is all, in the afternoon. Q Did you hear the last explosion? A We heard and saw the smoke. Q How long do you think that was after the first one? A I think half hour. You know you are excited, I couldn't say. Q The buildings burned very quickly? A Yes, because everything was open. Q They broke out all over? A Yes. Q Would you say one and of the barn burst into flame before the other? A No. I saw this little blaze up at the roof of the corn-crib first. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe run from the house out in back, or anything. A No, no, I didn't. Q Did you see him get into his car? A No, no. The smoke was so dense I didn't see him get into his car. Q Were you around your home that night? A The night before? Q No, the night after the fire, Wednesday night? A Oh, yes, I waa home all the while. Q Did you go home that night? A Yes. Q Did you sleep? A Sure, I did. I thought he was dead. Q Mr. Kehoe was dead? A That is what they said. We didn't go to bed until three o'clock because their people were out there. (176) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Out to Kehoe's farm? A No, to our place. Her sister was there. Q Did you see this body of Mrs. Kehoe after it was found? A No, sir. Q Did you see her people afterwards? A Oh, yes. Their sisters were at our place the next day. Q Did they identify the body as hers? A I don't believe the sisters saw it. I don't believe they let her see it. I don't think they saw it, now I wouldn't say. Q They were looking for her in Jackson? A Yes, sir. Q You understand that Mr. Kehoe had told them that she was in Lansing? A It was Elizabeth Genevieve Price told me, and I said they certainly must know where she is, or those girls would be out there. And they said on Tuesday she came home on Monday night, On Tuesday toward night they tried to got her, and they couldn't got any response, and finally -- they told what time, I wouldn't try to tell you that -- he called them and he says, "I thought you had probably been trying to get us, but I took Nellie -- I don't know who -- Q Somebody in Jackson? A Somebody in Jackson. And as soon as they heard this they went to Jackson and looked up all these people. And this -- some Mr. Dunnebacke and those that were there in the afternoon and two sisters came to our place. Q And they were there during the night? A Yes, it was midnight, I am positive, when they were to our place. Q You didn't see any fire around Kehoe's place that night except the remains of the buildings? A No, no. Q There wasn't, any fire there, or you would have seen it? A No. I didn't see any fire. (177) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q If there had been a fire, it would have attracted your attention? A It seems as if it would, we were right there in the front room. Of course, there was people there, driving in and out all night. I didn't see any fire. The men that found the body thought we might be kind of nervous. Some of them thought the body was placed there Wednesday night, and he came over Thursday night and said he thought he would come over, he heard I was sick, and thought that he would relieve my mind, this Roy Cole and this other man. Q What did they tell you? A That the sand was still fresh on the wheels, and this body was certainly placed there that night. He said he went around one way and the other man the other. He didn't see it at all, but the other one did. He said there was a pickle fork laid up on her body, and it was ten or twelve feet from the building, and the body was burnt. Q No question in his mind but what the body was there the day before? A The day before. That is what he done it for, so we wouldn't think there was anybody else around there. Q Have you any idea there was anybody else around there but Kehoe? A No. Because if I did, I couldn't go to bed. No, I don't think there was a person implicated in it, really and truly I don't. Q Did you ever see anybody come there, be around Kehoe's much? A No, there was never anyone there. Q Was he a man that had many friends in the community? A He did for a while, but after he got on the School Board he went to quarreling and fighting, and people kind of set down on him. Q After that he didn't have many friends? A No, not many; but they were people that never entertained at dinners and like that. Q They didn't? A No. Q And was she away from home before this last winter? (178) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, never away from home. Q She wasn't? A No. MR. SEARL: That is all, unless you gentlemen have something.
Q Mr. Hart, you live right across the road from Mr. Kehoe's don't you? A I do. Q How old a man are you? A Fifty-nine. Q And how long have you lived there? A Twenty-nine years. Q Before that did you live in this community? A I did, half mile east of Bath, all my life lived right around here, born here. Q Did you know Lawrence Price when he owned this Kehoe farm? A Very well. Q And you knew of his building those buildings there? A Yes, sir. Q Lawrence Price was a man of considerable means? A Very nice man, wealthy man. Q You knew Mrs. Kehoe? A You bet I did. Q What was her first name? A Nellie. Q Did you know her when she was a child? A No, I wasn't acquainted. (179) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 7 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you get acquainted with her when she came back there with Mr. Kehoe? A Yes, sir. Q And that was about eight years ago, wasn't it? A Yes, sir. Q She was a rather slender woman wasn't she? A Just a medium size I would say. Q She wasn't fleshy any? A No. Q During the time that you lived across the road from the Kehoes did you neighbor back and forth with them? A We did. Q Were they neighborly? A They were just fairly neighborly. Q Did you have some trouble with Mr. Kehoe one time? A Never had a word with him in my life. Q Did you exchange work? A I helped him thresh the 1ast he ever threshed. Q When was that? A A year ago last fall. He didn't this last Fall. Q He didn't thresh anything in 1926? A No. Q Did he harvest anything at all last year? A Hay was all. Q And his beans and corn is still standing in the field there? A Yes. Q Do you know of some trouble between him and his wife? A Never heard a word. Q Did you ever hear that he had any trouble with the School Board? A Yes, I heard it. Q Did you talk with him about it? A He use to when he first went on. Q When he first went on the School Board? (180) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes. Q He explained about that? A Some. He said he couldn't get along with Sleight very well. Q Who was that? A Nelson Sleight. Q Was Sleight on the School Board? A He was at that time. Q He isn't now? A No. Q Did you know of his having trouble with other members of the School Board? A I just heard it in a casual way. Q During the time you lived across from him did you have some trouble with him about shooting a dog? A No trouble, but he shot the dog. Mrs. Hart asked him if he saw our dog, and he said he shot it accidentally. Q That didn't cause any trouble? A No. We didn't like it. Q Do you know of his workine horses to death? A He told me he killed a horse. Q Did he tell you how? A Said the horse couldn't draw the manure, and after he was done he was dead. Q It was about four years ago he shot the dog? A About four years ago. We have always had lots of dogs. Q You have always been over around his place? A I was there last Monday afternoon, the Monday before the explosion. Q What was the occasion that you were over there? A I went over to help him sell some horses. Q Who was that? A Seymour Champion. Q He lives in Lansing? (181) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Mr. Kehoe had two horses on the farm at that time? A Yes, sir. Q No other stock? A No. Q When you went there Mr. Kehoe was where? A In the henhouse. Q That is the only building left? A Yes. Q Did he make any objection to your going in? A We didn't go in, he came out to meet us. Q Did he act like he didn't want you to go in there? A No, we didn't get a chance, and I told Mr. Champion he would sell the gray horse, and I introduced him and asked him how Mrs. Kehoe was, and he said she was better and she was up to her sisters. Q Did youL see him carry straw in the henhouse? A No. I told the man I didn't think he was home, and he said he was because he saw him carrying straw in the henhouse. The man came into the house to wash his hands. Q What did he say about the horses? A He said he would take $100, and that she was 18 yeurs old, and we went out and looked at the other, and he said she weighed 1900 but she had one eye out. The man saih he wouldn't give that. Q Did he act the same usual? A Yes, sir. Q He always spoke to you? A He always lifted up his hand when I saw him along the road. Q Did you see anything about him Monday to indicate he was insane? A I never saw a saner man. Q You think he was absolutely sane? A I think he was. Q Did you ever see the wires around the house? (182) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A I saw them that day. This man asked what he would take for the horse, and he told me "I would give him $60.00," and he said he is a funny man, but 18 years old, he is too dear, We stood around there perhaps half an hour. Q Did you notice these wires running from the house to the barn? A I noticed the wires to that little building. Q Were there two wires? A Two little fine wires, they weren't electric wires because they were too fine. Q Did they look like copper wires? A Yes. Q Did you see the little knobs? A Yes. Q How long ago did you see them? A Two weeks before I think I said to Mrs. Hart, "I'll bet that man i going to invent something," and she said, "Invent nothing." Q You had talked with your wife about those white knobs? A Yes, sir. Q So you paid particular attention on that day you were over there? A Yes, sir. Q Trying to find out what it was? A Yes. Q Did you ask him anything about the wiring? A No. Q He never made any statement about the wire? A No. Q The Consumers Power Company was getting ready to come in here with electricity? A Yes. Q Did you think he was getting ready for that? A No, because my son lives up west, and he saw him down town, and he asked him if he would take it on if they came down that way, (183) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| and he said no. Q Did you notice these wires running from one barn to another? A I saw two wires run over to this chicken coop mostly, and I saw some wires run over to the big long what-do-you-call-it. Q The tool shed? A Yes, the tool shed. Q The farthest building to the west? A Yes. Q And did you see him drive in and out of his place with his truck with loads in it of some kind? A Yes, small loads. Q When was that? A Ever since he got it, but lately it seemed more often because he wasn't working. Q He got his car about a year