Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-12-30

TIE MURDERER.
George Weir is young man owe
twenty-One years of age. lie Is soh %
General james Weir, residing in lii,
suburbs of this place, who. for MANY
4 years. was IA prominent attorney Hnl
represented the county in tla 26th Gen
eral Assembly OF Ohio in 1S2T-S. For :
number of years George has been way,
ward boy. putting at defiance law anC
order, and cOiduciing himself III such 4
way as to be terror to the community
| On more than one occasion he has been
charged with crime, and many OutrageS
nave been placed at his door, when legal
means nave not been resorted to. i
year and half ago, at some slight pre-
| text, he fired two shotS on the public
streets at hostler named MCINTYRE,
working for Mr.. Lowe, and no attention
vas paid to the Offense; and 50 he con-
tinued his career of Outlawry under the
apparent apprehension that citizens
were afraid to inform on him, until 1t
eliminated i'll the terrible tragedy OF
saturday His incarceration and the
final vindication of the majesty OF the
law which is confidently expected Will
has been long enough outraged by deeds
that would not be tolerated even III a
frontier settlement.
THE MURDERED MAN.
Sterling Riggs, the man who met sucn
a tragic death on Saturday, was 81 years
of age. was born in Mead township, and
has resided the most of his life i'll or near
St. ClairSville. He was Il man OF line
physique, strong and muscular. During
the war he was a soldier in Co. l, 43d o.
V. l., and bore his part us brave man.
Sterling Riggs had his faults, one OF
which was the too frequent use OF strong
drink. Ordinarily he was peaceable
man, and did not seek quarrelS, but was
considered a dangerous antagonist when
forced to protect himself. He had either
faults which, in the presence OF his new
made grave, the world can afford TO
cover with mantle of charity. He had
good traits alSo-One was the love he
bore his children, and the pride he took
in them. A few days before the fatal
bullet ended his life, he had declared his
resolve to live a nobl1r and better life,
and it was heartleSS, Wicked fate that
prevented him from carrying out That
yearning which came to him as voice
speaking frem afar. His family con-
sists of wife and Eve children, the eld-
est l3 and the youngest i. They are
left in somewhat limited circumstances.
Three of the children are pupils OF our
dav and Sabbath schools. The family
have the warmest sympathy, and they
deserve the substantial sympathy of the
1t is hoped that the good
people of the town will open their hearts
and extend IL helping hand.
THE MOTIVE.
The motive for the crime may be found |
n the following incidents. Last May
,he house of Martin Fink was burglar
Zed, and some $500 taken. No clue was |
lad to the perpetrators of the act until |
lbout the 1st of November, when Riggs |
the officers that Weir and |
Downing were the guilty parties, and
hey were arrested. Riggs turned State S
and both the parties were
pound over by the Mayor, and at the
asst session of the Grand Jury they
we're indicted for burglary and larceny.
Vt the present term II continuance OF
he case of Weir was had OH statements
f counsel that Harry Wright was an
Important witness, and that they were
nable to secure his testimony.
POST MoRTEN.
On Sunday morning, Drs. Henry and
ohm E. West, A. II. Hewetson, and Geo.
I. Close, held post mOrtem cxamina-
ion. Following is the result: Found a
ullet wound i'll right forearm, passing
etween the two bones about irches
rom wrist joint, thence through the :.
hest between third and fourth ribs;
hence through middle portion of right
ing, striking the Sth rib at its articula
on with the spine, producing fracture
f rib at this point, ball lodging in the
luscular tissue at the inferior angle of .
le right shoulder blade. A large quan- ;
ty of blood was forced in the cavity of
hest, as the ball in its course had !
'ounded some of the large blood vessels.
Second wound examined was wound G
| back. The ball entered back to the !
ght of spine, between the transverse
of I'd aid Sd lumbar yertebra,
assing downward and inward, into =,
le abdominal cavity, and was found !
nong the small intestines, having per- ;
,rated IA portion of them. -
The third wound examined was that E
the hip; ball entered near top of hip, =
issed downward through the glutcal !
uscles, and lodged in lower portion of =
zine or sacrum, where it was found ,
eeply imbedded in bone. Either wound =
ould have produced death-one in =
lest produced immediate death.
THE FUNERAL. Y
~. /
r< place on Monday, at 10 o'clock. A
Ise number of people gathered to '
low at least their indignation at the il
.rpetration of so wanton crime. p
eVs. Conkle and Robt. Alexander con- s
lcted the religious services. Rev. AL L
lder pronounced a strong and forcible C
aver, and invoked the divine favor 5
bon the afflicted family-the bereaved Fl
idow and orphan children. Rev. Con- h
e made brief rddress, i'll which he s.
lied upon citizens to consider the re- Il
onsibilities that rest upon them. He h
id that the blame for this sin rested 81
Irtially upon citizens of community, Il
no tolerate the incipiency of crime, land f
ION popular sentiment, which with clos h
lips permitted crime. The whisky S;
terests and billiard saloon must take V
cir share of the blame. 1t was in
ese saloons that young men congrega- 81
1 and Matched crime. 1t is time for us Y
look about us, and stare these evils in Il
e face. He called upon all good citi- G
rs to stand by the laws and the enforce ST
ent of them. b
THE HEARING u
On Monday afternoon, the time fixed e
r the preliminary hearing, the prisoner, t(
Gorge Weir, was taken from the Jail to C;
e Mayors Office. Prosecuting Attor- e.
y Mitchell and Hon. W. 5. Kennon a.
peared for the State. The following W
idavit was read to the prisoner, viz: ci
le state Of OhsO, Belmont county, Incor-
DOrGted Village Of st. CLGirs0ilLe. S.: S!
Before me, 1. NJ. Riley, Mayor of the =,
village of st. Clairsville, VI =,
lio, one of the magistrates in and for ~