The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-25
Coroner's Inquest.

examined in their presence and hearing
the evidence of DR.. Franks, who certified
q. to the.neck being broken, no more wit
nesses were examined, and the Jury certi-
fed to the following:
Verdict.
"We the jury, fad that John Wallace
whose body lies before Us came to his
death By the hands Of a party or parties
/ 10 US unknown, on the morning OF the
24th day of March 1875"
Charles Homer, Foreman,
Wm. Palmer, Isaac Homer,
John Bsrtrug, G.. Fl. Cunningham,
Henry Hemelrick, 7. n. Freelsud,
! Elijah j. Freeland, james Z. Straight,
Eagenus Troy, Chss. II. Woodruff,
w. Boyd Bennett, Jurors.
letter Pound ON the Body.
The following letter was found on the
body:
BURTON, W. Va, March2S, '78.
| Mrs. Mary E. Wallace, trom a husband
TO hs tcgs).
DEAR WEI seat myself to write
you = line or two TO let you know that
| cannot see you any more, unless you
can come and see meH l am a prisoner
now a. Burton, but expect to be hung
! for the murder of those confessed to be
the murderer of. Desr Mary, l cannot
tell the reason did 1t, only through the
hatred that had against George for
! tbe way be talked about you when We
were staying al his house, and wha. they
said about you after we went back to
your fathers. That is what Mary, them
SIS sait that they said about you.
| | am sorry 10 say that l was persuaded
| by Henry Yillsrs more or less, and was
drinking some. l ~ss committed TO jail
| for further examination.
Dear wife, 1 would like to see you,
but csnnot see you unless you get well
and come. Come to see De, darling, if
you can. Come and see me; comel Write
! me line or two and send TO me right
sway. If live to get to jail l will
write to you and tell you all have TO
say. Write soon.
From your husband,
JOIN WALLACE.
P.S. l will trust in God to save my
soul. Coed bye, dear wife, goodbye.
Your once-loved husband, and l hope
you will never forge. me. Let God be
your comforter. God forbid that any
snail do as l have done.
George Wallace.
George Baker (Wallace), during lsst
night, remained quite COOL and when
told that If John should implicate him
70 the lynchers, they would retarn for
! him, he said, with heroic indifference, 81
cannot help it" When John was taken,
be prayed for him, and reproached the
guards by saying that that was not the
way he would guard mems lives put in
| MS care.
A party heard the lynchers and John
talking just before bis death, and he
distinctly heard HIM say: "If you hang
me, hang the other feller, too;" mean
ing, so every ore thinks, Henry Villers.
This belief Of Villers' guilt, to certain
extent, is gaming ground every day.
Very many who pleaded his. innocence at
first, now desert him, saying that since
John. death with no denial OF his pre-
vious confession being left with the
ynchers by him, they are sure Of bis
participation.
To-day George waived sn eIsmins-
ton, and will be taken to the OSlo coun-
y jail tonight.
There is possibility that John msde
q statement 10 the lyncher., although it
is no. known.
IIIs Father Notified.
A telegram was received from Johns
father telling the coroner to send the
| BODY to him 8. West Alexander, aod it
left on the same train with George Wal
lace, eho was in charge OF party OF
special crn,tabss .uperlntended by
Jerry Stuart. Mr.. ". s Wiley, Pro-
scouting Attorney Of We.zel county
was also with them.
Interview with George Wallace.
l had = long tslk with George, who
appeared as cool and unconcerned as
though re w.s talking shout some pet
ty sffar Of every day occurrence. He
.ays that John was twenty-one years Of
age IN December last George say, be
IS twenty-five, and | think he tells the
truth. He Is sbou: five feet ten inches
in heighth, cf well built active
| form. His hair is dark
! brown; his eyes are keen and light grey
in color. He wears mustsche and
short beard ard dresses like an ordinary
farm hand, but looks above the average as
far as intelligence is concerned. be
.aid th.. he and John hai been down in
Little,on together, ana that about seven
o'clock he started FOR the house Of Mr
CONWAY, which is milo from town.
John went psrt OF the way With him.
They met several people on the road
and spoke 10 them, among whom Wa
Henry Vlller,. At eight o'clock be ar.
rived ST COnwsys ana went 70 bed.
Next morning while standing ia the
wood ward with two of the Conviy,,
John came up and said rather al
e.ly, "George, your wife and cold
are murdered" sId told him wls-e
to tnd them. George Jumped OF IT,
horse which John had ridden, and hu!r.-
ed 10 Ms home some two or three miles
swsy where be found Miss Churcn.
The rest Of the story is well known.
George said that he did lot believe
John had outraged the women,
but he thought he Was guilty.
"It he was gallty" said be, "he
ought to have been hung; but then, be
should have been hung sccorting 10 lsv,
and no. in the way tia: he ws," DE
said John w.s not S drinking msn, and
WAS always quiet and we'll behaved. He
had no idea IS 10 whether NI!ler, WAS
inplic.ted in the murder. George
said ne snd his wife got along
pretty we'll together as genera
thing but sometimes they "hsd rows ike
most married people, and then we sad
thing. TO each other rather short He
thought that sll the witnesses IN hIs case
with but one exception, had told tie
truth. That exception wss woman WHO
,wore that his wife hsd hidden under S
porch S. hi. house IN order to get out OF hl'
a