Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-30
MUNCY'S MURDER.
A YOUNG WEST VIRGINlAN HELD FOR
THE CRIME.
Eya Effects Of Bad Whisky and Worse
wOmen-"Tricky Ike" Out-Tricked
at last-Yerdict Of the
Coroner's Jury.

MARIETTA, O., October 2S.-Bad whis
XIV, bad women and Colts army six
shooter have awakened the echoes Of
our usually orderly little city, and added
another tragedy TO the long list OF the
carnival OF crime. Early this morning
it was reported on the streets that a
cold-bloOded murder had been commit
ted, late last night, in Harmer, oul
neighbor across the Muskingum.
Proceeding to the place named, quite
crowd was found assembled around
the house of man named /. n. Nuncy,
on whose body post mOrtem examina-
ton was just commencing, and who was
the victim OF last nights tragedy. The
body was on a wide table in room ON
the end OF rather dilapidated shanty,
and was surrounded by several dOct Ors,
who had sawed through the ribs, taken
out the heart, and were tracing the pas
sage OF large bullet that had gone
clear through the body.
From a girl named Laura Smith, the
principal witness to the affair, the fol
lowing facts were obtained: The girl is
an inmate of house OF ill-iame in Har-
mar, and SAYS that about ii o'clock last
night three men, named A. 5. SnOdgrass,
VIM. COOnlz and John Cartwright, came
to the house.
On leaving, Cartwright claimed that
he had been robbed OF so. He was
too drunk to make much fuss about it,
but the other two took up the matter
and finally brought the Marshal to try
TO get the money, but all the inmates
denied the theft, and finally the officer
advised the men to leave, rs nothing
more could be done. After going a
short distance down the street, Cart
wright became too much bother to the
other two men, and they laid him under
a shed to sleep off his whisky. About
this time the girl, Laura, came along in
company with a man, when SnOdgrass
and COontz stopped them and ordered
them back to the house.
The companion OF the girl refused to
90, when SnOdgrass drew a revolver and
forced them to 90 back. As they went
back up the street, followed closely by
Snodgrass and Coontz, they met Muncy
leaning against pailing fence, and he
Joined the others, and all walked back
toward the house just named.
Up TO this point all parties agree in
their story, but here the stories diverge.
The girl says she looked back and saw
Snodgrass take his revolver out of his
belt, and she rushed forward just as the
weapon was pointed at Muncy to save
the mans life, but she claims that she
was held back by COontZ until the fatal
shot was fired. Muncy reeled, took two
or three steps, and fell on the sidewalk
with his head against the fence.
The examination proved that the ball
from large Colts army six-shooter
passed in between the fifth and sixth
ribs, cutting off the lower portion of the
heart, passed through the upper portion
of the stomach, ont at the back, made
a dent in building near, and rebound
ed ten or fifteen feet back past the
victim again.
The Marshal heard the shot and was
on the scene in minute. SnOdgrass,
Coonst and the girl were bending over
the body, when the officer demanded
TO know who had done the shooting.
SnOdgraSs acknowledged the act and de-
livered up the weapon, which he had
carried in belt around him. AN three
were arrested and brought over to Jail,
while the body was removed home.
The victim, Muncy, was a half-breed,
thirty-One years of age, unmarried, and
a barber by trade. He was universally
known by the rather suggestive name
OF Tricky Ike, and, while he was doubt
less a shiitless kind OF fellow, he was
far from desperate, and it is the general
opinion that he fastened no quarrel on
SnOdgress, but that remains to be proven.
The prisoners were interviewed in
their cells to-day. The girl is simply
held as a witness. COOntz will doubt
less be held as accessory, at least until
matters are more clearly establish
ed. SnOdgrass is rather tine-lOOk-
ing Young man, and tells straight story.
He says he was on his way up the river
i'm wagon with Cartwright and his
family. The wagon broke down in
Marietta about dark yesterday, and they
laid up till morning for repairs. The
two men went ont To look over the city,
and met CoOntz in their travels. They
all got to drinking, and visited two dif-
ferent houses OF ill-fame on this side of
the river before crossing to Hamar SnOd-
grass claims that when Muncy first
came up to him ne caught him by the
arm and walked along with him for
quite a way without replying a word To
the repeated inquiries of SnOdgrass as to
what he wanted. SnOdgrass started
across the street, and says that he heard
something rattle on the pavement, and
say Muncy stoop and pick up pair Of
brass knuckleS. All this time he claims
Muncy was hanging on 10 his coat
sleeve, and that two or three times the
knuckles were dropped, and Snodgrass
held back while Muncy stopped 10 re-
gain them; that at last Muncy got his
hand up to his neck and attempted to
choke him, when he fired the fatal shot
in self defense.
As against this it was shown that no
knuckles were found on the body or
elsewhere, and it seems strange mat
ter that Muncy would faSten a quarrel
on a man without saving a single word
10 him.
Snodgrass persists in saying that
Tricky Ike never uttered a word from
the time they first met until the shot
was fired. SnOdgrasS seems and looks
like a young country boy who has been
led into trouble which he does not vet
fully realize He is twenty-five wears of
aye, and has friends at Barracksville,
West Virginia.
The Coroner tonight finds that Mum
cv came TO his death at the hands OF
SnOdgraSs, and that Coontz was accesso-
~. Court is in session, and a special
Grand Jury has been called for the case.
RAILWAY MATTERS.