ago? A About the 22nd of February a year ago? Q 1926? A Yes. Q How long, in months, going back, do you think he has been drawing quite a lot? A I think he has been more busy the last three weeks. Q The last three weeks before the explosion? A Yes, sir. Q You think he was doing a lot with the truck? A Yes. He was getting his meals in town they told me, and he was to the hospital to see his wife, so he was in and out considerable. Q Around Town Meeting day in April did you notice him bringing things in this truck? A Yes, just small boxes, something covered up. I can't say as I saw boxes, but it looked as if something was in the truck. Q Did you see him drive to the shop? A Yes, and stand there a little while, and at night he would drive (184) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| right straight west and put it into his garage. Q Would his truck be empty when he put it into his garage? A I couldn't say. We always could tell when Mr. Kehoe was away, because when he went away he left it open and when he was home he kept it shut, and that door faced us. Q when he came with these boxes, or whatever he had in his car, where did he come from? A From the west mostly. Sometimes he would pull in in the night, sometimes look out there at eight or nine o'clock and see him drive right in. Q Did you ever see him drive out of his yard in the night-time? A Several times. Q Where would he go? A I have seen him drive late at night. Q How late at night? A Eight or nine o'clock. We would be going to bed, and sometimes see his machine going out, and sometimes see his machine going in. My son said one night he was coming from church, and he followed his machine right home from church. Q When was that? A Within the last two weeks. Q Within the last two weeks? A Yes, he followed his machine right home. Q Would you hear his machine going away at night? A Yes. Q When would that be? A During the last of March and April. Q You would hear him going at night? A Quite a lot at night. Sometimes when he would go his lights would reflect out, we slept on the northeast side, so we have a chance to look out there a good deal. Q Could you tell whether he was going toward Bath? A He went east mostly. (185) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Went east and came from the east? A Yes. Q Did you talk With him about what he was doing? A Never said nothing. Q This morning of the 18th did you see him around at all? A I didn't see him that morning. I saw him Tuesday. He passed me on a load of hay. I was going to my son's. Q You were on the load of hay? A Yes. Q That would be 80 rods west of you? A Yes, right after diner. Q Did he speak to you then? A He honked his horn and threw up his hand. That was the last time I saw him. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe around? A Not since Town Meeting. Q You saw her at Town Meeting? A Somebody said she was there. Q Where were you when this explosion took place? A In the granary. Q That is east of your house? A East of my house. Q Where did the explosion come from? A I thought it came from the east, that was the last one I heard. Q What did you do when you heard that? A I kept right on shelling corn. I said somebody is blasting, I said that is too loud for a gun, and I kept right on, and after that I heard some more explosions and then somebody called. Q Your wife called? A Yes. Q And then did you go up to the house? A Yes, and she said the buildings were afire. Q What did she say then? (186) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We talked a minute, and she said, "Don't go, because I think he set then himself because everything is burning." So I went around and got some ladders, and in a few minutes she came out of the house and said there was an explosion at the schoolhouse. Q Did you go down to the schoolhouse? A I did. And just before that I saw Mr. Kehoe drive out of his yard. Q How long before this second explosion did you see him drive out of his yard? A Might have been 15 or 20 minutes. Q How long after Kehoe came down to Bath did you come down to Bath? A I followed him right down with Mr. Drumheller. Q When you got to Bath did you see Mr. Kehoe? A I never saw him after that. Q You didn't see him after you saw him drive out of his yard? A No. Q Did you see anything in his car? A Mrs. Hart said "There he goes with something over his head." Q What was it? A I think it was a cloth, but she said he had something over his head. Q Did you hear the second explosion? A I was working in front of the schoolhouse. Q Did you see Kehoe's car down in front of the schoolhouse? A I didn't notice it. Q Did you se Kehoe again? A No. Q How long had you been working down to the schoolhouse when you heard the second explosion? A I think half hour. Q You think you had been working down there half hour? A I think I had, I couldn't tell. (187) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How long do you think it was between the first second explosion down here? A Might have been 30 or 40 minutes, because it wasn't long after we heard the first one we came up. I couldn't say, might have longer or shorter. Q It wasn't only a few minutes after the first before you started down here to Bath? A Before we started right down. Q Did you go out in front afterward? A I was out working in front right along, and I went out in front and somebody spoke to me that was helping me. I was on this big telephone pole, and I said they have dynamite right here in Bath and there are machines on fire. I didn't go after I went out to this machine and I saw a foot laying there and I didn't know who it was. Q Did you see Kehoe's machine? A No, I didn't notice. I saw my machine up there, and the glass was all blown out of that. Q Who had driven your machine? A My son. Q Did you afterwards see Kehoe's machine? A No, I never saw Kehoe's machine. Q Did you se Kehoe's body? A No, I never saw it, just the foot. Q That was all you saw of it? A That is all. Q Did you se Mr. Huyck that morning? A Never saw Mr. Huyck. Q Or Glenn Smith? A No. I was working around the schoolhouse, I didn't see Glenn Smith. Q I think that is all. Do you know anything else about this? A No, I guess not. (188) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| MR. SEARL: Have you gentlemen any questions? Mrs. Hart did you see something around Mr. Kehoe's head that morning? Mrs. LULU HART: No, Mr. Hart has got that wrong. These two men that came that I told you, they was the ones that told us. One of those men said that he had something tied around his head. Mr. Drumheller might know whether it was Mr. Crosby or not.
Q How old are you Don? A Seventeen. Q And you were a senior in the highschool, were you not? A Yes, sir. Q On this morning of the explosion you were playing ball out in front? A Yes, in the road. Q And Arthur Woodman, William Robb and Charles Havelin were playing with you? A Yes, sir. Q Just tell the Jury what you saw and noticed take place that morning there from the time you got there? A After the last bell we started playing ball. We had been playing out in front between the first and last bells, and I hadn't seen Mr. Kehoe or Mr. Huyck around that morning. And we came out and played ball, and from the time we started playing ball until the first explosion I didn't notice anything unusual going on. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe that morning at all? A No. Q Where were you when the first explosion took place? (189) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 8 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Right out on the sidewalk, on the crosswalk in the street. Q Which cross-walk? A You know DeBarts house? Q Yes. What did you do when you heard this explosion? A Started for the schoolhouse. Q Did it knock you down? A I don't remember what happened. I don't remember anything only the falling of glass in the schoolhouse. Q Did you run up to the school? A Yes. Q Where? A Went up and across the sidewalk pretty near the entrance of the schoolhouse, and I started into the ruins. Q Where did you go? A I took one little boy out of the boards, and I fell down into a hole in the home economics room, and I climbed out in the upper hall and I think Pansy Wilson was in the door of the assembly room, and I went down around with her, and I went out and want to working in the ruins, and I wasn't out there but a few minutes. I was out looking for my mother when the second explosion came. Q Out where? A Just a little way from the ruins when the second explosion took place. Q Looking for what? A Looking for my mother. Q How long between these two explosions? A I wouldn't say more than 20 minutes. Q Earl Ewing was your brother, wasn't he? A Yes, sir. Q Did you go out in front at any time? A I wasn't just but a few feet from the ruins at any time. I guess the farthest I was from the ruins at any time was when the second explosion went off. (190) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you see Glenn Smith or Mr. Huyck? A No. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck at any time? A I saw him stop and talk to my Dad just a few minutes before the second explosion, and I saw him turn and I didn't notice where he went. Q Did you see this Kehoe car afterwards? A I saw what was left of it. Q You could identify that as his car? A Yes, by that speedometer on the left front wheel. Q No question in your mind about it being his car? A No, no question. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck after the explosion? A Yes, but I couldn't identify him. Q You couldn't identify him? A No. Q You didn't'see Kehoe around that morning at all? A No. Q You had seen him working around the schoolhouse before this? A Yes, he has been around the schoolhouse. Q Saw him around there last summer? A Last Fall he dug that drain there. Q Do you know anything else about this? A Nothing else. Q Have you ever been down in the basement of the school? A Yes, quite often. Q You were down there this Winter? A Yes. Q Did you notice anything unusual there? A Nothing unusual. Q Did you notice any wiring? A No. Q Did anybody call your attention to anybody breaking into the (191) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| schoolhouse? A No. Q Did you know about this back door being broken? A I knew you couldn't shut it. Q When was the last time you were down in the basement before this explosion? A I think it was the day before. It was raining, and I went down in the basement to dry my clothes. Q Either Monday or Tuesday? A Yes. Q Did you notice anything unusal then? A No. Q Were you around in the furnace room? A Just to dry my clothes. Q You were in the engine room and furnace room? A Yes. There was a button on the wall, and Arthur Woodman was with me, and I went in the fan room to see if that turned the fan on, but it didn't. I don't know what it was. Q Just an ordinary light switch down in the basement? A Yes. Q You don't know anything more about this? A No. Q Did you hear anything about this being a set job? A A set job? Q About somebody dynamiting the schoolhouse, early in the morning after the first explosion? A The first thing I thought of was the boilers in the cellar, and I thought also of the chemistry laboratory, and I know it wasn't the boilers from the part that was blown up; and then the only thing I could think of after the second explosion was that some car had got on fire and some gas tank had exploded. MR. SEARL: That is all. (Recess) (192) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
