The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-02-16

We went to press last week too soon to
give anything more than a brief account Of
the opening of this, the last and one of the
most important of what are known as the
"Molly Mcguire" trials. The special plea
entered by Patrick Hester was argued by
Messrs. Ryon and Wolverton on behalf Of
the prison er, and by Messrs. Hughes and
Buckaew for the Commonwealth. On
Thursday afternoon Judge Elwell read his
opinion deciding that the plea was not sutfi-
cent, and that the prisoner must plead over
again to the indictment, to which ruling the
defense took an exception. The Court then
ordered that a jury be called. This occupied
tho entire pf crnoon. The jury selected is
asfollows Franklin Shuman, Main town
ship; Amos Wanich, Mt. Pleasant William
Miller, Mt. Pleasant Lewis Girton, Hem
lock- ii. N. White, Scott; William Ricbart,
Hemlock; Perry Christian, Madison Abra.
ham White, Orange Isaac A. Dewitt, Green.
wood; Benjamin McHenry, Greenwood
Elijah Yocum, Benton; Joseph Lsmon, Bri.
arcreek. John NJ. Clark, District Attorney,
opened for the Commonwealth in the fol-
loeins speech
May it Please the Court, Gentlemen Of
the Jary Patrick Hester, Peter McHugh
and. Patrick Tully are charged with the te-
onious killing on the 18th of October, 1868,
Of Alexander w. Rea, and this killing is
ssbeyond doubt murder in the first degree.
We charge McHugh and Tully with being
art; n, in rJa n1 OH
Hester with aiding and asetting them. The
law will tell you that an accessory before the
fact occupies the position of principal and
is just as guilty. Before going further
would mention that up to within year
there has been an organization called the
''Molis Maguires" in existence in the coal
region and though the by laws and constitu-
tion OF this orlsr are apparently of a proper
character the practices of the orGer ar di-
rectly tue opposite. We shall prove to you
that robbery and murder were among the
practices of the order. We shall prove that
Hester, McHugh and Tully are or were
Insmbers Of this order, and we shall also
prove that this is, if ever there was one, a
dered at a point called the water Barrel )"
on the road leading from Mount Carmel TO
Centralia. He was the superintendent of
the Coal Ridge Improvement Coal Comp
nv, and was in the habit of paying the hands
at his colliery, and We shall prove to you
that Mr. Rea was murdered tor the none
he was supposed to have upon his person on
that fatal day. He received six wounds, two
in the bre asst ono back ofthe left ear, two in
the cheek and one in the mouth, any one
Of the wounds was mortal, but so rutal
were these men that even after Rea fell one
Of the murderers walked up to him and shot
4 Al al. II
that on the 10th of October, Hester, James
Bradley, fugitive from justice, Jack Dal-
ton, William Muldoon another fugitive from
justice, Ned Skivington, Peter McHugh,
Pat Tully, and Dan Kull or Kelly met at
the saloon of Thomas Donohue at Ashland,
and hatched the conspiracy to kill Rea.
They remained in the saloon all night, and
I'm the morning went to the "Water Barrel
.Skivington and Hester only went part OF
the way. The others continued, and Tully
and Dan Kelly went as far as the "Water
Barrel" where the murder was committed
- BY the testimony of an eyewitness we will
prove what have told you, and we will cor
roborate this mans testimony in its minutest
details. We will prove that McHugh and
Tully fled the county, and why did they fly
if not guilty? We will prove that a. that
time Pat Hester was county delegate oi
that his influence was 80 great in the order
that he was enabled to get his companions
70 agree to divide the spoils with him, though
He did not actually help them to commit the
murder. With this statement of the facts
will leave you, only asking you to do justice
and return such n verdict as will accord with
the evidence. We are not here as persecut-
ors, but as the supporters of the law, and
that the murder of husband and father
may be avenged. All that we ask you to
do Is to acquit the innocent and convict the
guilty.
At the close of Mr.. Clark's speech Cour,
adjourned.
Court opened on Friday morning with q
house packed to overhowing the expectation
of seeing Kelly the "informer" on the wit.
ness stand increasing the excitement oi
the public to high pitch. The prisoners
were brought in by the guard and plsced
near their counsel, the wife and two daugh
ters of Hester sitting by him.
Mrs. Alex. w. Rea, the widow of th,
murdered man was the first witness called
She testified as follows
"Prior to the 18th of October, 1868, m,
husband lived in Danville, and at the tim,
of his decease lived in Centralia we NOV
ed from Danylle to Centralia; my HUSBAND
was the agent of the Locust Mountain Goa
and Iron Company and of the Coal Ridg
Improvement Coal Company; saw IN,
husband last alive on October II, 1868; h
left home s.bout eight O'Clock in the morn
ing and drove to Ashland in one-horse We
hicle, returned to Centralia, and then wen
to the Coal Ridge colliery; that is on tn
road from Mount Carmel to Centralia;
know what is called the "Water Barro !"
is about mile and half from Uentralia
next saw my husband on Sunday morning
he was dead at the time of his death II
husband was forty-fye years of age"
@. He left widow and how many CHI
dren?
81 object to that" said Mr.. Ryon.
Mr. Rea lett six children.
>l. Was he in good health when you 81
him last? A. Yes, sir.
Cross examined by Mr.. Ryon.-Q. /
you see your husband leave in horse a
wagon? A. did; did not see him goi
to Ashland, but he spoke of going; | s
him go to Coal Ridge / did not see him
ter he returned to Centralia, but ! belle
the children did; the horA he drove Il
morning was dark brown, almost blac
the wagon was a covered one, falling Il
when saw it that morning the top was h
down.
q. He was not going to make pay t
day. A. A few bills had been left unp
from the day before the day before was
day, at least the men were paid that d
the agent of the company had been up
day before and had paid.
@. How was your husband dressed