Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Charles and Porter Fueston were on trial for the murder of young Albert Williams, who was beaten to death with a length of gas pipe shortly after he walked his sweetheart, Ruth Cain, home from Bible study.

The defense attempted to prove that Porter Fueston could not have committed the murder because he was attending a revival meeting that night. But the revival preacher could not swear, on the stand, that Fueston was present at the revival tabernacle the night of the murder.

Meanwhile, Ruth Cain said that she and Albert twice heard footsteps behind them while on the way home from church.

Yet the most damaging testimony, by far, came from a section man for the railroad who was awoken by two men outside his trackside shanty. He heard them say, “We must get him tonight” and then he saw them break off a piece of iron pipe. He looked out his window and identified them as the Fuestons.

The bloodstained piece of pipe used in the killing matched the broken end of pipe near the shanty.

The prosecution alleged that the Fuestons were out to get Williams because he had repeated unsavory stories about them.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1863: The three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett’s Charge.

1890: Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.