The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-04-02
THE MUKDER CASE IN MARION
COUNTY.

been in a high state OF excitement Tor
somo weeks, over charge OF murder
preferred by a young girl named FLORA
PETIT against Moses LAMB and two
brothers-in-law named JACOB and
CALDER HAYHURsT The charge WAS
that these men had murdered, at the
house of LAME, in July last an unknown
peddler. The case came up for hearing
before the County Court last Monday,
and continued until Thursday afternoon.
Messrs. ARNErT, Mccoy and SNoD.
GRASS were attorneys for the State, and
Messrs. MORROW and FLEMING for the
defense.
Miss PETITE, the prosecuting witness,
is described as small woman with sharp
features, and without that striking ex-
preston that would impress any one
with conviction of intellectually. She
was put upon the witness stand on Mon
day at noon, and tortured there till
night at the adjournment of Court, and
on Tuesday morning at its converting,
was called again and passed through her
rigid cross-examination until twelve
o'clock noon, when she WAS permitted 10
retire.
She testified that she was staying at
the House Of defendant Lamb in July,
1876; that on q Saturday evening near
the 4th OF July, but whether before or
after the 4th she could not remember, q
peddler came there and dcsired lodging
Tor the night; that after eating supper he
and Lamb and the two Hay sat on
the porch and engaged in conversation;
that before going 10 bed, and while out
on the porch, she heard the peddler say
he always trusted the people where he
stayed, and desired them to trust
him; that thereupon he opened
his sstchel, and showed them
large roll of money; that he then went
TO bed; that she went TO bod in separ-
ate room; that the three accused laid on
the floor in the same room; that in the
night she awokc and recognized the
voice of Lamb saying to Cal. Hayhurst:
81 know how we can make pile Of
money!" that Cal. said, "HowT
that Lamb replied, "by putting the
peddler out of tho way" that Jacob
sand, ayes. and by God I'm in
for it, too" that thereupon Lamb
got up and proceeded to light
lamp; that Eli Hsyhurst, a brother
of the other two, and who is helpless
cripple, being in the same room, cried
out. mo. no." that Mrs. Lamb sprang
from her bed and snatched the lamp from
her husband; that he jerked it back and
pushed her away, and the three then
went into the room where the peddler
was sleeping; that Mrs. Lamb followed
them, and witness followed Immediately
after; that when she got into the room
she saw Lamb pouring something from
small vial into spoon which Calder
Hsyhurst held in his hand; that
Lamb then held the peddler's head,
and Calder poured the contents of the
spoon into his mouth; that witness re.
manned in the room, standing by the foot
of the bed; that she inquired what was
the matter; that Lamb answered that the
peddler was sick and they were giving
him medicine; that she said ''thst's q lie
and q point blank lie;" that she renamed
in the room about half hour; that the
peddler gave few covulsive struggles
and died; that Lamb and the two
Hsyhursts then tied his hands across
his breast, after which they put his
pants and vest on him, and car
ried him out of the room; that she went
out on tothe porch directly and stumbled
against the head of the peddler, who was
living on the porch; that she won't out to
the fence and heard the three accused
coming from tho direction Of the barn;
that she then went into the kitchen and
watched them from the window; that
she saw they had horse and sled; that
they carried the body of the pedaler out
and laid il on the sled and drove up the
hill; that she stayed up and was getting
breakfast when they returned; that sftor |
breakfast they brought the peddler's |
salchcl into the kitchen, and not being |
able to find the key, they broke it open |
with An AK, and she saw the money and |
two table cloths; that during the fore
noon of the said day she followed the
sled tracks, and found place where the
ground had been freshly dug up for a
space large enough to contain the body
of a man; that afterwards during the
same week she passed the same place and
saw that it had been sodded over; that
during the following week Mrs. Fleming,
mother of Colonel X. K. Fleming, came
down to Lambs and asked Mrs. Lamb if
she had purchased anything of the ped.
der.
Eli Hayhurst, q brother-in.lsw of
Lamb, and brother of Calder, and Jacob
the other two accused, and
who resided with Mr.. Lamb at the time
his murder was committed, if We are to