The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-02-25
wORRELL,s FATHER


Talks With a.'Dispatch" Reporter About
the Charges Against His Son-IIe Ad.
mits None of the Assertions Against the
Boy, But Directly Denies Very Few OF
Them.
Pittsburgh Dispatch Of yesterday.
A reporter Of this paper who visited
Claysville, Washington county, yesterday,
found excitement still running high owing
to the continued mystery Of the worrell
arson case, Much has already appeared
about the case in the regular press tele-
grams printed in the Dispatch. The fathers
name is William and not Thomas, as some
Of the papers have it. The latter is o
brother OF the former, and lives in the
same nCighborhood. There are nine per-
sons in the family, the mother being dead.
James did not "follow the young lady TO
Ohio whittier her parents recently re-
moved" She is teacher, Miss Ellen
Musser, in the Canonsburg public schools,
and is avery fine young lady. She resides
with her mother. James Worrell became
acquaintedwith her while attending Jeffer-
son Academy at Canonsburg. James had
been known as an exemplary young man
at Canonsburg and Washington, as well as
at Claysyille.. Just before one OF his visits
to Canonsburg he borrowed from one man
S. and from another SO, they having no
hesitanCy in loaning 1t to him. 1t Is feared
II the young man should return to Clays-
vile at the present time, he would be
lynChed. An interview was had with Mr..
William Worrell, the father.
The reporter said, ~ wish to learn what
can about this mysterious burning Of
your residence?"
'prhere are nine OF u.s." said Mr.. W.,
Sin the family. All except James sleep
up stairs. The girls were awakened by
the cracking Of the flames, when they
came and routed me out Of bed. went
down tho porch stairs, intending to arouse
James. When l shouted to him he an.
swered from the outside, having made his
exit through window"
at is fumored that James set the build.
ing on fire, and that you intimated as
much"
~ think il was the work Of an ineen-
diary, but have no idea who the villain
was"
0Did not James do it2" the reporter said.
81 can conceive Of no motive for his so
doing,n was the indirect reply.
"Would you have any objections to your
son marrying Miss Musser?" persisted the
reporter,
"Does the farm you reside on belong to
you% -,
inherited 1t from my tather-249 acres
and hold it in fee, subject to no incum.
brance Of title as is stated by some folks. =
"There Is q story" said the Dispatch
man, .to the effect that James sold part Of
your sheep and then went with you tc
hunt them"
Mr.. Worell replied, ~ owned flocE
OF old ewes and missed some Of them. ]
asked neighbor II he had seen them anc
he said lie hadn't. James told me he hac
sold them. James did not go with me u
hunt the sheep"
al understand" continued the reporter
.that you and Mr.. Maily, the young mani
grandfather, gave him money and told hin
10 leave, as be was suspected OF setting TIT
buildingon fire"
1--WE each gave him money, and as ]
had nothing Tor him to do, advised himtt
hunt up some work"
"Do you know where he is now?"
mo, sir," was the emphatic answer, :,
as tho story that James poisoned hi
mother correct2"
"Utterly baseless. She died from natura
causes oCcasioned by passing the critica
period Of life." DR.. Ellet, the tamil!
physician, corroborates this.-REP.
| dThere Is another story" the reporte
said, Sin circulation, to the effect tina
your son attempted TO poison the famil!
a short lineage"
Mr.. Worrelf replied: "There was some
thing bitter in the coffee, but the beverag
likely came to the table in the same vesse
lin which James took some medicine a shori
time previously. That was q bitter toni
with aloes prescribed by the druggist a
Claysyille, DIR, Newton" ,r
"rhe reporter continued: ut Is sal
that few weeks before the destruction
your house It was robbed, and that Jane
claimed 10 have lost watch and chain O
the time, but that 1t was atterwaId discov
cred that the watch was pawned at steu
benyille, while the chain was found in tn
ruins Of The burned house"
Mr.. Worrell's answer to this luestio
was; 81 know nothing OF the watch Q
. the story. There was a chain iouna y
the ruins, but 1t belonged to one oil tn