|
AFTERNOON SESSION,
Q You live here in Bath? A I live two miles out. Q In Bath Township though? A Yes. Q How old a man are you Mr. Watling? A I am 57. Q Where were you on this morning of the explosion, the 18th? A I was right there in my own yard. My son-in-law was there with me, busy building over a little brooder chicken coop. Q Did you hear the explosion at the schoolhouse? A I don't think we heard anything of that at first. We didn't know when that went off. Q Did you come up to the school? A No, the first information we had of it, there was somebody went by in a car and he hollered and said come on the schoolhouse is afire. Of course, we hadn't seen any smoke, and we looked up and saw the smoke and we jumped right in the car and came on up. We didn't know which school it was. We kept leading to one place and then another, and as we got along to this center school I said it wasn't that. Q When you got up here to the schoolhouse did you go around the building? A We didn't stop when we got alongside the schoolhouse, the south end looked all right. I said that is all right, the fire is out beyond, and we went out to the buildings. Q To Mr. Kehoe's house? A Yes, sir. Q On the way out to the Kehoe house did you see Mr. Kehoe or his (193) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| car? A No. Q Did you talk with anybody out there? A We didn't go very near, just near the railroad and parked. There was a couple of men there when we parked our car, and they came across the road, and we merely talked about the buildings, and they said they looked as if they were set, and I said I believed they was, and just then there was a big explosion in his house. Q Did you come up town then? A Not right away. My son-in-law said we will go down and help Mr. Hart save his buildings. Q What is your son-in-law's name? A 0scar Witchell. Q He is the father of one of these children that were killed? A Yes, my granddaughter. Q Did you come down here? A When we were standing there I heard this big explosion, and I saw smoke in the air, and I said I guess there is something on fire there, and then somebody said the schoolhouse was on fire, and I said to my son-in-law let's go back to the schoolhouse, I am afraid the children are all killed, and then we jumped in the car. Q Did you have some talk with Glenn Smith when you came up here? A Not any more than I run up there and my son-in-law said hello Glenn, and I didn't say anything to him. I run right on up to the schoolhouse. Q Did you hear anything said by Glenn Smith there? A No. Q Did your son-in-law? A I don't know. It seems to me Glenn said never mind me, go an and get the children out. I wouldn't be sure whether he told my son-in-law that or somebody else. Q Is your son John Watling? (194) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Do you know if he said anything to Glenn Smith? A No, I don't. Q Do you know anything more about it than that? A No. Q Somebody told me that either you or your son heard Glenn Smith make a statement there. Did you hear anything more than that? A No, sir, I don't think so. We didn't stop, we were running. I think my son-in-law just hollered, but he was quite a ways in the lead of me. Q Do you think of anything else about it? A No. Q Did you know Kehoe? A Oh, yes, I was acquainted with him. Q Never saw anything out of the way with him in any way? A No, no. MR. SEARL: I think that is all. Q Is your son here? A I haven't seen him.
Q You said your name was D. B. Huffman? A Yes, sir. Q You live here in Bath do you not, Mr. Huffman? A Yes, sir. Q You are general ticket agent down here at the depot? A Agent. Q You have charge of the Express Company there? (195) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes sir. Q What Express Company is that? A American Railway. Q Were you acquainted with Andrew Kehoe? A I was. Q How long have you known him? A Well, practically ever since he was in town. Q That would be about eight years. A Just about eight years. Q And this morning of the 18th I understand he mailed a box out there? A Expressed a box out. Q Can you tell us about how large a box that was? A Well, it was about that long and about that high (indicating). Q About 18 to 24 inches long? A Yes. Q And about 12 inches high? A Yes, sir. Q And about 12 inches the other way? A About 12 inches the other way. Q Did you notice there was some marking on that box about pyrotol, or dynamite, or about Dupont? A Afterwards there was some government men down there and called me down for billing that out with that mark on it. If there were any marks on there, they were crossed off with either black chalk or a big heavy pencil, because he weighed the box and instructed me how much it weighed. Q How much did it weigh? A Twenty-four pounds. Q And who was it addressed to? A Clyde B. Smith. Q And what town? A Lansing. (196) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did he tell you what was in the box? A No, he didn't say. Q Did he declare it in any way? A I asked him what the valuation was, and he told me about $25.00. He hesitated, and he said, "Oh, I don't know, about $25.00." Q Did he sent it prepaid or collect? A Prepaid. Q How much did he pay you? A Paid me 51 cents express charges. Q What time in the morning was that? A Between 7:00 and 7:15. Q Did you send it to Lansing? A I had to send it north on account of no connection. Q So your connection would be to send it to Lainsburg? A Of course, when I load it on I don't know where they take it. They tell me sometimes they take it to Saginaw. Q Anyway, it would go north until it meets a south-bound train, and then come back to Lansing? A Yes, because that would be the quickest route. Q You learned afterward it was taken to Laingsburg? A I didn't until late in the afternoon. Q That morning he talked with you did he seem sane and rational? A Just the same as ordinary. He never was much of a talker. I never talked with him much. I would say he was just as he always was. Q And that is all that you know about that box is it? A Yes, sir. MR. SEARL: That is all I think. (197) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q Mr. Dunnebacke, what is your full name? A Joseph H. Dunnebacke. Q And you are an attorney-at-law? A Yes, sir. Q Practicing law in Lansing? A Yes. Q And you knew -- did you know during his lifetime Lawrence Price? A Yes, sir. Q Are you related to him in any way? A No, sir. Q You have done some legal business for him? A Yes. I was Mr. Price's legal advisor at Lansing since about 1902, and was named one of the executors of his will, and have been acting to such since his death. Q When did he die? A On February 12, 1917. Q And who was the other executor of the Estate? A His brother Richard Price of Jackson, and his widow Beaulah A. Price of Lansing. Q There were three of you? A Yes, sir. Q And his brother and widow are still living? A Yes, sir. Q And all three of you still acting as executors? A Yes, sir. Q You probably can take this up in a better way than I can. If you will just tell this Jury in sequence the events, how long you have known Mr. Kehoe, and his relation with the Price Estate? (198) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Well, they began in the Spring of 1919. Perhaps, Mr. Searl, if I may, I will preface what I am going to say with the statement of one of the things I had in mind in coming here, was to straighten out some impressions that had gotten current throughout central Michigan, and more particularly at Lansing, due to some newspaper reports about Mr. Price, one of the Executors, which are very unjust, if not libelous. For instance, I refer to the last edition of the Lansing State Journal under date of Wednesday, May 18th. In the article on the front page written by Frank S. Pritchard I find this statement, "forclosure of a mortgage on Kehoe farm by Mrs. Lawrence Price of Lansing, his wife's aunt, is believed to have crazed the man and caused him to seek revenge on the community." Further down in the statement, "Members of the Constabulary were investigating the story told by Kehoe to Mrs. Kehoe's three sisters as to having taken his wife to Jackson from the St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing. It was suspected, however, that Kehoe's wife was taken back to the farm which he was forced to leave, and that she was blown to atoms when he dynamited the buildings." As a further statement, "There was reason to believe that the man was angered at Mrs. Kehoe's sister, Mrs. Price. Mrs. Price had instucted her attorney sometime ago to forclose the mortgage on the farm which Kehoe and his wife bought, and where they had lived." Further statement, "Mrs. Kehoe was brought to to the St.Lawrence Hospital suffering from a tubercular affliction. Kehoe called from the farmlhouse from which he was to be ejected, informed the three sisters by telephone that he planned to remove Mrs. Kehoe from St. Lawrence Hospital to friends in Jackson." There is but one deduction to be drawn from those statements, and that is that Mrs. Price, or if you will please, the Executors of the Estate had crowded Kehoe to the point where he had become desperate, with the resultant atrocious happenings. Now, the truth is that foreclosure proceedings were (199) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 1 9 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| begun in October of last year, but there was nothing at all in the circumstances which could have had any effect on Mr. Kehoe other than anxiety about the payment of an indebtedness such as an right minded person might have about owing money. I at one time had a mortgage an my place, and I know I was anxious to have it paid up. But beyond that, there was nothing about the situation that could have prompted Mr. Kehoe to this terrible thing that occurred. Now, the record will bear that out. Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe came to Lansing, to Bath I should say, from Tecumseh. He had some negotiations with Mr. Richard for the purchase of the Price farm, what we know as the home eighty. Mr. Price had four 80's, cornering on each other, and one was known as the home 80. Mrs. Kehoe was a niece of Lawrence Price, and that may explain the reason why they entertained a desire to own this home 80; and my first knowledge begins with the information that they had negotiated with Mr. Richard Price and were going to buy the place for $12,000, paying $6,000 down and giving a purchase money mortgage for the remaining six. It was my information at the time that the money that Mr. Kehoe paid for the farm was money that he derived from a sale of his farm over at Tecumseh. Be that as it may, on the 27th of March, 1919, the Executors of the Estate executed a deed to him, and he in turn executed a mortgage for $6,000, the mortgage running to the Lawrence Price Estate. The note shows that he paid his first year's interest in 1920, and then he paid interest for another year in March, 1921, and that is the last money that Andrew Kehoe paid on this note and mortgage. In 1922 he wrote me a letter. If you understand, Gentlemen of the Jury, that I never addressed Andrew Kehoe on the subject of this mortgage and his indebtedness under it. He may have spoken to me once or twice about it. Such correspondence as there was is here in my file, but please understand that I never asked him about the interest or the principal, and I assume it is correct to say that neither did Mrs. Beulah (200) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Price or Mr. Richard Price; but under date of March 20th, 1922, Andrew sent me this letter: (Reading) I replied the very next day: (Reading) That was all there was about that interest money that year. Nothing was said about interest money in 1923. Then it went down to 1924, and I have before me a letter from Richard Price, enclosing one from Andrew Kehoe and Richard Price's answer to it, and I think, if I may, I will read those into the record: (Reading) Now, that is a11 the correspondence and all the conversation that was had between Andrew Kehoe and myself at least, and I am quite sure with Mr. Richard Price, and with Mrs. Beulah Price. A little later on there was some conversation relative to Mrs. Kehoe's legacy. Understand, in the will of Lawrence Price she was given $2,000. On account of the condition of the Lawrence Price estate we weren't able to make any payments to the legatees and that doesn't include the widow. Of course, until in August, 1925, which was a year later, then the Kehoe mortgage became due. At that time we paid the heirs 60% of their legacies, which would be twelve hundred dollars for Mr. Kehoe, and I wrote her a letter saying it was ready, and she and Andrew came to the office and the check was turned over to them. Nothing was said about interest or principal by them to me, and neither did I ask them for it. I was a little surprised, perhaps, that they took the check without saying anything about applying it on the mortgage. And I think another year after that, yes, in March, 1926 that would be the following Spring, we were able pay another 25% to the heirs, and that would be $500 to Mrs. Kehoe. At that time I applied that payment on the note and mortgage, and wrote Mrs. Kehoe that I was doing that, and she wrote back and said she was glad there was another payment on the legacy; told me about the work Andrew was doing on the School Board and the time he was giving to it, and that a little later on they would be in to see me about it. She (201) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| inquired of me to know how much the indebtedness was on the mortgage. I could read all those letters to you, but they are so lengthy I won't burden the record with those letters, but they are here before me for your inspection. The thing run along that way until in October. Understand we were executors and trustees of the beneficiaries of this Estate. Mr. Price left perhaps half of his estate to charitable beneficiaries, hospitals, the Industrial School for boys over at Lansing, the Ingham County tuberculosis Hospital, Associated Charities, and different beneficiaries of that kind. Here was a mortgage that was five years past due. It was two years past due then, but no interest had been paid for 5-1/2 years, so the time came when we felt we should file a foreclose bill as a matter of protection to ourselves, which was done. I remember going over to St. Johns on a Saturday afternoon, and my wife accompanied me, and because it was Saturday afternoon the offices were closed. I didn't place the subpoenas in the hands of the sheriff. I did however mail them over to him on the following Monday or Tuesday, and I happened to meet that same afternoon toward evening Mrs. Elizabeth Price, who was a sister of Mrs. Kehoe, and I happened to mention to her that I had started this foreclosure suit and telling her that she wasn't to understand that we were pressing her sister or her husband. She was rather concerned about it, and I learned for the first time that Nellie Kehoe wasn't a well woman, and Mrs. Price indicated to me that the service of those subpoenas might have an injurious effect on Nellie. So I went right to the Sheriff and indeavored to get in touch with the Sheriff in St. Johns, and I kept right on until about 9:30 or 10:00, and unable to get him I telegraphed this message to the Sheriff. This is sent on the 6th or October: (Reading) "Have tried since five o'clock to reach your office by telephone. Don't serve Kehoe's summons until further instructions from me. Dunnebacke." It transpired that the summons had been placed in the hands of a Deputy and (202) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| he had taken it over to Bath to serve it. I only give you that information, Gentlemen of the Jury, because it indicate that at no time did the executors of the Price Estate press Andrew Kehoe for his money. His wife was a niece of the Deceased, Lawrence Price; and while a foreclosure suit was instituted, there was no intention at any time to press that to the disadvantage of Mr. Kehoe or his wife. On the contrary, it was my idea, and I am sure Mr. Kehoe so understood it, that he would be given every opportunity to work out his problem by making a sale of his farm and thereby saving his equity. In February Mr. LaNoble, who I have reason to believe you all know, was at my office and told me about having worked up a deal whereby Andrew was to sell that farm for the same price he gave for it, $12,000. It is my recollection that was going be bought by a gentleman who was instructor at M. S. C., and who was buying really for his father. Kehoe seems to have been a little slow to take up that offer, and somewhere I got the report that the purchasers backed up on it because of the amount of tax. But be that as it may, a little later on Rex Watson came to me at Lansing -- Rex Watson is a son of Dr. Watson --, and Rex wanted to buy that farm, so I sent him to Mrs. Price's sisters to talk with them about it, because they knew Nellie better than I did. Then later on, as late as the 31st of March, Andrew was in my office and tole me about a deal he had on. It seems that some broker over there, who was going to turn in some equities in other property, and he wanted Andrew to sign up a sort of an option agreement, and Andrew wanted to know of me what I though of it. I said to him I wasn't very crazy about it, because he was taking equities in property he didn't know anything about, and secondly it was a one sided agreement that he would have to go through, but the broker wouldn't have to unless he wanted to; and he seemed to sense that, and when he left the office we seemed to be friendly. (203) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| About two weeks after that I met him in front of the bank, and we shook hands and visited a minute, and I asked him about that last deal, and he said he thought my advice pretty good and that he declined to sign that option agreement. That was the last time I saw Andrew Kehoe alive. Whatever may have influenced Kehoe to this dastardly happening couldn't have been by reason of any fear that he was going to be dispossessed from that farm. From the beginning to the end the record is that we were patient, helpful, and I repeat again was solicitous of his comfort'and his wife's comforts, and I don't ever remember of mentioning that mortgage or the indebtedness under it. MR. SEARL: In order to clear this up for the Jury; there is two ways of forclosing a mortgage, one at chancery and one at law. The ordinary foreclosure is a foreclosure at law whereby the farm is sold. The foreclosure you instituted was a forclosure in chancery? A Yes, sir. Q And under that procedure you could take a decree at any time after the service of the summons? A Not as I remember it. Q You couldn't sell it for six months? A You cannot take a decree and sell it inside of six months. Q It takes six months before you can sell the place? A Aha. Q You can't begin the advertising until after six months after the summons is served? A Yes, sir. Q So after it is advertised he still has six months to redeem? A Yes, sir. Q So that is about 13-1/2 months? A Yes, sir. Q You never took a decree? A No. (204) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q You never have done anything further with that? A No, sir. We foreclosed in chancery because it makes it possible for a man to have an attorney in court. In this case we foreclosed in chancery because, acoording to my knowledge, it was the right thing to do. Q Where we expect a man to redeem a place we foreclose in chancery because he may redeem in a reasonable time, and it is less expense? A Yes, sir. Q After the foreclosure of the mortgage there was some litigation in Probate Court about you taking that $500 out of Mrs. Kehoe's share to apply on the mortgage? A Yes. That may throw a little light on Andrews make-up. You see this was in March that these legacies were paid. I am not sure whether they were turned over to the heirs in March, but at any rate the checks were prepared and dated the last day of March and ready for delivery so they might be included in the accounting at the end of that period. In other words, our accounting period runs from April 1st of one year to March 31st of the next year. So later on that summer when a notice was given on a hearing on that question, Mr. Price and I went over to Mason to be present at that hearing, and I was perfectly amazed when I got there to find that Andrew Kehoe and his wife was present. What is the point to it? The point is that he evidently didn't like that this money was applied on the mortgage indebtedness, and instead of making that known to us, he waited until the day of the hearing and went directly over to Mason to be present at that hearing. He didn't even inquire of us as to the time and place of the hearing. He seems to have dug that all up independently of any knowledge on our part. Now, the strange thing about that is that there was absolutely nothing that had transpired that would lead him to