Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-02
PARKERSBURG.
THE MURDER CASE
The Trial Of Richard Baxter for Shooting
Thos. Tristler, the Husband Of His
Alleged Paramour-laterest-
ing Developments.
special dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquirer

| tht term, COulultnCeu Ill tne tlrCult
Court to-day. Thedoors were no sooner
/ opened than in rushed the crowd OF
seekers after scandal and filed the
building 10 its utmost capacity. The
chairs of the auditorium were pretty
well filled with the fathers and hoary-
headed patriarchs of the county. ID.
ii. Leonard and G.. L. Caldwell repre-
senred the State. and Hon. John A.
Hutchinson the defendant.
The first witness called was Thomas
Tristler, the husband of the woman in
| the case. Tristler stated that his wife
was living with her father, and that he
| boarded in another part of the city, and
that having good cause To suspect his
wife and Baxter he watched them, and
on the evening OF November 9th last he
saw Baxter near the corner Of Ann and
Neal streets, the location OF the resi-
dence OF his wiie's people. Baxter
walked up the street, around square,
and returning to the same point stepped
| into the back yard, and thence into
the house. We will give the rest in his
own words: "Aiter | saw him 90
in | Knocked at the side door, and
asked nv wife, who came To the door,
| il Baxter was in the house. She replied
| that he was not. | told her | knew
better. when she pushed me of the steps,
| and shut the door. | then wentaround
| the back way and called her father. just
| then Baxter came to the back door, and
seeing me shot at me. | caught hold OF
him, Knocked him down and took the
pistol away from him, but not before he
fired second time. One bullet passed
through my coat under the arm. /
didn't feel the wound at the time, but
pitched into him and gave him good
threshing. My wife was trying to hold
nv arm while ! Was taking the pistol
away from Baxter" Tristler further
stated that on last July he found his
wife and Baxter on Fort Boreman, and
when he ordered his wife to go home
with him Baxter drew pistol and
threatened To elbow his brains out. y
| He also stated that while she was stay
ing away from him he gave her money
every week to pay her board, and that
| ne had given her at least hall OF his
wages lie also stated that the pistol
with which Baxter shot him was taken
from him 10y his wife, and must have
been given to Baxter 10y her.
The next witness, Mrs. Poole, testified
that she lived Just on the opposite side
oi the street, and upon the evening OF
| the shooting saw Baxter going into the
| back yard, and shortly after saw Trlst-
Ter 90 To the side door and knock. Mrs.
| Tristler came To the door, when some
words passed and she struck her hus-
band i'm the face and shut the door.
Tristler then went are und to the back
gate and had Just entered II when the
pistol was fired all OF which was corro-
borated by her husband, Mr.. Poole.
Mr.. Henry Shafier testified that he
| boarded at Dolan's, Just on the opposite
side of the street, and heard the firing
when he ran around the house and saw
Tristler holding Baxter down on the
floor, and Baxter was still holding the
pistol.
Charley Dove testified that he was at
Bush's when the firing took place, and
ran around the house. When he got
around Baxter and Tristler were fight
corner and dodge into the back way.
Abe Beckwith, jailer, was the next
witness, and testified that Il short time
ago, during Baxter's confinement in jail,
he Baxterl had handed him Il paper TO
give to Mrs. TristleT, and that he un-
folded the paper, when two letters fell
out.
lie was shown several letters, and
identified two oi them as the ones IN
question.
Beckwith further stated that upon an
other occasion when Mrs Tristler visited
Baxter--which, according to the ialler,
was not an inireguent occurrence
Baxter handed him "A letter Ia give to
her. lie examined il, AMI found three
more letters, which he held in his hand
and gave her the paper. He said that
when he and Mrs. Tristler were in the
hall ui the Jail, just as she was going
out, she snatched one OF the letters, and
told him that il he would destroy one
she would destroy the other. lie des-
troyed one and she one, but the third
he slipped into his pocket. The letter
was produced, but not allowed TO 90 in,
After the realing OF the letter an
other witness, Mrs. Moore, was called
to the stand, who corrobonted the
others in regard To the shooting, aud
identified Baxter AS the man who held
the pistol. She was followed 10y Mr..
Mamony. This wound up the prosecu-
ton, when the defense opened with Mrs.
Cross, the mother Of Mrs. Tristler, 10y
whom the defense undertook To prove
that Tristler did not support his wife.
Mrs. Tristler was then put upon the
stand. She stated that she slept on the
lower floor AMI that ON the night otthe
shooting some one knocked at the
back door. She opened that door
and found that il Was Baxter. Just
then she heard knock at the side door
on the street, and upon opening that
Was confronted by her husband, who lie
manded 10 know whether Baxter was
ian the house, which she denied, when
TristIer said, II know better; | will cut
his heart out" She then shut the door
i'm his face. She then went around 10
the back door, and Just As she got there
Tristler and Baxter we're scuffling Dur
ing the scutiie the pistol MAS fired
twice, but the witness could not state
which one held the pistol. She further
stated that while the tight was going on
Curley Malen, uncle OF Tristler, came in
the hack door aud said; "What are you
DOING Kilt the -
TrisIler replied, That's Just what I'm
irving 10 do" Mrs. Trisiler gave as a
reason Tor her separation from her hus-
hand that he did not support her and
had given her but little money, and that
only after constant importantly on her
part and threats 10 leave this child with
him. Mrs. Trisiler Was shown knife
which, she said, was picked mp on ths
fioor and belonged To her husband.
She was contrsdicted by Mr.. Logan,
who testified that she had received at
least halt of TTistleT's wages, even after
she had left him and gone home.
Several witnesses were introduced 10
prove Baxter's good character, and ON
Ger stacy was introduced 90 prove that
Baxter Was bA.ily injured by fristler IN
the fight, but this witness testified on
discrimination that when he tound
Rz4ter, after the light, he MAS in house