The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-08-30
DAMAGISG DISCLOSURES


rounding the Burning Of Maud Bhep-
ard-An InQuesttO be Held To-day.
This forenoon, as ten O'Clock, an examina-
ton will be begun by Squire VIM, Philips,
with q CorOneFs jury, to ascertain the truth
or falsity Of the rimOrs which have been cir
culated concerning the manner In which
Maud Shepard received the injuries which
resulted In her death last Friday, The rumOrs
have been alluded to once or twice In our
columns, but have never been given in detail
because they did not seem to rest upon asolid
enough foundation to be received as even pos
ibly true account OF The occurrence briet-
ly. the statement made shortly after the &C.
cidcnt TO the girl, and reiterated repeatedly
since with more or less iaithiUlness 70 the
original, Is that the girl ut the time OF the ex'
plosiOn Of the lamp, was not alone in the
room, but that male companion was with
her. and that the lamp was thrown at the
| girI In 1T of anger. As We remarked yester-
INV. ibis ropoFt seems false on the face OF 1t.
How any person could he seen In tho room
| by outsiders IL q mystery to one acquainted
even in slight degree with,th customs Of
houses like that IN which the burning oc-
Cured. Again, II Repms scarcely, credible
that person could grasp u burning lamp
and throw 1t without splitting portion Of tne
oil upon himself and suffering the same tate
rs the person at whom tho terrible missile Is
thrown. .,,.
which serves to CorobOrRtC this view. The
inmates OF tho house, together with cOlored
man who chanCed.tO be there ut the time,
declare TINT tho woman was alone In the
room, and several young men, who claim to
have dropped IN ut tho mQWOnt OF the exPl0'
: sion. coincide IN this narrative, II IL even
sali that the burned girl made a statement
before she died to the effect that the lamp
was accidentally knocked over by herself :
II Is, however, stated that one Of the Wit
nesses referred to above has told contradiee'
tory stories Of the affair that OF first he nude
, admissions of damaging character, and VI
forwards denied them In toto, Taken alto
gcther the case seems to have assumed
mysterious phase which nothing short OF .
,, legal inuuest will ever dispel, and for THU
reason ali good citizens will 10 DO glad t.
know That II has been decided to hold an In
quest, ito well and truly try and determine
in what manner and by whom Maud Shepard
came to her death"
An INTELLIGENCER reporter yesterday
hunted up several Of the witnesses upor
whose allegations the rumors claim 70 rest
. for tho purpose Of seeing what foundation
/ there was Tor tho stories, He first called q
tic next house to Madame Dc Forests
I where u lady and her three daughters 1--we
One OF these daughters . sewing Hirl, say
sls1 saw the fire when It first flashed up, an'
ran into the alley Just rs the burned glr
reached 1t, This neighbOr ran into the hous'
ani attoIiDtcd TO smother the fumes whiCl
were still burning the girls clothing, A maj
WINS standing by, and RS oHF informant AZ
$ preached sic heard him 10y, With u, ,nalig
$ nant emphasis lyon will VII you" Nh
+ very Cmphatically addressed him, and or
(iercd him TO help GxtinguiSh the flames
o which he then did,
!. Another young lady who Glanced to b
r. near, reached Ills scene even before this, ant
sho claims to have seen two men, whom. Sh
= describes, one Of whom said 0 the other
: Great God, what did you over do that for?
:, The other replied, Lets get out OF this Will
= We cam" or words to that effect,
4 man living In the neigborhood, who, !
q spoken Of BY acquaintance us Of trustworth,
r character III all feSpyOts, II prepared to Swea
d tic blinds OF tho window that apparent!
the ono was man and the other a woman
!, and that ihDy were wrestling or scuthing
II that suddenly tho light ApaMed noMontaril,
!. extinguished, and tiicn there was y ilaGh ami
II a sort OF q report, and the room appeared II
DO oil In blaze, go
n TheSe facts seem to DO oil the tangible basI
d which can DO found for tho current reports
Il In the absence Of any explanation II Canno
Il be wondered that from this have grown kell
sational rumors. The most damaging fact
j, that these statements being yOuchcd for b,
q alleged responsible witnesses who are dsin
o icrcstcd, tltp iapts which they seem to estat
u lish aro denied by the Interested parties III
y names Of our acknowledgements orc yltDhel
at present by their own request, hut Rll tal
II their stories In a straightforward way, ~
u expressed willingness to he examined OIL
II cially II considered necessary.