believe that we was unfriendly, or would not be as helpful at that time as we had at any time prior to that. And yet, he did (205) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| make his inquiries, and went over to Mason to attend that hearing without ever indicating to us that he was at all interested in the thing. of course, there was this peculiar situation there: The farm had been deeded to Andrew alone, although the mortgage was signed by him and his wife, the legacy ran to the wife alone. If you read the correspondence here, it will indicate -- I guess one of the letters already indicated -- that that later was to be applied on the mortgage. So, in applying that payment on the mortgage there was nothing but what had been fore-shadowed in the correspondence; but he seemed not to have liked that, and at Mason Judge Searl being present with him, we talked it over and indicated to Kehoe and his Counsel that if there was any objection to that way of working it out, that it would be entirely agreeable to us, in fact, I accepted the order which corrected that application of that amount on the note. Q Did he and his wife get the money at that time? A Oh, yes. Q They got their $500? A Yes. Q Now -- A Just a moment. Under date of August 7th I have a copy of a letter here to Honorable Kelly S. Searl, indicating that we were going to do this, and then I prepared the order and sent it to Judge MacArthur, and under date of August 25th there was this letter to Mrs. Kehoe: (Reading) Q Did you find in your dealings with Kehoe that he was obstinate, or contrary, or seemed to let things go, made such statements as let it go to the devil, or things of that kind? A No, I never heard him use any language that couldn't be used in the presence of women and children. He was obstinate; that is, I gathered he was. Q In the settlement of the Estate over to Mason was he obstinate (206) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| about that? A Well, yes. I remember there in Judge MacArthur's office -- just what was that. Q It won't be very material anyway. A Anyway, I remember this: There was some question up there, and your father advised him very strongly about it, and he didn't seem to want to concede to your father's advice about it. His wife was for it, and it was a matter that Judge MacArthur and all of us seemed to think was proper, but he was obstinate to the point that he wasn't willing to adopt your father's recommendation. Now, that is an example of obstinacy as I used the term here. Q Last Fall the insurance expired on the farm? A I haven't any word about that. Q Did you know the buildings weren't insured at the time of the fire? A No, sir. I trusted him implicitly. Q I don't know but I talked with the insurance agent the other day that Kehoe had been in and paid up the insurance, but cancelled some last winter. Did you know about that? A No, sir. At the time we sold the farm to him, I made inquiry of the mutual companies and learned it was less expensive to transfer a certificate or policy of insurance than it would be to cancel it and renew it. I wrote him the names of the insurance companies, I think one in St. Johns and one in Hastings, and pointed out how those transfers could be made, and from that time on I never knew the insurance matter was up and but what the buildings were insured. I had confidence in his honesty, that I never questioned for a moment but what the buildings were insured. Q You always found him honest in his accounting? A Absolutely. Q Have you been to the farm lately, just prior to the explosion; that is, the last two or three months? (207) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, sir, I haven't been there for two or three years. We have but one 80 over by the railroad, and he comes in every year, so I haven't been to the farms for two or three years. Q Did you see Mrs. Kehoe's body after it was found? A Yes, sir. Q Any question in your mind but it was Mrs. Kehoe? A No question in my mind but what it was the body of a woman. Yes, I am satisfied it was Mrs. Kehoe. Q You would identify it as Mrs. Kehoe? A The remains were charred to the point where you couldn't identify it. Except on the hypothesis that some other woman might have been on the farm at that time, there couldn't be any question. Q Did you check up about when Mrs. Kehoe was taken home? A Yes, sir. Q When did you find that to be? A The only information I can give you is hearsay, but it is correct notwithstanding. on Wednesday of last week I heard the report of this catastrophe here by the latter part of the forenoon. In fact, I got it from the first extra that the State Journal put out. Then I went over to the Hotel Olds to be present at that special drive luncheon, and while there a doctor came in that had just come from here. It wasn't until I was down on the street, when somebody else handed me another extra, and in that extra the name of Kehoe was used. I went out to the St. Lawrence Hospital to see the Sister Superior, because it occurred to me I might drive over to Jackson and get some other nurse for her, but when I got to the office she had everything in shape, so I returned to the office and when I got there the three sisters were there, the sisters of Mrs. Kehoe, Elizabeth, Genevieve and Loretta. Q Are they all sisters? A Yes. Q And they all live in Lansing? (208) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A And they all live in Lansing. Their parents are deceased. They have no brothers. Mr. Richard Price is trying a lawsuit, and I dare say there was no one they could get except me, and then they told me about Nellie being in St. Lawrence Hospital until two weeks ago Saturday, this last Saturday; and then she went from the hospital to their home and stayed there two weeks, Andrew coming in every few days to visit her and them, and it was on a week ago last Sunday that he was to come to Lansing and bring her to her home on the farm. You may remember that was the day it rained so, I know I drove to Detroit. Q No question about that. He didn't bring her home on account of the rain? A No. She expected to go home that day though. On account of the weather conditions, evidently felt less inclined to do so, and he was to come after her the next evening, and he did so. The Merrills told me he was disappointed when he learned that Nellie seemed to want to stay another day. He did come the next evening and brought her to the farm. Then on Tuesday evening they had told me they had telephoned out to see how Nellie was, and had got no response. After a little while there was a call in at their home, and it was Andrew on the telephone, and as they related to me, he said, "Have you been trying to get us on the telephone," and they said they had worried about Nellie, and he said "Nellie is over to Jackson, she was lonesome here, and we have some friends by the name of Vost who we use to know at Tecumseh, and it occurred to me to take Nellie over there because I thought it would be a good thing for her," and he said "I am to go back for her on Thursday." And about that point the conversation closed, so the question with us then was whether we would go over and get Nellie, or whether we would just await developments, but we concluded -- Q In brief you did search over at Jackson for her, and didn't find her? A Yes. We concluded in kindness it would be best to go over and (209) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 0 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| tell her, and we drove over there and hunted up the Vasts, and she hadn't been there. Q Do you know of anybody that talked with her on Tuesday? A No, sir. Q Do you know anybody that saw her on Tuesday? A No, sir. Q Do you know anybody that talked with her or saw her Monday night? A No, sir. Q We have traced her to the home about 7:00 or 7:30 in the evening Monday night. A That is right. Q Can you give us the name of anybody that has seen or heard of her since then? A No. After we came back from Jackson we started for Bath, and we drove to the homes of the three nearest neighbored. My idea being to ascertain whether anybody had seen Mrs. Kehoe in or about the premises; but no one of those neighbors could remember of having seen any signs of any woman there about the premises. Q Have you any idea when Mrs. Kehoe was killed? A No, I haven't. Q From these things that you learned, have you an idea that she was alive Tuesday at all? A No, I have nothing that I could say in reply to your question except conjecture. Q Do you think she was alive when he was talking with her sister on the telephone? A That to me is now still an open question. The strongest circumstance to me is the fact that this silverware and some things which apparently were close to her heart were found there beside her remains out in the field. That would indicate to me that after (210) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| coming home the conditions there were unusual, would indicate to me that she remonstrated with Andrew, and when on learning that she couldn't dissuade him, that she attempted to make her escape from the place, and had gathered those few things that must have been dear to her heart, and that would account, to me at least, for their being near her when found. Q Do you know how she was dressed when she left Lansing? A No. Q You don't know whether she had on black hose or not? A No, I don't. Q You did learn that she was evidently dressed at the time she was burned? A No, I have no information about that. I saw the remains of course; but the crowd had begun to gather, and that was so distressing to me that they would stare there, gape at this form lying on theearth that all I could think of was getting some sheets to cover the body. Q This box you spoke of, had a Macabee pin in it. Do you know whether he was a Macabee, or any of the family? A My answer is no, that I don't have any information about it. Q Do you have any information about Mr. Kehoe being a member of the K. C., Knights of Columbus? A No., I know he wasn't. I would have known if he was, I am quite sure. Q Do you know of any of Mrs. Kehoe's relatives that had died that was a member of the Knights of Columbus? A She had a brother who died five or six years ago, something like that, but I don't know that he belonged to that order. I don't believe he did. It is possible. Q Do You know whether or not he carried a lady's gold watch? A No, I haven't any information about that. MR. SEARL: I think that is all Mr. Dunnebacke unless you think of something else. (211) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No. MR. SEARL: Unless you Jurors have some questions to ask? A My purpose in considering the privilege to testify about this is that there was nothing to this foreclosure that could have caused him the slightest anxiety. MR. SEARL: I think that is all.
