The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-04
SUICIDE OF NOAH JAMES, ESQ.
..- OF DODDRIDGE.
His Supposed Completely In
the Rogers Murder.
CONFESSION OF THE CONVICT.

which for cold-blOoded and dastaroly
crime has been seldom surpassed even
in fiction. Noah James, ESQ, member
of the West Virginia Legislature in
1868, and a man of wealth and Influence
in his neig hborhood, Jle'o out his opn
brains. The suicide was undoubtedly
the result of the circumstances we are
about to relate.
Our readers remember that on the
18th of last March a man named
Rogers, formerly living Oh the edge Of
Tyler county, near the Doddridge county
line, was found lying dead in the woods
near his own house. He had received
a bullet wound in his abdomen and
another in the neck, either OF which
would probably have proved fatal. By
various circumstances which it is not
now necessary to repeat, suspicion was
directed against Isaac Owens, a sort Of
desperate in the neighborhood, who
was then under indictment in Tyler
county on the charge OF having burned
some haystacks and cabin belonging
to the murdered man, Rogers. Owens
was arrested on the charge Of murder
and the trial took place at West Union,
in Doddridge county, whittier the case
had been transferred from Tyler. The
evidence was mainly circumstantial but
was sufficiently conclusive as to his
guilt; he was convicted on the 29th of
April last and few days later sentenced
to Imprisonment in the penitentiary for
life.
Soon after Owens arrest some suspi-
cior of completely in the murder OF
Rogers was directed against Noah
James. There was long standing
and bitter feud between the parties !;
thew had had several lawsuits
and James had been heard to say
that Rogers ought to be shot. Up to
the time of his arrival at the peniten-
tiarv, Owens had preserved stubborn
silence with regard to the murder. He
had not divulged a syllable that threw
any light upon the bloody transaction
and had maintained an appearance OF
stolid indifference as to the result OF the
trial. A few days after his incarcera-
ton, however, he made full and cir
cumstantial confession of the crime;
his statement was reduced to writing
and was found to coincide exactly with
the evidence adduced at the trial.
He stated that on several occasions
Noah James had said that Rogers ought
to be shot; that on Friday, March 10,
be was engaged in company with his
son in grubbing field for Mr.. James,
when the latter came to him in the
field, took him a short distance apart
from his work and had a long talk with
him about Rogers, and offered to give
him twenty-five dollars il he would
keep Rogers from appearing against
him (James) in case then pending in
the Doddr:dge county Court; that he
objected to the proposition at first, but
James then offered to give him twenty
five dollars and lend him fifty dollars
more if he would kill Rogers. Owens
also stated that James agreed to get him
some powder, lead and caps, and prom.
ised that if he was arrested he (James)
would take care Of his family, 60 his
bail, get him lawyers, pay mis- witnesses
and swear him out Of the scrape, and
finally agreed that he would himself
assist in the contemplated murder
Owen consented.
On Saturday, March II, Noah James
went to the store and procured the
necessary ammunition; on Sunday Isaac
Owens and his wife took dinner at
James, the arrangements were complet-
ed, and Owens got the powder and caps
he needed and went home. 1t was ar
ranged that Rogers should be murdered
on the next day (Monday) but upon
his arrival at home Owens found that
one Of his boys who was charged with
some offense, had taken his horse and
gone away, so that the completion OF the
plan agreed npon with James, had to
be postponed. On Wednesday, March
Is, Owens was returning from the mill
when he discovered Rogers coming
along the road on his way home. Has
teiing home as rapidly as possible,
Owens went over to Noah James and
told him that Rogers wns coming along
the path towards his house, when they
Immediately FASTENED to the woods and
placed themselves 10 ambush to await
the arrival. of Rogers. Noah james fired
the first shot from his rifle, the ball
taking effect in Rogers body, who then
turned screaming from the path and
started to run. Owens then fired his
pistol the ball taking effect under
Rogers right jaw, when he Immediately
fell and in few moments was dead.
After Owens arrest and come sur
misses of James completely in the crime