The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-02
RI. DILLON.
Another Communication on the lee
Case,

Editors tntsllLEoncsr.
II you will permit ME the space l re
spectfully ask permission to reply, in a
few words as possible, to the structures o
G. A. bennington, OF Fairmont, on my
article concerning Eli Ice, as well as YOU
own remarks on the same subject.
Whether Fairmont was "shelled" was
not the question sought to be discussed by
me. only mention the fact, as it refers
to dates, but as you have alluded to the
matter in such positive terms, and assert
that that village, or city, was never shell.
cd, l would. say as n Of the W. Va. Mill.
tia, Co, X, 4th Regiment, that when we
went there, two days after, we crossed the
river on a pontoon bridge and were shown
the gondola car on which the rebels had
constructed their battery, and how they
pushed 1t down the railroad TO a convent.
ent point, and where It stood, while they
at least went through the motions ofsheli.
ing Fairmont. And afterwards, when in
the town, the citizens showed us several
places where some OF the missiles struck
Ice had verbal authority given him by
one Carothers, q J.. p, to arrest Wade,
He told certain citizens, Of Warrington,
two days before the tragedy, that he had
given Ice said orders, but when he found
his orders caused bloodshed he "Rot
scared" and denied giving said orders.
Ice was In jail at the time OF the raid.
and Captain Hall let him out to assist In
defending the place; after which he went
to his regiment.
Gen. Golf had nothing TO do with the
trial, as you stated, neither one yay or
the other. And, while the prosecution
was represented by the best and most
talented members Of the bar in The State,
the detense-well there was no defense
not one word was spoken by his counsel in
his detense-in fact his counsel did not
know that he had q client, and he never
raised from his seat to speak a word in
his defense.
l can agree with Mr.. Huntington and
assent to the fact, which l have since
learned, that mot a mar OF the court was
either personally or politically concerned
in the prosecution" But l would not like
to say that they (%somebody) were not
financially concerned, for in lees con-
viction somebody made about sixteen
hundred dollars. For the particulars Of
this refer all parties concerned TO the
letter Of G. S. McFadden, as published In
the Register Of the -. l cheerfully re-
tract the offensive epithet Of which Nj. D.
complains, and pin 1t where II belongs
for 1t did exist, and belongs somewhere,
At the trial but few witnesses were sum.
moned at the request OF Ice. There was
one William Wright, of Grangeville, Ma.
rion county, who wasnot summoned, who
would have testified that Wade came to
him prior to the shooting and wished to
borrow a revolver to kill Ice. Why was
not this witness summoned? Upon Ices
arrival in Fairmont at the time OF his Sec
ond arrest, in 1870, seven years after the
tragedy, he was told by the Hon, now
Judge Raymond, that for a certain revolt
yer which he carried he (Haymond) would
defend and clear him. But Ice felts sure
Of being cleared that he would not even
give his revolver to obtain the services Of
Judge Raymond.
YOU'D assure G. A. Huntington that
he does me great injustice in attributing
my motives to the making OF "politicai
capital" Ihave ever thought, and still
think, that Ice killed Wade. No one has
ever denied this. And from the manner
in which his defense was conducted, the
jury having but one side OF the case pre-
sented to their view-leaving his side and
version Of The matter altogether in the
dark-there are more than myself that
think the punishment is excessive, and
out OF all proportion to the magnitude Of
the crime, and that proper allowance was
not made for the peculiar conditions Of
society, as existing at the time, too elabor.
ate To- be discussed now-and as you
yourself intimate that there has ever been
a very grave doubt in the case, l claim,
with you, that the prisoner should have
the benefit of the doubt, and when
1.-THE scale Of accusation and defense polse dOubtfulIy,
Lei mercy, With her doWny hand
Bear genty on the lighter dde."'
lam, respectfully yours,
B. B. DILLON.