Q Your name is Charles V. Lane? A Yes, sir. Q You hold some official position with the State? A Chief of the Fire Marshall Division, Department of Public Safety. Q And how long have you been in that employment Mr. Lane? A With the Department of Public Safety a little over two years, Fire Marshall Division about eleven years. Q Now, when did you first learn of this catastrophe at Bath? A Along about 10:10, I think, in the morning. Q And that would be Eastern Time? A Eastern Time. Q 9:10 Railroad time? A 9:10. Q And did you come out here then? A I did. Q Did anybody come with you? A No, I came alone. Q Have you a Lieutenant Morse in your Department of Public Safety? A Yes, in the investigation building. (212) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q In the investigation of secret service? A Yes. Q Do you know whether he came out or not? A Not with me, but I think a little later. Q Mr. Kern is in your Department? a He is in our Department. He came a little later. Q So you were the first one out? A The first of that three. Q Where did you go first when you came out here? A I passed the Kehoe farm and didn't stop there, and went direct to the schoolhouse. Q Now, what did you find when you got to the schoolhouse? A I readily saw there had been an explosion; in fact, that was stated over the phone, and I confined my efforts on the start to learning the cause of it, if possible. I went to the basement, and my first thoughts that it was caused by high-test gasoline, as many of our rural schools have plants using high-test gasoline, a condition which we have always considered serious; and soon found that there was nothing of that natural, and when I got outside of the building I learned of the other explosion; in fact, someone told me there was an explosion in the street. Q Had that explosion in the street happened before you got here? A Yes, that happened before I got here. Q Then how did you proceed to investigate, what did you do? A Well, I give some assistance at that time in removing two bodies from near the entrance. I wouldn't be able to tell who was with me at thes time except Assistant Chief of Police Lefke of the Lansing Fire Department. Later I gave my attention over to the removal of debris and the construction work in the building which might be subject to falling. Q Did you sometime learn, or hear some rumor about dynamite being used? A Yes. (213) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q How soon was that after you got here? A The first information I had of dynamite was when one of the Members of the State Police, a uniformed man, came and handed me two pounds, and he said, "I want to place this in your charge, as it was taken from a dresser drawer at the farm. That was four sticks of Hercules 40%. They were loose, no caps attached. Shortly after this a discovery was made in the basement; in fact, when I was exploring the basement I walked directly over the charge which laid on the floor, which apparently had been under the metal lath and plaster ceiling and had fallen in the coal room, which was afterwards found a few minutes afterward by somebody else. The rotation as to how those were discovered, those different charges, I wouldn't be exactly able to state, although I was there and assited in removing a large percent of it. Q Did you then make an examination or cause an inspection of the schoolhouse to be made for dynamite? A Yes. By tracing the wires we immediately found it, which consisted of 10 to 25 sticks in different locations, and 10 sacks of pyrotol, containing about 30 pounds per sack. Q Have you got a diagram where those were found in the schoolhouse? A Not at the present time. We hope to complete one. MR. SEARL: Gentlemen of the Jury, it appears here that the State Fire Marshall in their office are preparing some blueprints which will show the exact position of this dynamite. I think we will delay that portion of in until tomorrow. Q How much dynamite and pyrotol did you find in the building? A Mr. Morse made a careful check the magazine at the Michigan State College this morninig, and I think about 500 pounds, but he can explain that better than I can. Q Then did you see this examination at East Lansing afterwards? A Yes. Q It was taken in to East Lansing? (214) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A It was taken in to East Lansing on that afternoon, the caps, some ten in number, and all of the explosives, Hercules 40% and Pyrotol, formerly known as sodatol, that is the information from Mr. Trombla, which runs from 25 to 30 percent. Q Lieutenant Morse can probably explain? A Yes, I think he can. Q Then sometime during the day did you go out to Mr. Kehoe's farm? A During Wednesday? Q Yes. A Yes, I was there several times on Wednesday, between here and there. And conferring with the Assistant Chief of the Fire Department, Mr. Lefke, and learning that Mrs. Kehoe could not be found, through information obtained from Mrs. Hart, we supposed that the body laid on the West side of the house near the rear. In fact, she pointed to me about the location where she usually slept. We went there late in the afternoon, and discharged two chemical tanks of some 60 gallons each into this particular point, hoping to cool the ruins enough to remove the, debris and search for the body, but found it was too hot to work there at that time. Q Did you make some search of the premises for the body? A Yes. Everybody, of course, was looking around, and there Was some search made by some of the troopers. Q Some of the fire was burning that night? A Yes, in the bottom. The metals were redhot at that time. Q You were out to the farm again the next morning? A Yes, sir. Q And at that time you learned the body of Mrs. Kehoe had been found? A Yes. Q Where did you see the body that morning? A At the location where it was found, in the company of yourself and the coroner. (215) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Have you a map of the farm buildings? A Yes, a sketch that was made since noon time. Q Do you intend to make a blue print of that? A Yes. Q When will you have that? A Tomorrow. Q We will delay that. The house was located the farthest to the south? A The house was 100 ft. from the porch to the street. Q Then beyond the house and off to the left was this chicken coop? A 58 ft. 10 in. from a line running parallel with the east side of the house. It was also to the east side of the barn. Q And how far north of the house have you got that? A North of the house, yes. 36 ft. 6 in. was the chicken coop north of the house. Q Immediately north of the house was some kind of an ice-house built right next to the house? A Shows a building, 35 foot of construction, which was some 8 ft. narrower than the house proper. Q Then beyond the house what was the first building, do you know? A Supposed to be a shop, or work shop. Q That has been described here by the neighbors as the hog-house, later turned into a work shop? A Yes. Q How far north of the house was that? A 81 ft. from the house proper. Q It was a little bit east of the house? A Yes, the west line of this shop was also on the east line of the house. Q In back of that would be the barn? A A barn. Q The main barn, or big barn? (216) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A The main barn, as I understand. Q What was the dimensions of it? A 80 ft. north and south, and 40 east and west. Q And off to the north west of that was a sheep barn? A Yes, sir. Q How large was that barn? A 50 east and west and 30 north and south. Q And how far was that from the big barn? A 29 feet to the west and 26 feet to the south. Q That is the distance between the two corners of the building? A No, it would be less than that. We measured it in that manner, but it would be less. Q It would be 29 feet running parallel with the sheep barn? A Yes, sir. Q Were there other buildings on the place? A Corn-crib, which had about 5 ft. on the east, parallel with the east line of the sheep shed. Q West line of the sheep shed? A Or west line, 25 foot distance. Q And that would be 74 ft. west of the big barn? A Right. Q And that was a building 20 ft. 6 in. by 30 ft. 6 in.? A Correct. Q The long way running north and south. And then there was a tool sbed which was almost immediately west of the tool shed or old hog house? A It would be a little north. Q And that was still further to the west of all the buildings? A That was 11 feet further west of all other buildings; that is, the east line was 11 ft. further west. Q What was the dimensions of that building? A 95 ft. east and wast, and 23 ft. north and south. Q In reference to those buildings, can you tell where the body of (217) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Mrs. Kehoe was found? A It was 17 feet west from the north west corner of the corn-crib, and 4 ft. north. Q What was the condition of her body when you found it that morning? A Charred, I would say, to quite an extent, beyond recognition. Q Did you see the remains of a hog crate there, or hog chute? A I saw two wheels with a metal axle. Q And you learned later from some source that had been a hog chute? A Loading chute or loading rack, placed on these wheels for handling. Q And where did her body lay in reference to these two wheels and the axle? A The body lay on the southeast from the wheels and axle, the head pointing south by southeast, the left limb lying on the axle, the right limb bent backward, which had the appearance that the same could have been broken. Q And the left limb went up over the axle? A Yes. Q And the toes were sort of turned? A Yes. Q Did you see any evidence of oil being used? A There was a piece of 2 x 4 and an inch piece nailed onto it, which showed evidence of kerosene or light oil, that the same had been saturated. Q Her entire body had been burned, hadn't it? A Yes, except that apparently a portion back of the head remained intact, a small portion. Q And that would be at the base of the head? A At the base. Q Of the skull. And did you see any hair there? A Yes. (218) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q And that wasn't burned? A That wasn't burned where she laid direct against the ground. Q Had the appearance of being smothered out? A I should think being so close in contact with the ground. Q Did you notice that the large toe on her left limb wasn't black, but was scorched some? A I think I did. Q And some of the toes on that foot were still intact? A Yes. Q Her left arm was gone? A The left arm I think just below the shoulder appeared to be broken off, and there was very little to denote it was there. Q Did you notice anything to indicate whether she had been dressed or undressed at the time? A Yes, clothing where she was in contact with the ground, and I think there was a little fabric denoted where the limb lie against the axle. Q Did you notice the corset stays lying across her body? A I did, yes. Q You made some examination of the body when it was found didn't you? A I did, yes. Q Before it was removed? A Yes. Q Did you find anything to indicate that she had been struck upon the head before the fire? A There was a slight crack in the skull, in the forehead, although not indicating that the same had come from a blow, as there was no indentation. Q In your experience with human bodies in fires, do you often find a crack in the skull in that manner? A Generally do following intense heat. Q How do you explain that? (219) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 1 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A It has been explained by medical authorities that the brain forms a gas which generally causes a crack or check in the skull. Q So that might have been there and might occur without a blow upon the head of any kind? A Yes. Q Did you notice anything at the back of the head at the base? A No. we didn't. Q The body might have been cut or shot in any way and you would not have been able to discover that? A Yes. Q There would be no evidence left? A No. Q Did you find a box there beside her? A I did. Q What kind of a box was that? A Light metal box 8 inches wide, foot long, and perhaps three inches in depth. Q Did that have some things in it? Did you make an examination of the box as to its contents? A We did, it was taken in to the office. This was examined by myself, Sergeant Carn, Lieutenant Lyle Morse, Leroy Smith, Lawrence Robertson and Rachael Moon, stenographers in the offics. This was on May 20, 1927. The box described contained a roll of what might have been currency, or possibly Liberty Bonds. By looking at them through a strong glass we could see the general engravings as is used in such, but were unable to determine or tell the denomination of any currency. In fact, we had to be very careful as if you would breath on it it would al blow away. There was also a Macabee pin in this box, a lady's gold watch, Gruen by make, with the number 1407459, Case 96852. The inner case gave name of R. S. Lockhart, Jackson, Michigan. There was also in this box a dozen teaspoons. marked with a "K" on the handle, one K. C. pin, brooch and chain, opal ring, a diamond ring, a pair of ear-rings, Ingham (220) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| County marriage license, which was about all we were able to learn was that it was a marriage license, statements and bills from St. Lawrence Hospital and Ford Hospital of Detroit. The silverware that was taken from the body was adjacent to the head, and on the chest was 6 teaspoons, 6 large spoons, 6 tablespoons, 1 pie knife, gravy spoon. 