Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-12-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

About eight o'clock on the evening
before Thanksgiving, an Irishman
named Daniel Wilkinson, some what
under the influence of whisky, went to
the "Red Onion" the notorious home
of the notorious Jim LaWless in Mar
tins Ferry. He and Mr.. and Mrs.
LawleSs were alone in the saloon, and
after few drinks, Wilkinson, E,mil-
iarly known as Sailor jack asked
Lawless ''if he would like to put anoth-
er head on him as he had done once
before with BOTTLE" to which Jim re-
piled she did not; :" Jack insisted he
should try, and to accommodate him
Jim proposed they should each be
searched by inns wife and divested of
all hui. e, ai.I pistols and then go out
and fight out their old grudge, alleged
to have grown out of objectionable fa-
miliarities of Jack toward Jim's wife.
The proposition Was accepted and each
shed his coat-Jack first-and as Jim
was pulling his he alleges, and so does
his wife, that Jack suddenly drew his
pistol and snapped it in Jim's face; Jim
grabbed it from him and " lille attempt
ing to put both I.istOls away, Jack
seized poker, and willie in the act of
coming toward Jim to assault him Jim
shot him dead at his feet with his small
pistol. Jack lived but few moments;
was then removed to the lookup, wash
ed and dressed. and next morning was
removed to his boarding house at the
Ohio City Iron Works, whence he was
buried that day at 2 P. NJ. Lawless.
evidently fearing danger, ran out and
succeeded in finding Marshal Hays to
whom he surrendered, and by whom
he was conducted to the lookup, and
next day waiving an examination be-
fore Esq. Eagleson, he was conveyed
to st. Clairsville Jail, where he now is.
Under orders from the authorities, Drs.
Werlich, Todd and Williams examined
the body before burial to find the fatal
bullett, which entered the body three
inches to the left and below the navel
on the left, passed obliquely down.
wards and across the body and lodged
in the hip-bOne ab.ut opposite to the
hip.joint. Lawless, we understand,
says lie shot him with a small pistol,
the ball found is that of u large Navy
revolver. Jack died of Hemorrhage.
After being shot he only made COM
planning remark or two about his bow
els. y pint of whisky was found on
his person. Mrs. Lawless in conver-
sation with us confirms fully her hus.
bands account of the whole affray, ex-
cept is finale, the shooting; she says
she had just stepped into an adjoining
room when she heard the report of fire.
arms. And as Jim confesses to the
killing there is no doubt as to who did
it. An evident disposition was mani
fest to deal summarily with Lawless,
who has really been a terrible plague
spot on community. To correct an i'm
preston which generally obtains,
we would say Lawless' 'shebang' Ias
without the limits OF Martins Ferry
and Clarksburg above, and is in a
go-between known as Seabright's Ad.
dition to Martins Ferry, but was
without the towns jurisdiction, hence
in part, at least his brazen-faced opera
tions. Mrs. Lawless was at the house
during the search for the ball on jack
body, and in her way pretended te
evince much affection for him by kiss
ing ihIm and tenderly chucking him
under the chin and asking Jack list te
spake,' but Jack was peculiarly reti
cent just then-though he had only en-
tered on his second term. Jack got hi:
so6riquet '.Sailor Jack" from having
been, he claimed, a sailor for many
years-and had informed his friend:
that he was without relatives, "friend
less and alone" i'm the world, a broker
fragment of humanity at any rate WHIT
drifted at the goal of his unfortunate
and unhappy doom, far from his native
land-Ireland.