Forrest, Catherine: 1934
Catherine Forrest was 21 years old when she was shot and killed in an Altoona café on August 23, 1934. The killer was Kenneth Burley, 39, her sweetheart. The widower attempted suicide by shooting himself through the head, but survived.
Burley was the son of the Blair County jury commissioner, Harry C. Burley. The younger man had resided in Lancaster County for several years working as a shipping clerk for a linoleum firm. He married a Lancaster County woman, and had a son and a a daughter. Burley’s wife died on April 13, 1934, and he and the children moved in with his aunt, Ella Burley, at 803 Howard Avenue, Altoona. He was unable to find steady employment.
It was not long after his return to Altoona that he began seeing Catherine Pincin Forrest. Catherine Pincin was born in Altoona in 1914, was of the Methodist faith, and had worked at Ligget’s drug store prior to her marriage to William Forrest on June 27, 1931. He was a driver for Vance Trucking, but the economic hard times hit Altoona and he lost his job. They returned to his family farm near Meyersdale in Somerset County. Mrs. Forrest returned to Altoona around January of 1934 because she was lonely. The Forrests did not not divorce, but she had resumed the use of her maiden name, and he remained at the farm. Mrs. Forrest moved to 1111 Seventh Avenue with two of her sisters and her mother.
Burley and Mrs. Forrest began seeing each other, although the two quarreled frequently due to Burley’s jealousy of Mrs. Forrest’s estranged husband, and his fear that she was seeing other men. On at least three occasions, he told other people that if he found her cheating on him, he would kill her, and he was known to have a revolver at his home. Mrs. Forrest never took his threats seriously.
He tried to buy her affection with presents, including a radio, jewelry and clothing. In Depression-era Altoona, these were significant gifts. They would quarrel again, and he would take his presents from her until they made up again. A few days before the shooting, he gave her his gold watch, a chain, a knife, and a gold ring.
Burley had come to Catherine Forrest’s home on August 23, 1934. He went window-shopping with Mrs. Forrest and her mother, Annie Pincin along Eleventh Avenue, which was then Altoona’s major retail center. Mrs. Forrest and Burley had had another quarrel, but had reconciled again. Burley was in a good mood, and said that nothing anyone said could make him angry. However, things below the surface were as they appeared. Mrs. Forrest had made the decision to return to her husband, and had written a letter to him. Burley may have known of this decision.
On the evening of her sister’s murder, Ms Betty Pincin returned home from having been at a theatre with Thomas Clifford, of Lakemont. She found Burley, still at the house with her sister when she arrived at about 10:15 p.m. After a while, Mrs. Forrest discreetly asked her to go upstairs, and then come back down about five minutes later. She was to say she was tired and wanted to go to bed so that Burley would leave. Their ruse worked, and Burley left at about 11:25 p.m. He returned to his home on Howard Avenue, arriving home about 11:00 p.m., according to his aunt. The times doe not match, but she was accurate when she reported that he left again. He told his aunt he would be back in about ten minutes.
The two young women did not wait long after Burley left to leave themselves. They crossed the Twelfth Street bridge. They entered the Crystal Café, in the Crystal Hotel building, and began dancing together. Betty Pincin reported later that Mrs. Forrest did not want to her to dance with anyone else. She hardly had time. Burley had followed them, and unknown to the two sisters, he was carrying a .32 revolver. He was in the café within five minutes of them; they first noticed him standing on the dance floor near the arch. Obviously, he was looking for them, and when he spotted them, he walked over to where they were standing. He took hold of Mrs. Forrest’s arm and said, “I would like to speak to you outside.”
Betty stood up for her sister. She said, “If Catherine goes out, I am going too.”
Burley responded, “Both of you together will be better than just one of you.”
Burley left the café with Mrs. Forrest following him, and Betty trailing behind. It was raining. Burley directed them to a doorway of the Sherwin-Williams building, next to the hotel. Once in the doorway, Burley pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Catherine’s chest. “I’m going to kill the three of us,” he announced.
Betty Pincin, who was a little behind the killer, did not wait to see what Burley would do. She ran back to the café entrance for help. She heard her sister cry out, “For God’s sake, don’t!” Betty heard the shot that killed her sister as she sped into the café. The bullet entered Mrs. Forrest’s right side, pierced her heard, and lodged on the left side of her body. As she ran, Betty heard a second shot, and ran through the Crystal Cafe, thinking that Burley was behind her. The dance music must have been very loud; no one in the café heard the shots, and no one believed the girl until a man came and confirmed that a shooting had taken place.
Realizing that her sister was dead, Betty Pincin went home and broke the news to her mother and other sister, Mrs. Dorothy Hasenstab. The police were notified immediately of the shooting, but the call came as the shifts were changing, and it took a while to get organized. Sergeant Hyman Goldberg rushed to the scene with two other officers, John Schonder and Harry Byrne. They arranged for Burley to be brought to Altoona Hospital for treatment, and charged him with homicide.
The body of the unfortunate girl lay on the sidewalk for some time until the police and coroner arrived. She was then moved across the street to the Drive-Yourself company building. Her identity was not known. Lieutenant C. Spicer and Sergeant C. Campbell began the investigation; Captain H. Carey was notified at his home and arrived soon after with Coroner Rothrock.
Catherine Pincin Forrest was identified by her sister-in-law, Mrs. George Pincin. She was downtown and was attracted by the gathering crowd. After seeing the body and realizing her sister-in-law was the victim, she went home and informed her husband. He immediately went to the garage and directed that his sister’s remains be taken to the Stevens mortuary.
The curiosity-seeking, morbid crowd continued to mill around, eventually requiring six police officers to clear the street. Traffic was backed up to Seventh Street, about three blocks away. They rounded up numerous witnesses and took statements, although no one had observed the actual killing, many had been in the vicinity. An Altoona Mirror night watchman, C. T. Fether, heard the shot that killed Catherine Pincin Forrest. He looked out the window of the editoral room, where he was cleaning, and saw the young woman laying on the sidewalk. He saw Burley move into the doorway of the Sherwin-Williams building. Mr. Fether saw the flash of the muzzle and heard the second shot and watched Burley fall to the ground. The murder scene as described by contemporary accounts has an almost surreal quality; perhaps it was because there was no doubt as to the victim’s death and the identity of the perpetrator.
As the police arrived, a man in the crowd panicked and ran. An officer chased him, but was not able to catch him. It was later revealed that the man had picked up the murder weapon. It was turned into the police the next day. The gun was new and held five rounds. It was fully loaded, and two shots had been fired.
Burley arrived at the Altoona Hospital still wearing his straw hat; there were powder burns on it. The bullet he intended for himself had entered one side of his head and exited the other; miraculously, he was still alive. Mrs. Forrest’s father was an employee at the hospital to which his daughter’s murderer was brought.
Burley was still in critical condition the following day. Medical professionals stated that a difference of a half-inch in the wound would have been instantly fatal.
By August 26th, Burley was at home, recovering. Catherine Forrest had her funeral at her home the same day, and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Judge Marion D. Patterson reviewed two statements from doctors who said Burley had recovered enough to stand trial.