6 forks, 1 meat fork, and soup ladle. Q Have you those articles in your possession? A They are in the vault in the Department of Public Safety at this time. Q When you saw the body, you made some examination of the ground around there? A Yes. Q And the condition of the body and things of that kind? A Yes, I did. Q In your judgment how long had the body been there? A I don't believe I would be able to answer that. Of course, we were satisfied it was there from the time of the fire. Q You are satisfied it had been there at least 24 hours when you saw it? A Yes, sir. Q There wasn't anything to indicate it had been burned some place else and taken there? A No, I would say it had been burned where it was found. Q When the body was removed it was broken to pieces? A Yes. Q In the condition that you found it, do you think it could have been removed there from some place else? A No, I don't think it could have been moved in the condition it was in. Q Would you say it would be next to impossible to burn it any place else and move it there? A Yes, I would say it was impossible to move it in the state it (221) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| was in. Q Under the condition you found it in, you would say it must have been burned right where you found it? A Yes. Q No question in your mind about that, is there? A No. No question at all. Q Did you find any indication of the body being wired to this car in any way, or to the chute? A I did not. Q Did you find any wire around there of any kind? A I did not. Q Did you find any indication of the body being tied to the chute? A No. Q It might have been tied and the rope burned in the fire? A That is possible. Q You couldn't tell? A No. It would have been tied with rope or fabric. Wire, undoubtedly, would have remained, but fabric or rope would have been destroyed by the fire. Q Did you notice two or three spots right under her body that wasn't burned? A Yes. Q What did that indicate? A That her body laid right in contact or directly with the ground. Q And would indicate that it had been burned right there where you found it? A Yes. Q Did you make any examination of the buildings on the day of the fire? A Yes, sir. Q Did you go in this chicken coop? A Yes. Q What did you find in the chicken coop? (222) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A We found wires running to the chicken coop, and also wire, I would say about 17 gauge, in pairs running from building to building, and this condition also existed at the chicken coop. There was some 6 or 7 feet of wire that ran in the chicken coop on the inside, and showed that it had been broken off just prior to my visit. Q Did you find any straw in the chicken coop? A Yes, there was a lot of straw in the chicken coop. Q Where was that? A Near the west end. Q Did you find anything else there? Did you find a contrivance there for igniting the straw? A No, that was taken away before our examination. Q Do you understand Lieutenant Morse had been there before you? A I think we were there together. Q Did you learn there had been some contrivance in the chicken coop for igniting that straw? A Mr. Morse did. Q You did see the wires running between the different buildings there? A Yes, and we also collected them. And Mr. Morse and Mr. Watkins and myself stretched them out to determine the length. They also had attached insulators, which denoted the distance between the insulators was the distance between the buildings. Q Can you think of anything else that I haven't asked you about? A No. Q How late were you out here that day, did you leave here about midnight? A I went into East Lansing, and then came back later in the evening with Mr. Trombla, and I think we was here until after midnight, somewheres around one o'clock. Q You left about the same time I did. A Yes, I imagine so. (223) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q In your judgment, from what you found, would you say that the schoolhouse was blown up with dynamite and pyrotol? A I would, yes. Q No question about that? A No question about it. Q And that Mr. Kehoe's buildings were burned? A Yes. From what we have already learned, I am inclined to think that possibly with the exception of the tractor, denotes a charge of explosives, and that there were perhaps other explosives which perhaps came because they came from the storage tank of gasoline machinery; but in general I think they were fired by means of electric ignition plants similar to the one found in the chicken coop. Q Could you tell from the remains around there whether oil had been poured around these buildings? A The only evidence of oil was at the body. Q If there had been a large quantity of gasoline in the tool shed would that have caused the explosion out there? A That would depend on whether the gases were able to get out of the container and be in the building, just how it happened to vaporize it. Q Did you notice any large storage tanks, gasoline tanks? A I did not. Q Or any metal containers? A There is several tanks stored aounth there which might have been gasoline. So far we haven't discovered anything that denotes an explosion from them. Q Would the tractor, the condition that it is in, denote an explosion in it? A Gasoline couldn't cause the breakage that occurred there. That is, the power isn't high enough from gasoline to do that. Q You think there must have been some other explosive, dynamite or pyrotol, to blow the tractor in the shape it was in? (224) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A « response missing from original copy of the transcript » Q You found everything on the farm when you went there destroyed except the chicken coop? A That was the only building that remained. Q Do you know whether or not somebody was left in charge of the farm that night? A Not definite, although I understood that Lieutenant Lyons placed a trooper there for the night or for a portion of the night anyhow. MR. SEARL: I think that is all, unless you think of anything more. A I don't think of anything at this time. MR. SEARL: Have you gentlemen any questions. (Recess)
Q What is your name? A Cassie McFarren. Q How old are you? A Seventeen. Q Did you go to school up here? A Yes, sir, I was a senior. Q You were a senior in the school? A Yes. Q And were you at the schoolhouse when the explosion occurred? A Not when the first explosion occurred, I missed the bus that morning. Q Were you there when the second explosion occurred? A Yes, sir. Q Where were you then? A I couldn't say exactly. I was between -- I was between the first house, or between the house and the church just south of the school, (225) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| the Methodist Church and Mr. DeBar's house. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe that morning? A Yes, sir. I saw him drive up just before the second explosion. Q Which way did he come from? A From the south. Q Did you see the car he was driving? A Yes, sir. Q You have seen the car he drove? A Yes, sir. Q And you recognized it as his car? A I noticed Mr. Kehoe in it. Q Did you see where he parked the car when he came up there? A No, sir, I didn't see him park the car. All I heard was the explosion. Q How long before the explosion did you see him? A It was almost immediately after I saw him that I heard the explosion. It was just a case of a few minutes. Q When he parked this car, where did you see him park it? A I didn't see him park it. Q Did you see Glenn Smith? A I didn't see Glenn. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck? A No, I didn't see Mr. Huyck. I just came from down that way? Q You were going the other way? A Yes, sir. Q At the time Mr. Kehoe drove up there, did he have anybody with him? A There was no one in the car with Mr. Kehoe. Q Did you notice whether he had a gun in the car, or rifle, or anything? A I didn't notice. Q Did you notice whether he had anything in the back end, any box or anything? (226) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A No, sir, I didn't notice. Q Do you know of anyone else that noticed him drive up? A There was a girl with me, but I don't think she noticed him. Q Who was that girl? A Arlene Dryer. Q Did you hear this first explosion at the school? A No, we didn't hear the first explosion. Q You live out in the country? A Yes, sir. Q How far away are you? A We live 2-1/2 miles in the country, but at the time of the explosion we were at Mr. Kehoe's farm, we just drove up past there and turned around. Q Were the buildings ablaze when you got there? A Yes, sir. My father brought me to school. We saw the smoke before we got in town, and we went out that road and when we passed the schoolhouse the schoolhouse hadn't blowed up, and we turned around in Mr. Hart's yard, and they said the schoolhouse had blowed up. Q You are quite sure the schoolhouse hadn't blowed up when you drove by? A I am quite sure, because he slowed up and wanted to know if I wanted to stay there or go to the fire, and I said I wanted to go to the fire. Q You came in from the east? A Yes, sir. Q And did you look toward the schoolhouse? A Yes, sir. Q And you would have noticed if it had fallen down? A Certainly. Q At that time you saw a blaze out at Kehoe's? A Yes, sir, very distinctly. Q And how long did you notice that before you got in Bath? (227) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Several minutes, because we was half mile out of town when I first noticed the smoke. Q And then you drove out to Rounds', which would be west of Kehoe's? A Yes, sir. Q And the time you went by Kehoe's place the buildings were burning? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe around there any place? A No. Q Did you see anybody around there? A Yes, sir. Q Who did you see around there, or do you mean you just saw people out in front? A They went in and carried some things from the house. They were men that had been working on the Consumers'. 'I didn't recognize anyone. Q Then when you came back past Kehoe's you stopped at Hart's? A We stopped in the road, and the men came from the Hart home. Q And told you the schoolhouse had been blown up? A Yes. Q And then you came immediately up to the schoolhouse? A Yes. Q And that is the time when you saw Mr. Kehoe? A Yes, sir. Q And then you were walking, I understand? A Yes, we just left the car. Q Your father wasn't with you then? A No, he went directly to the schoolhouse. Q And which way did you say you were walking? A I was walking south. Q How did you go up to the schoolhouse to walk south? A We had driven the car up in front of the schoolhouse. Q And was your car parked out there among these cars that were (228) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 8 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| injured in this explosion? A Yes, sir. Q Was your car injured some? A Yes. Q How far was your car from Mr. Kehoe's car? A I don't know, but there was bodies near our, I didn't see who, that is what they said. Q Did you hear any talk of Glenn Smith afterwards? A No, I didn't. Q Did anybody make any statement or anything about it? A No, I don't believe I did. Q During the time that you were going through Bath, or out to Kehoe's did you hear the explosion at the school? A I didn't hear the explosion at the school at all, but there was explosions from the buildings. Q Out at Kehoe's? A Yes, sir. Q How long do you think it was from the time you first discovered the smoke at Kehoe's until you were back up town here and heard this last explosion? A I couldn't say. Q Do you think it would be longer than 20 Minutes? A It couldn't have been I don't believe. MR. SEARL: That is all, unless you gentlemen have some questions. (229) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 2 9 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
