Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Murder


The Marietta Times, September 2, 1869:

Amos Keeter, an honest collector of this city, presented a bill to a man named Smith, who lives on the Stockade, at about nine o'clock the other evening. Smith became angry, swore a terrible oath, knocked the collector down and stamped him to death. Smith stated afterwards that he recognized the collector's bill, having been, as he expressed it, bored with it before. 

Owing to the inefficiency of our police force, or some other cause or causes, Smith escaped arrest and is still at large. The body of the collector did not even receive a decent burial at the hands of our authorities.

The Marietta Times, September 9, 1869:

A notice regarding the death of Amos Keeter appeared in our local columns last week and attracted the attention of a good many of our readers. Some of them, not having heard of the death of "a muskeeter," gravely inquired what Smith it was that killed the fellow? When the joke had been explained to them, they could laugh as heartily as anyone.

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Note - Accounts of the death of Amos Keeter appeared in newspapers around the country for decades. One from a Chicago paper in September of 1869 read as follows: "Amos Keeter, a well known resident of this city and a fine singer, was instantly killed at the Tremont House last night by a stranger who became angry at his attentions. He leaves a large family."

 

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