The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-11
BELMONT COUNTY ITEMS.
srom the St. clairsyllIe Gazette.

a. ra
From the st. Ciairsville Gazette.
GAINESVILLE is to have Centennial
celebration, too, on the Fourth OF July
next
A special grand jury was called and
held a session on Tuesday last. They
reported the following indictments: Jack
Jones, stabbing with intent to kill, stab
bing with intent to wound, and cutting
with intent to wound; George Mchira-
han and Frank Peterson, assault and
battery. =,
Jack Jones is the gentleman who as
saulted Officer Drugan in Bellaire one
night last week, when that officer was
irving to arrest Jones. McKirahan and
Peterson are Bellaire boys, and are now
in jail.
The most important and interesting
trial yet held during the present term OF
Court. was that of Robert Gardner, Jr.,
for the burning OF Harrison Fowler's
barn near Hendrysburg, in kirkwood
township. The barn was burned on the
night of September 9th, 1874. Gardner
is Young man about twenty-five years
of age, and lives with his father near
Fowlers. Some time about the first OF
September last, young Gardner was ar
rested for the crime and was given apre-
liminary hearing before Justice j.
p. Arick, Of that township.
He was held for trial in the
Common Pleas Court, his father
going upon his bond for his appearance,
a. the October term, 1875, the Grand
Jury found bill OF indictment against
Gardner, but the trial of the case was
postponed until the present term OF
| COAT. An immense number of wit.
nesses were summoned on both sides.
| The trial was commenced last Thursday
at noon, and was concluded on Saturday
evening. The jury, after remaining out
about three hours, came INTO Court at
eight o'clock and announced that
they had found the prisoner guilty.
Gardner was then placed in Jail to await
his sentence, and his counsel gave notice
that they will move the court to set aside
the verdict and grant new trial. Pros
ecuting Attorney Kennon was assisted
by j. w. Shannon and L. +. kennon,
and the defense was conducted by Judge
Cowen and Peter Tallman, Esq. The
penalty prescribed by law for this otfense
is Imprisonment in the penitentlary for
not less than three years and not more
than twenty years.
IT seems that some of the Bridgeport
people are under the impression that St.
Clairsville is in some way opposed to the
proposed extension of the Tuscarawas
Valley & Wheeling Railroad, or that
we are disposed TO antagonize Bridgeport
or Bridgeport's interest in this road. in
some shape, when we propose to build a
narrow gauge road from here to Netf
Siding. Ia this our Bridgeport
friends are mistaken. Our people
ore certainly friendly to the Q. T. V. X
w. Road, and want to see it completed
through this county, and hope that
Bridgeport. may realize her most sun
guine anticipations IN regard to that
road There is no one here opposing
that road that we know Of 1t is GER
tainly to the interest of ali the people
of the County to have this road, and rs
many railroads as possible, built within
l our limits. But then so far as the build
ing of a switch to st. ClairSville is con.
cerned, large majority of onr people
are OF the opinion that a connection
with the Baltimore and Ohio road
at NeEs Siding, would be of much
more benefit to st. Clairsville than
connection with the G., I. V. IL W.
road on the north of Us. We want con-
ncction with both if we are ableto secure
it, But at present we think it better fol
us to secure connection with roaC
that is already built than with line that
Is only under contemplation. When VT
get our road completed to Netis Siding
which we think will be done before The
G.. Y. V. 81 w. road is made through
this county, St Clairsville will then Be
ready to go on and complete her roac
to Wheeling creek, which viii
give us direct communication by raj
with Bridgeport and Wheeling. Be
sides we will then have sure thing o
the narrow-gauge road now building
from the Lake TO the Ohio river, al
Wheeling o. Bellaire. st. Clairsville
will then be on through line. FoI
these reasons, the people OF this place are
in favor of first securing road TO Netf
Siding, not because they are in any way
opposed to Bridgeport or the Tuscarawa
Valley road, but because they believe
that they can have railroad sooner t.
Net7s than to wait until the c., 7. V. y
w road is built, and that the narrow
gauge road, us it will ultimately be
through road, will be Of more direct nd