GODDARD, Oscar - life imprisonment - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Covington Jan 12 – Oscar Goddard, 44 years old, whose wife was beaten to death with an ax Jan 3rd in her home at Veedersburg was sentenced to life imprisonment for  the crime here this morning. When arraigned in circuit court Thursday Goddard broke down and confessed that his story that a burglar had crushed his wife’s skull was a fabrication.  Goddard insisted he was asleep when he wielded the ax.  He declared he and his wife had gone to bed and that he first awakened as he was lifting the ax after the blow which killed his wife. He attempted to kill himself with the ax, inflicting a slight wound on his head with the clumsy instrument and then fled in terror from the house, framing the story of the burglar in his mind as he ran. Altho Goddard was the beneficiary of an insurance policy for $425 on the life of his wife the authorities believe the man’s plan was to kill his wife and then commit suicide, failing because of lack of preparation for the deed.  For years he has walked on two canes because of rheumatism and since his wife was stricken with paralysis last April becoming almost helpless he had been despondent.  It became known today that Goddard’s father died in the state prison a number of years ago while serving a life sentence for the murder of a man in Parke County.  Goddard and his wife were converted at a revival recently and in his confession the slayer said he had prayed first that he might be made to believe his own false explanation of the killing and later that he might have strength to confess.  

KIA