Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-18

counted against the judgment and de
termination to the House. Mr.. Knott
gave notice that he would call up the
resolutions for action on Wednesday.
House adjourned till Monday, 18th
TRIAL OF CHARLES MURRAY
T FOR MURDER. i~
Convicted of Murder i'm the Sec.
Ond Degree. ,..-.t.s-
From the Cadiz Republican, JAN IL.
An adjourned term of the Court o
Common Pleas for Harrison county
was commenced ON Monday, Sih inst,
for the disposal of criminal business.
The first case called was the State Oi
Ohio vs. Charles Murray, indicted for
murder in the first degree. The in.
Idictment charged the prisoner with
purposely numbering Mary Hobbs, on
the first day of September, 1876. with
deliberate and premeditated MALI Q,
A second count charged the offence rs
having been committed in an attempt
to peri citrate rape, but without pre-.
meditation or deliberation. The PEN
atty for either offense is death. 1iv
Prosecuting Attorney Holiingsu orth
and J. NJ. Garven, Esq, appeared for
the State, and the prisoner was repre-
seated by Lewis Lewton, Esq. 49,.
The evidence in chief for the State
showed substantially the following
fact: On the lst day of September,
1876, the prisoner was engaged at Je-
cob Holloway's, in Flushing town.
ship, Belmont county, Ohio, in assist
ing to thrash grain. About sun-dOWn
he quit work and started to his home,
which was situated about One-quarter
of mile from Jacob Holioway's g, and
on or near the Harrison county line.
Just before he started home Mary
Hobbs had been noticed passing Jacob
Holloway's, on her road to Benjamin
Laiz lre'S ., a neighbor whom she was
in the habit of visiting. In going from
Jacob HOlloway's to Benjamin L.i
sure's she would pass the home of the
prisoner. He followed after her, pass
ing his own home, and overlook and
attacked her near theresidenc- eI Ben
jamin Laizure, which Is in Harrison
county, and about one fourth mile fir. m
the home of the prisoner. Here te
was discovered in the act of violently
beating the deceased, and was driven
away by Benjamin Laizure and his
son. The deceased when diseovpreo
by them, was in an unconscious cOu
ditiOn, being PROSTATE, with her
clothes up round her body. Her head
was badly bruised, with one or two
fractures of the skull; also her throat,
arms, and lower limbs shove marks
of violence. She was taken to the res
idence of Jacob Holloway, where, after
remaining in an unconscious condition
for FIVE days, she died from the effec 9
of the injuries thus received. Medical
examination revealed the fact that the
injuries ON the head had been caused
by some hard substance, generally sup
posed to have been stone. A post
nlOrten examination Was held and
majority of physicians present were
satisfied that her person had been vio-
lated. On the third day after the oc-
currence the prisoner WAS arrested for
the offence and taken before Esq. Nc
Call, of New Athens where he entered
a plea of not guilty to the charge, but
was sent to the county Jail to await the
action of the Grand Jury. When first
arrested he was found cOncealed In an
upper room OF the house. He refused
at first to give any account of the trans
actien, but iua:ly admitted to the
constable on bis way to Jail that he had
followed the deceased for the purpose
of violating her person, and That he
had accomplished his purpose. He al
so admitted that in the struggle she
bit his finger, whereupon he struck her
with large stone, causing thezinjuries
from which death resulted.
The defense VAS insanity, or rather
it was alleged on behalf of the prisoner
that his mental powers were 50 weak
As to preclude the idea of preInedita.
tion. s-f as. I'd. 7o sls
John Murray, father of the prisoner,
testified that his son was q years o;
Aye, and that he never seemed to have
any reasonable knowledge of anything;
that he could do ordinary work, but
that he never trusted him to work by
He also testified that his son
at one time got into trouble in, Bel
mont county, but was discharged by
the court and taken to the infirinary
for safe keeping. About two years ago
lle was discharged from the iniirmary,
and has lived with the witness on thief
farm Of Jacob Holloway ever since. |
On cros5-exainination he admitted. that
the prisoner had worked for Jacob |
Holloway and Joseph Brown without
his presence. @ -alf
jacob Holloway was also called and
testified that ne knew the prisoner;
tha the had frequently talked with him,
and That he considered his mental ca
pacity very weak; that he seemed at
lines to be conscious of right and |
wrong, at other times not. He could
work at ordinary work. asi
On crOSs-eXaninatiOn witness said
ne thought prisoner would know it wa
wrong To kill, but might not know the
nature or extent of the crime.
The prisoner was then called and
,sked a few questions, but his answers
were incoherent and unintelligible. He
mas a difficulty in articulatins plainly.
His manner was idiotic when being
examined by his counsel. On cross
however, he manifested
marked intelligence. In answer IT,
Iuestious by the Prosecuting Attorney
le gave the jury a clear idea of the To-
alities and the different farms in the
leighborhood where he lived, the
lames of many persons res ding near
lin, together WITH the size Of their
antilles, and whether any Of their
hildren were married. He also gave
he M mes OF the different BUSINESS men
n Flushing, a village about two miles
rom where he lived, and also the ex-
ct location of their place of business. :
le showed as much Information shout
be heighborhood In which he lived as