The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-10-27
From the Wheeling In:elligsac.r.
Trial Of Oscar Myers for The Murder
OF Mary Ana M,u'oly.

From the Wheeling In:elligsac.r.
Trial Of Oscar Myers for The Murder
OF Mary An M ,u,ony.
The case of Oscar Myers, charged
with the murder Of Mary Ann Muntouy,
on the l4th Of May last, came up for
trial yesterday in the Circuit Court II is
needless to say that John Burns was cen
victed at the last term for this murder,
and suffered the extreme penalty of the
law on the Sd OF September last The
public are already sbundantlv acquainted
with the facts in connection with the
case.
Col, Wheat and G.. L Cranm.r ap-
pearsd for the prisoner, and Major Good
for the Commonwealth. A jury was
empanelled, composed Of the following
gentlemen: Jos. White, Johu Gray o.
d. Thompson, John Wa erhouse, l..
Wharton, VIM. Rigby, Geo. Msndel, IL.
Gray, John Stewart, Z. Smith, B. Whit
lock sud NJ. Edwards
The Clerk of the Court read the in
dictment, and iu answer to the question,
are you guilty or not gn!lty, the prison
er responded, firmly, "Not gui ty" Col
Wheat and Major Good made brief in
| troductory addresses, urging uron the
! jury the importance of the case about to
he presented for their decision
! Coroner Day was called, and testified
to the finding of the body, The nature Of
wounds, sc. His testimony was substsn-
tally the same as that given upon the
trial of Burns .
| John w. Smith also testified same as
before, as did John Chalk, John Farley
and John Rod.nbaugh, each detailing
how Burns beat the woman, but none of
these witnesses saw Myers do anything.
| Mary Ann Smith, s'corn,-Was up on
the hill the night the murder vas COM
mitted; Burns struck Montony with a
handy-billy; l took the billy away from
Burns and. gave it to Myers. Myers
gave it back to Burns, and said-"Here
| go Oh with your work" Burns kept on
striking the woman. .aI .sa..e.
John Loughman, sworn Was not
present on the night Of the murder
Went up with Burns and Myers next
morning; Burns and Myers told me to 60
and see if the woman was there; l went
and saw the woman; when l came back
Barns asked which was the whitest me
or his shirt; Burns started to where the
woman was; came away; Myers went
along the fence and Burns Joined him.
Jas. Riddle, sworn.--Wens up on the
hill at O'Clock on the night osthe mur-
der and and staid till 4 o'clock. Burns
called to the woman Montony, to come
and lay down beside him, when she NOV
cd up little; he called again, when Mon
tony said she was near enough; Bnrns
said id you, what is that you say, and
struck her with his first, then he struck
her with billy. Mary Ann Smith got
the billy from Burns and handed it to
Oscar, when Oscar handed it back to
Burns. left town with Myers and got
to Stcubenvile the next day at noon:
from there started to Pittsburgh; Oscar
said to me, you ought to have been up
and seen me and Burns knock that wo-
mans brains out: he said it was in the
morning that the brains were knocked
out.
Riddle testified in addition to the a.
bove, that after Burns had beaten the We
man severely with billy, he (Burns)
gave Myers a knife and told him to open
it; Myers did as requested and Burns took
the knife and commenced cutting the wo.
man. In leaving the hill after the bloody
deed was supposed to have been accom-
plished, Myers said: Hadn't ace better
60 and get a shovel and bury her."
The evidence being closed, Major Good
addressed the Jury, briefly stating the law
and the circumstances by which they
were to be governed in finding a verdict
He was followed by Mr. Cranmer, and
Col. Wheat, both of whom made able eff
forts for the the prisoner. At the con-
cusion of Col. Wheat'S remarks the
Court adjourned for an hour (till o.
clock.
Myers is rather below the medium height.
and is about nineteen years age. lie has