Berrien County GaArchives News.....John Hesters Gone to His Death at the Hands of George Kirby November 21, 1890
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Skeeter Parker skparker@planttel.net February 6, 2008, 3:39 pm

The Berrien County Pioneer November 21, 1890
	Last Friday night, at Mr. James Kinard’s, about seven miles above 
Sparks, a sugar boiling was concluded with a candy party.
	Among the visitors to this candy party were  a number of men from 
Sparks, including Messrs. John Hesters, the livery man, Worth Kirby and George 
Kirby.  Worth Kirby is subject to bilious or cramp colic, and some time 
shortly after they arrived at the party Worth told his brother, George, that 
he felt symptoms of the colic coming on him and they decided to come home as 
quickly as possible.  George informed the other members of the party of his 
intentions.
	It seems, from the best information obtainable, that the entire party 
had started and gone to where the road forks to go to Lenox.  Here a dispute 
arose between John Hesters and George Kirby relative to where they should go – 
Hesters insisted that they should go to Lenox and Kirby contending that they 
should return to Sparks.  Hesters reined his horse round into the Lenox road 
when Kirby jumped out of the buggy he was in and caught hold of the reins and 
stopped him.  Hesters then got out of the buggy to made Kirby turn loose the 
reins.  But few words passed between them before the fatal blow was stricken.
	Early Saturday morning the news of the killing spread far and near, 
diverse statements being made as to the direct cause that led to the sad 
affair.  We believe, however, that it was generally stated, the members of the 
party were all drinking, had drank too much, and had they been sober it would 
not have occurred.
	Justice G.E. Williams, acting as corner, empanelled a jury of inquest 
Saturday morning, repaired to the palce where the dead man lay and, after 
hearing the evidence – all they could obtain – in the matter, rendered a 
verdict that “the deceased came to his death by a wound in the left breast 
inflicted by a knife or some other sharp instrument in the hands of George 
Kirby, and that they believed the same to be involuntary manslaughter.”
	The Pioneer is informed that a partially open knife was found near the 
place, and that Kirby was the only person near enough to the deceased at the 
time of the killing to have done the cutting.  The wound was a small one – and 
appeared that the knife, or other instrument, had been thrust directly into 
the breast and as directly withdrawn.  The deceased never spoke after the 
wound was inflicted.
	The version give above of this – the saddest affair of the kind that 
has occurred anywhere near Sparks in a long time – may not be absolutely 
correct in every detail, but as near correct as we could get it from the 
diverse statements made.  Kirby, it seems, did not realize what he had done 
and appeared completely dazed when he was told.  He was arrested by his 
comrades immediately after the commission of the deed, but soon after made his 
escape to parts unknown.
	It is said that no unkind feelings had previously existed between 
Kirby and Hesters, to all human ken were entirely amicable toward each other, 
and leads to the irresistible conclusion that “strong drink” was really the 
primary cause.
	The sad occurrence cannot be recalled – it would if it could – but let 
it teach our people a solemn lesson:  “Let strong drink severely alone; it 
only serves to dethrone reason and lead to the commission of crime.


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