The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-18
GheGmtelliqetrre1:
The E6ennOn Murder Trial at ST.
(IalrSyfIIe.

The kennOn Murder TrIal at ST.
CIRJrsyiIie.
The Murder OF B.F. SIpe at Cambridge
year ago.
During the past two weeks the Ken.
non murder trial has been the focus o
interest at st. Clairsville. The testi
mony closed Saturday and tho Grgu
ment began Monday, and at latest &C
counts had not been concluded. ThI
facts OF the case, as disclosed by the ev
idence, are thus stated by the Chromicl,
OF yesterday:
During July, 1867, James N. Kennor
came to Ohio from Washington City
d. c.. mainly for the purpose of read
Ing law. In October the same year, h(
entered the Office of John Ferguson
Esq. in Cambridge, where he remained
until April 6, 1868, during which time
he boarded at Sipe's hotel for the space
of two months. On April 6. ho; re-
turned to Sipe's house to stay until his
mother Joined him. Mrs kennor
reached Cambridge on the 1lth instant
finding that her son had never had 8
pleasant room in which he could
pursue his studies at night, and
knowing that he could study better
after night than at any other time
|
ment whereby he would be in the
undisturbed enjoyment OF such g
place. Mr.. Sipe agreeing to give him
room No s, on 81 floor. THIS room
defendants mother was 10 furnish.
No price Was fixed for the boarding. but
was left entirely to Sipe. Mrs. Ken
non returned home soon after; Jam es
continued the study ofthe law. During
the month of May James, accompanied
! by a Mr.. Vance, went fishing on every
suitable occasion. Once he bought
powder to go hunting; on the Z1th OF
that month he borrowed shot gun
| from q aaddler, named Seidles, saying
at the time, that he wanted TO protect
himself from pack OF hounds who
had attacked him twice, and If they
| ever did so again he would shoot them.
He furnished his own lamp-Oil, on
| one occasion when Slpe expressed some
anxiety about the danger of it exPlOd-
ing, he filled small bottle and took 1t
out upon the pavement and set it on
| fire. 1t did not explode, Stpe then
said that il would act things on fire.
He showed Sipe how it would ignite pa.
per when held above the flame, but
| would not burn it when on the surface
this, also, occurred in May. On the
2nd OF June he bought from grocer,
Clark B. Mustard, one charge of pow
der and shot, Asaying he Twas going a
hunting"-the charge was very heavy.
| After this he was seen to pass by with a
gun on his shoulder.
On the evening of that day, hennon
returned to the Washington Hotel
about 8 o'clock-he had been spending
the evening with young lady-hnding
that it was not closed yet, he returned
up street, where he met his friend Vance.
They together went to the hotel about
IL o'clock, going in by the back way,
when, instead of going up stairs imnle-
| al
and drank four or five glasses of beer,
then they went up stairs: hennon
| looked for his lamp, but could not md
| it; he then went down stairs to the door
of Sipe's room and knocked, hearing no
response, he took the hall lamp down
and ascending to his room lighted it
there, his friend Vance remaining In
the room until he returned. Vance
wished to go to his own room, when
Kennon asked him TO stay all night
with him. Vance refused, went out
and left him. According to the testt-
mony OF kennon. for he is the only
witness as TO what followed, he lmme.
diately drew his boots off, laid
down upon the bed, and COM
menced TO read his diary. While read
ing he sunk into a stupor, produced
by the liquor he had been drinking,
and the use of some hash hash, taken
before supper. He heard some one take
loudly, "JIm open the door," that he
did not know it WAS Sipe; that Sipe
always called him Newell. he. replied
"vou can'C come in" or "shant, ,"-And
in order to find out who it was, for the
person would make no repty-thinkinS
il was Sipe, he said ST have got your
lamp. do YOU want itH" when second
demand was made for him to open the
door: during which time no quickly
reached for the gun, which was sitting
on the west side of the bed. which was
opposite to the door; was bringing 1t
over the bed, intending to present ii In
order to stop the intruder If he broke
the door open. When the door WAS
bursted open; the figure entered, the
gun went off as he was raising it up.
He saw it was Sipe as he turned around
and cried out "Oh! my God," walked
on and down stairs. kennon fur.
ther said that he supposed he had
afraid Sipe would come back and
hurt him: that he then passed out
into the hall, from there, out upon the
balcony; swung himself down to the
street; went up street until ne came 10
an alley, when he went east TO South
street, when he met ID. McConahey VINO
noticed something wronR-hennon was
in stockinG feet-and asked him what
in the hell he WAS doing out so late"
He renlied that he "had shot Ben. Sipe,"
McConahV asked him "what Sipe had
done" when he told him ''he had
broken his door open;" that he then
went to Steubenville street, and
knocked at Gen. Ferguson's door. Mrs.
Furguson asked what he wanted. DE
asked If the General was at home;
when she told him che was not tnere;"
that he then went to Mr.. thompson s.
City Marshal-and raped at door. he
lat him in, when he asked for water;
told him that he was his prisoner; that
he had ''shot Ben. Sipe, and that hea ana
his pack would soon be after him; that
thew went down street together and had
some conversation as they WAIke
along; that Thompson took him to Jail
and locked him in; that some persons
came to the Jail and told MIN that
| "Sipe was dead"
The killing took place about mid
night, at the Washington doteI.
sad scene presented itself. Sipe after
walking down stairs-felI dead. The
wound was TO the left OF the breast
bone. carrying away the Bird rib, lnJ ur-
| ing the End and 4th ribs. CutLlng
through a portion of the heart anu
Tearing the left lung; penetrating to the
nosterium wall of the chest, damaging
The End rib, and burying itself IN the
muscular tissues near the spinal col
umn. Such a wound allowed aOout alI
his blood to run out.
The next morning Coroners III
Quest was held, and u verdict rehuereu
that "Benjamin F. SiPe had come ~
his death by a gun-shot hTea oy tue
Col. NJ. Barns, Prosecuting Attorney
of Guernsey county, and j. wilson
shannon and Senator Thurman prose-