The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-27
cRIMsoS CHRIsTMAs.
coId.Blooded Murder nj Sc clairsyilIe
Eafnsdny

coId.BIooded Murder nj Sc clairsyilIe
One Of the most deliberate and cold.
blooded murders recorded In the annals
Of crime occurred at St. olAirsvills Sat.
urdsy afternoon, the victim being Sterling
Riggs, a man Of about thirty.fye years Of
age, and the murderer George Weir, q
mere youth, barely twenty.one years old.
MOTIVE ToRTHE DIED.
The cause Of the affair was the fact that
Riggs was the principal witness against
Weir in case 10 which the latter is under
indictment for burglary snd grand lar:
ceny. Some months ago theresidence Of
Martin Fink, in st. Clairsville, was en-:
tered in the night by thieves who secured
several hundred dollars and escaped with.
out leaving any clue TO their identity.
After long time had elapsed, in some
way suspicion was directed TO Riggs, and
he hearing this concluded that the only
safety for him was TO turn lntormer. DE
accordingly made known to the authori.
lies that George Weir, William Downing
and himself had committed the crime.
Weir and Downing were arrested, aud
Riggs allowed to become the prosecuting
witness, and thus escape punishment.
The two others were bound over to court
and indicted when the grand jury met,
the trial being set for December 10. At
that time, however continuance was OBJ.
tanned by Hon. Lorenzo Daniord, counsel
| for the defense, to the next term OF court.
Some days alter this, Weir Is alleged to
have declared his intention TO kill Riggs.
Downing, It Is said, has also made threats
against him. On Saturday the three met
By some iatetul coincidence, in front OF
Patterson's drug store, on Main street, the
most frequented part OF town. Weir re.
marked with much bitterness, We've got
10 20 to the penitentiary; and there Is the
man that Is the cause OF 1t al, ct the
same time
DRAWING A REVOLVER
from his hip pocket. Riggs told him to
put the pistol up, but before he was done
speaking Weir had lowered the revolver,
taken deliberate aim, and sent ball
crashing through Riggs right breast, The
wounded man turned in fright and be.
wilderment, and started to run across the
street, but his cruel assassin followed,
firing two other shots In rapid succession.
The first pierced the spinal cord, and the
other broke his hip bone. Riggs iell, cry
ing that he was dead man. Bystanders
carried him into barber shop near, and
physician was summoned, but the man
only lived few minutes.
After shooting the last time Weir ran
up street. but was intercepted by Town
Marshal Umstead, who arrested him with
the aid OF Officer Weber. Policeman
Riggs, a younger brother oil the murdered
man, also came up, and assaulted Weir
with his mace fiercely, breaking bis nose
and bruising him badly about the face be.
fore the other officers could interfere. The
prisoner resisted with all his force, but
was hurried to jail, where he was con.
fined without bail. Downing was subse.
quently captured, and locked up as an
accessory before the act
RIGGS, THE MURDERED MAN,
leaves a wife, who, though raised in hum.
BILE surroundings, is above reproach.
She has four children, and the family
arc without means or resources. Riggs
was always quarrelsome and quick to take
offense, but peaceable aud orderly enough
unless provoked. He has never borne a
good name, drank great deal, and has
been, it Is alleged, connected with several
crimes. He was brought up in and about
st. ClairsvilIe, where the family all re.
eide.
WEIR AND DOWNING
are mere boys, the former, as already
stated, being but twenty-one and the latter
still younger, the difference in the ages OF
the two, however, being small. Weir is a
son OF Gen. James Weir, q prominent cisi-
zen Of St. Clairsville, living in the southern
suburbs. The family are in good circum.
stances. The General was formerly an
attorney and politician OF prominence and
has represented his county in the Legisla-
ture. He was always indulgent TO his
children, who were numerous, and as q
result the boys were nearly all inclined to
be somewhat wild and reckless, though
warm hearted and actuated by creditable
impulses. George, being the son OF his
fathers old age, was even less restrained
than his older brothers. He has become
noted for his hssty temper and reckless
character and his latest deed, which, un-
less Justice miscsrries, will be expiated on
the gallows, is only fitting elimination
Of brief but desperate career.
The other boy is the son ola man who
once owned fine farm near St. Glars
vile, but was foolish enough to sell it and
engage in the business OF saloon.keepiDg
in town. His Oldest son, the boy impli.
Gated in this affair, Is more to be pitied
than blamed for his connection with such
haunting crime at such tender age. He
was less wicked than weak, and his Is the
came sad old story Of ruin through evil
associations.
As court is in session Weir will probably
be indicted and tried this term. 1t is to
be hoped that such will be the case.
There are those among the citizens OF St
Clairsyille who are disposed to deprecate
the former continuance. Had the boys
been accorded speedy trial and just
punishment for their former crime, they
would not at this season OF festivity be
facing so fearful doom.
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