Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-30
HUMAN FlENDS.
TINE HORRIBLE OUTRAGE At BEN
y W. WOOD.
A Crowd Of Rufians Attack a Helpless
Man and Outrage Ms Wife Before
His Eyes-The Fright
~ ful Details.

Shortly after midnight Saturday night
the people Of the Second ward OF Bellaire
were startled by cries OF "Murder"
and Help which evidently came
from a woman in distress. Soon the
cries OF man, to save his wife, and OF
little boy, to save his mother, were
heard, coupled with those Of the woman
CRYING for help. This aroused nearly
every body in the neighborhood OF the
window glass works, and IT
Was not long until the
river bank was lined with people ready
10 rescue the suffering. The stified
cries for help from woman on the OPP
posite shore clearly told that
A TERRIBLE OUTRAGE
was being perpetrated. Skiiis were pro-
cured and loaded down till they sank
beneath their load, and il was some
time before they could get enough men
out 10 start across the river.
All this time the husband oil the wo-
man and a little son were out In the
river CRYING for help, but made very
slow progress towards this side OF the
river. The man had had his arm broken
i'm three places about six weeks ago, ana
on Saturday night it was broken over
again, ard the poor fellow had to pad.
die with one hand. He finally landed
near the coal works, and large crowd
met him 10 hear what the trouble was.
He informed them that they had camp
ed out on the other side early IN the even
ing and intended to stay all night, but
tina, halfa dozen OF brutal fiends, crazed
with LIQUOR, had swept down upon
them and laid hold on his wife to outrage
her. He helped her resist them unit.
he was knocked down and beaten; they
placed him in a skiff with his boy and
pushed out into the river. The ruffians
mad outraged the crippled mans vile
BEFORE HIS VERY EYES.
This so enraegd the people who heard
the story that two skill loads immedi-
a,ely started across the river to rescue
the woman, il possible, and TO bring the
guilty rufiians TO justice. When they
cot within twenty or thirty yards oil the
opposite shore they were fired upon by
the party, and then stoned to such an
extent that the rescuers, who were
unarmed, had to return without
the woman. During all OF the shooting
the woman Was begging them
FOR GODS SAKE TO SAVE HER,
hut they couldn't stand the fire OF the
outraging party. As soon as they start
ed 10 come back TO this shore the Will
ians left their victim and started OFT and
the woman ran out into the river. Some
of the outlaws, however, remained on
the bank, evidently watching and ready
TO shoot any one Tho would 90 after her.
The men on this side sent for fire arms,
but before they arrived the woman, tired
of the situation, started mp To the Ben
wood Ferry to try and get across. She
was not molested any more. and when
she arrived at the ferry landing on the
Benwood side, afraid to leave the shore,
she cried for help-for some one to come
after her-tha. her husbands
arm Was broken, ami Offering
to pay most anything il some one would
come after her, and continued her cries
so long and so loud that she soon aroused
the people OH this side, who immediate
ly procured a skiG and went after her
and brought her over. She was taken
in charge of by Officer Curran, who ac-
companied her down TO where her hus-
band and child were in the second ward.
They gave their names as Thomas, have
lived in Wheeling about eight months,
are very poor and started down to Par
kersburg in fat.boat OF their own.
They got Just below Benwood, Saturday
evening, and fixed up place on the
beach 10 stay all night. They had their
bed clothes laid out and everything ar
ranged when the villains who outraged
the woman visited them. The woman
was not bruised great deal, but the
man had his
YosK AND Arm BROKEN
IN the fracas.
There is no clue to the perpetrators OF
this horrible outrage, but 1t IS thought
that some OF the men engaged in 1t are
from B-llaire, as the old man, Thomas,
saws there was a skill load from this side
went over 20 the Benwood side sometime
before they were attacked.
The injured husband, outraged vile
and nearly scared-to-desth boy, with all
their household goods, started Tor
Moundsville yesterday. where they say
they will get law for the scoundrels.
The family are in destitute circum-
stances and are driven to their present
mode of life by his inability to do anv-
thing. and they seem to he little out
of balance in some way, probably made
to so appear by their destitute circum-
stances. On Saturday night Officer
Curran and a gentleman OF the First
ward wanted TO take them to the City
Hall and procure some dry clothing for
them, but they refused, and chung to.
pether in their boat. No pains should
be spared BY the West Virginia author
tiles to find the perpetrators OF this most
act. A mob could he raised
n Bellaire with a word. who wouldn't
leave a spark of life in one OF the party,
ii found. Most OF our people who have
heard the story are Mortified.