Q What is your name? A Wendell McFarren. Q You are the father of Cassie McFarren? A Yes, sir. Q How old a man are you Mr. McFarren? A Forty-four. Q This morning of the 18th, your daughter says you brought her up to school? A Yes, sir. Q And what do you think about the burning of Kehoe's buildings and the explosion at the school, which one was first? A Well, we was right over here just about on a hill about half mile from the Baptist Church east when we saw the fire and smoke. My girl said "That looks like a building," and I said "I believe it is the train." We drove right along, and I drove up to the schoolhouse and stopped. Q Where did you go, by the front or where? A Went by the front and stopped out in front where the sidewalk comes up to the sidewalk, and she said "Dad, I want to go to the fire with you," so we started on and went up, drove past; the shingles was flying and we didn't want to leave the car there so we drove up around and we turned right around and came back, and just got up in front as they run out from Mr. Hart's and said that the schoolhouse had blowed up. Q Then you are quite positive that the fire at Kehoe's preceded the first explosion at the school? A I am. Q Because you sat in front of the schoolhouse here at the time the Kehoe buildings were burning? (230) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 0 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q And the schoolhouse was all right then? A Yes. Q Were the boys playing ball out in front of the schoolhouse at the time you stopped here? A I don't know. Q When you came back did you see Mr. Kehoe at any time? A No, I did not. Q You went to the school and assisted up there? A I jumped right out of my car and started up to the school. Q Did you afterwards learn that Kehoe parked his car somewhere near your car? A I didn't know it. I heard the explosion and I didn't look around, there was so many explosions, and I came back after a few minutes while Glenn Smith was laying thrre on the ground -- I came back to get my car. Q Did you have any talk with Glenn Smith? A No, but I heard him talking. Q What did you hear him say? A I heard him may "Give me something quick," that is all I heard him say. Q You didn't hear him make any explanation of how it happened? A No. He might have said something before or after that. Q Was your car damaged some? A Yes. Q Did you find any holes in it that looked like bullet holes? A No. There was holes burned through the top, the top was all blown to pieces, and the windshield broke -- the bottom glass. Q Then was Nelson MoFarren related to you? A Yes, sir. Q What relation? A Uncle. (231) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 1 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Did you see him there? A I saw a body laying over, they said it was Mr. Huyck, but I learned afterwards it was Uncle Nels. Q You could recognize that body as his beyond any question? A They said it was his, but I didn't look there was so much excitement. Q You don't know anything more about the cause of it then what you have told us, or the sequence of events? A That is all. Q How long do you think after you saw the buildings burning that you heard this last explosion? A We drove right up to the fire as quick as we could. It couldn't have been more than 10 or 15 minutes, it don't seem so. MR. SEARL: I think that is all, unless you men have some questions. That is all I guess.
Q What is your first name, Mrs. Smith? A Leone. Q Mrs. Smith, you are the wife of Frank Smith? A Yes, sir. Q And you live across from the schoolhouse. I think your husband has described the location of your house? A Yes, sir. Q This morning of the 18th were you at home? A No, I wasn't. Q You work in a store? (232) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 2 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Mr. Ewing's store? A Yes, sir. Q And were you working in the store then? A Yes, sir. Q When you heard this explosion? A Yes, sir. Q Did you go up to the schoolhouse? A Yes. Q What occurred then when you got there? A When I got there the schoolhouse was all down. Q You didn't see the roof fall down? A No. Q It was down when you got there? A Yes, sir. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck there? A Not that time. Q Did you go back after anything? A I went around to see where my little boy was, and my husband and I didn't see Mr. Huyck until there were quite a few children in my house being taken care of, and he came in to see what was done for them. Q Did they take some children in your house before you went in? A Yes, there was some. They were carrying them in, and I said "Take them in and I will open the bed," and I opened the bed and they put them to bed. Q Did you see Mr. Huyck over there at that time? A Not that time. Q There was a time when he came over there? A Yes. I can't just think how it happened I was in there; but I think I went in with them to take some child in there, and Mr. Huyck was in there, and he had hold of one of the little girls, and he said he thought she was dying, and I thought so too, and he (233) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 3 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| asked me to open the rest of my beds, and I did. Q Did he stay at your house then? A I don't know how long he was there, but I went upstairs to open the beds and when I came down this other explosion occurred. Q Have you any idea how long it was between the two explosions? A No, I haven't. Q During any of this time did you notice any of Mr. Kehoe's buildings burning? A Yes. I didn't know of it until somebody told me, and I looked up there and saw those buildings burning. Q Was that before the last explosion or not? A Yes. Q You didn't see Mr. Huyck go across the school yard, or anything of that kind? A No, I didn't. Q A little later did you go over to the school yard? A I went just as soon as the second explosion. Q Where did you go then? A I went over toward the schoolhouse. I went to look for Mr. Smith, and I met him and he told me his brother Glenn had been hurt. Q Did you see the body of Andrew Kehoe that day? A That day I did, but not right at that time. Q An hour or so later? A I saw him as I was on my way back, after they had started to the hospital with Glenn. Q Where did you see that body? A Down in the corner of my garden. Q That would be at the southeast corner of your lot? A Yes. Q And that would be just west of the road. There was a little hollow spot in there, where the body lay? A West of the main road, yes. Q And north of the driveway that went into somebody's garage there? (234) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 4 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A Yes, sir. Q Did you stop and make some examination of that body? A Yes. Q Did you see a bank book there? A Yes. Q And a driver's license? A Yes. Q And did you pick them up? A Yes, sir. Q And what was done with those by you? A I gave them to the Sheriff. Q That is the Sheriff, Mr. Fox? A Yes, sir. Q Did you look at them first? A Yes. Q And it was Andrew P. Kehoe's driver's license? A Yes. Q Do you know what age it gave? A No, I didn,t look at anything but the names. Q Did you look at the bank book? A I looked at the bank book first, and I couldn't make out the name, then I looked at the driver's license. Q You knew Mr. Kehoe? A Yes, sir. Q Could you identify that body as his? A No. Q Not without the Driver's License? A No. Q Did you see Mr. Kehoe that morning before the explosion? A No. Q Did you know of his driving up there? A No. Q On different occasions? (235) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 5 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| A On different occasions, yes. Q Last summer? A I have seen him up there at different times. 4 Did you ever see anybody up there with lights, or lights in the schoolhouse nights? A No, I didn't, unless there was something going on there. Q Not unless there was a meeting there? A No. Q You never saw any lights in there around one, two o'clock In the morning? A No. Q Did you ever see any automobiles drive up there in the night? A I didn't. There might of along the road. Q Can you think of anything else about that? A No, I can't. MR. SEARL: I think that is all, unless these men have some questions.
Q What is your name? A Orville Knight. Q How old are you Mr. Knight? A Twenty years old. Q And where do you live? A One mile north, and one-half mile west of Bath. Q Did you know Andrew P. Kehoe? A Just by sight. Q How long have you known him by sight? A A matter of two years. (236) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 6 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q So that you would recognize him when you saw him? A Yes. Q No question about that? A No, sir. Q Did you know Mr. Huyck, the Superintendent? A Yes, sir. Q How long have you known him? A Six months. Q And you would recognize him when you saw him? A Yes, sir. Q On the morning of this explosion where were you, at home? A Yes, sir. Q And did you hear this explosion at the schoolhouse? A Well, what I took to be the explosion at the schoolhouse. Q You heard some explosion that morning? A Yes, sir. Q Did you come down to Bath? A Yes, sir. Q Did you drive down? A I rode with a boy, Alton McConnell. Q And when you got down here to Bath had this second explosion occurred or not? A No, sir, it hadn't. Q What did you do when you first got here? A I jumped out of the car and I went to the ruins and tried to assist. Q And did you do some work up around there? A Yes, sir. Q Now, at that time there was another explosion a little later wasn't there? A Yes, sir. Q Between these two explosions did you see Mr. Huyck any time? A Yes, sir. (237) | ▲ TOP △ PREV PAGE P a g e 2 3 7 NEXT PAGE ▽ END ▼ | |||||||||||||||
| Q Where did you see him? A I saw him coming from the northwest, coming down along that way diagonally. Q That would be from over towards Mrs. Smith's house? A Yes, from that way. Q Where did he go wh | ||||||||||||||||
