The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-24
PINE GRovE, W. Va, April

PINE Grove, W. VA, April 20.
ElIloaOi tho IntGlSenOer!
We have have had quite lively times in
the different courts lately, you know ouF
people, rs general thing, do u great
deal Of counting,
In the u. s. Court quite u number OF
our citizens were before his honor, Judge
Jackson, for violating the Revenue Laws,
Fortunately or unfortunately they were
all discharged, some because they were
innocent, others because the witnesses
against them were persons Of low char
meter, ready to swear anything, and Us Is
generally the case they swore too much
and tho prisoners We're released.
One witness, l., q, Rockwell, tCstiied
that no purchased whisky from q. w.
Hadley, paying for II in five cent nickel
coin. Ills partner In crime, Marga-
ret Barr, swOre she witnessed the
transaction, and that Rockwell paid
for II with . piece Of fractional currency
receiving no change in return, 1t Is
generally rumored that this Rockwell
went before the grand jury and endeav-
orCd to indict ten or fifteen Of our citizens,
and some, too, Of our best mon, Subse.
quently ono Of the gentlemen whom he
tried to indict went before the jury and
indicted Rockwell for selling tobacco
without license. Marshal Irwin arrested
him. lie was in jail when last heard
from, and unless he gets bail he stands n
very good chance Of going to Albany,
where, II he had received his Just dues,
no would have been long ago;-sO our
people think, at least.
A case was tried In our Circuit Court
last term that has excited considerable
interest In our community. 1t was u
case Of burglary, and tho history Of Il Is
~ follows, About three years ago there
was living four miles above here IN old
man by the name OF Alex. Lantz. lie
had been cripple for twenty odd years,
and was supposed to have money. One
night after bedtime three men burst into
the room where the old man was sup.
posed to be sleeping, crying "Surrenderp
One Of them received blow which rem
dered him insensible; n light was hur-
riedly brought in, revealing the fact
that The burglars were In the hands OF u
half dozen Of the old mans neighbOrs.
The men with tho evidence Of their gull
upon thcm-faCes blackened and revolt
yers In their hands-prOvCd to be Shep-
herd, Joe Barr, and his brother Jim.
The ease was continued from time to time
until last court and was decided. Joe
Barr was tried and acquitted. ltseems
there was n kind Of conspiracy against the
liberty Of the Barr boys. This Shepherd
was III tie employ Of Lantz and waS not
prosecuted. The room where The men
broke into was where the old people were
in the habit Of sleeping, but on this occa-
sion they were sleeping up stairs, aud Il
roll Of leather was In the bed to initiate
the old man. Quite number Of the neigh
bOrs were there, more 10 than ordinarily,
and they were there to capture tho burg
lars, Shepherd was allowed IL escape
that night, aud nothing was done to him
afterwards. The Judge In his last instruc-
tons to the Jury gave them clearly to UNI
ierstand that they could not do otherwise
than acquit him. :,
The other Jim BARR was not Irleu,
but waa continued till the next term. AZ
however they cannot bring forward any
new evidence the ease, in oil probability;
will he thrown out.
The young men do not bear very good
name. There il no question they did
wrong in consenIing 10 20 with Shepherd,
vet ut tile same time they havobeGn gricv-
ously punished. trust enough 40 IA to
learn them to he careful in the future not
TO follow the counsel Of those who desire
10 lead them into the Pcnitcntlary.
II, d. NJ.