In the wake of Mrs. Kinrade’s testimony, a son and daughter of her followed.
First was Gertrude, the 16 year and youngest member of the immediate Kinrade family. Gertrude basically mimicked exactly what her mother had said, although with one difference. Crown Attorney Blackstone asked about her sisters and the use of guns:
“ ‘Did Florence ever tell you when she was down South that she ever shot off a revolver?’
“ ‘No.’
“ ‘Did you know is she ever had a revolver?’
“ ‘We never kept anything like that.’
“ ‘Did you ever hear about any brothers or sisters having any revolvers?’
“ ‘No.’
“You never saw any firearms of any kind in the house?’
“ ‘No.’
Gertrude’s testimony was short in length, and ended with her emphatically declaring there was no trouble in the house between any members of the family:
“ ‘That’ll do,’ said the lawyer, and the girl left the court with a sprightly and quick step.”
The 27 year old Ernest Kinrade, the eldest son, was next to take the stand: His testimony was filled with curt answers to all questions, sometimes with a lot of ‘Nos and Yeses.
Herkimer street neighbours of the Kinrade family were next on the docket.
Mrs. Hickey, 106 Herkimer street, testified that during the afternoon of the day in question Florence had run into her house, screaming, ‘They have shot Ethel. They have shot her six times.’
“Witness said the girl was very excited and worked up.
“ ‘Did you notice anything peculiar about her mouth?’
“ ‘Yes. The saliva seemed thick, almost like froth.’
Mrs. Hickey said after Florence had settled down somewhat, she (Mrs. Hickey) crossed Herkimer and entered the Kinrade house:
“(She) saw the body on the floor. The dead girl was lying on her back. Her head pointed west. She was dressed in a coat and hat. Asked if she saw any blood, Mrs. Hickey replied in the negative, but said the room was dark.
“She said the mother and daughter met in her presence and that Florence said:
‘ ‘Mother, don’t worry.’
Another neighhbour , Mrs. H.N. Kittson told how the previous witness had rushed into her house asking to use the telephone for the police. Mrs. Kittson said that she had heard any gun shots, nor had seen anyone enter or leave the Kinrade house.
Mrs. William Acres, who lived next door to the Kinrade’s at 107 Herkimer sttreet , testified that during the afternoon of the shooting, she had been in her upstairs sitting room, but also had not seen anyone suspicious enter, leave or simply lurk around the Kinrade house.
D.M. Brown who ran the nearby butcher shop testified that Florence ran into his shop and said:
“ ‘There is a man in the house and he has shot poor Ethel. He is acting like a crazy man.’
In company with Luke Copple a customer who happened to be in the butcher shop, Mr. Brown after calling for a doctor to come to the scene, entered the Kinrade house, and described how he found Ethel Kinrade’s body. His description matched that of Mrs. Hickey precisely.
Dr. McNichol, the coroner who was among the first to arrive at the scene of the shooting. His testimony also echoed the way the body was was located as noted previously. He did add that he noticed that part of Ethel’s clothing, in the area of where the shots reached their target, had caught fire, indicating that the revolver had probably been held against her body.
The questioning of the coroner ended more or less with the same details already known as regards the body and the behavior of Florence Kinrade:
“This closed the officer’s testimony, and the jurors were tired and wanted an adjournment It was agreed to adjourn until this afternoon at 3:30 o’clock.
“A request by some of the jurors that they be allowed to go through the house was at once granted by Mr. Hobson, the family’s solicitor.”
The Times of March 12, 1909 included an article headlined, “What Will Happen After Inquest ?: Everyone Asking Will There Be an Arrest, or Will the Mystery Go Unsolved:
It began as follows:
“Will there be an arrest in the Kinrade murder tonight?
“What verdict will Coroner Anderson’s jury return?
“They are the questions on every lip today, heard wherever people congregate.
“Thousands of people, from coast to coast where interest has been aroused by this shocking crime, are eagerly and expectantly awaiting the answer, and they should have it by midnight.”
Hamilton Times. March 12, 1909
(To Be Continued)
No comments:
Post a Comment