National Republican., 1881-11-05
A PIT1FUL TALE.
JAMES wElR,s FAMILY.
low an Eminent Legislator aud Statesman Of Ohio
Drought His Wife and Children TO Dcgra-
dation-IIls Death at the Hands
OF Ills Son.

OOunty, OntO, 10 Which pubic attention hSlotely
been drawn by most horrible parTicide. General
James Weir. the victim, began life In destitution
and Ignorance and ended It in squallor and
Neglect In the interim, however, he educated
himself as lawyer, attained eminence at the bar.
and served his State in public Office. During this
period he received the title OF General. In 1877,
1922, aud 1896 he was elected TO the Ohio Leglsla-
lure as Whig. He was married twice, but soon
fepented of the second union and endeavored TO
obtain divorce, himself writing the petition 10
The court. II was refused however, and the couple
resumed the conjugal relationship Mrs. Weir
died in 1876, having given birth to eight children,
I've OF whom died of consumption. The remain
Ing three are George, James, and Ada The nc-
count adds sardoncally: at would have been
better for all concerned IL consumption could have
taken these two boys also, as subsequent events
have proved"
"a HELL ON EARTH"
James Weir, jr., grew 10 be n man Of fine per-
sonal appearance but of violent temperament.
He became person who wanted to rule or ruin.
When but youth he knocked young mans eye
out In ST. Cairsvillo with n hammer This was
over game Of cards at his fathers Office. The in.
iured mans name was Joseph Ryal Upon
another occasion James struck q man named
Bytle johnson over the head innictng permanent
injury Young James secured employment as
letter carrier In Cincinnati. While here no cut
was tried, but he was acquitted. He also fred
SHOT AT ANOTHER
employe OF the Cincinnati post office for some
trivial cause, but was never arrested, the affair
being compromised. He returned to the paternal
roof In 1877 ostensibly to look after his fathers cs-
tate. For years previous General Weir had led
secluded life following no business and living as
best he could upon money borrowed upon mort
cages When the family were all at home no meal
xvQ NJ 80 A,.Ns sf.awo
Friends quit visiting the house. and the homo was
turned into hell upon earth. The elder brother
had so intmidated George that the latter feared
10 oppose him openly, although he objected heart
Dy to the influence gained by James over the old
man, who by this time was becoming childish from
old age. Frequently James would strike his aged
fhther to compel him to accede to his demands,
and, although George witnessed these assaults, he
feared 10 intercede In behalf of his father
rRATBRNAL STRIPE.
During the summer that the yellow fever ragged
no violently In the South, George, still boy only
seventeen or eighteen years of age lefl his home,
and, In company with another wild youth, started
on tramp. The two had but fifty five cents be-
tween them. They found their way to Memphis,
but, although they remained there several weeks
in the midst OF the terrible fever then raging they
were not affected by the dreadful disease. At the
end Of two months George Weir returned home
and well-nigh fatal encounter occurred between
the two brothers. James brought home a mort
gage deed one day and tried 10 force the old man
to sign IT, Knowing that If the General were to
sign the instrument II would transfer all the prop
erty to James, George interposed strong objec-
tion. At this James took him by the throat, and,
with many curses, exclaimed: "You young
seoundrel, you have crossed my path now, and I
am going to kill you. I'll fix you so you can't In
wi nv MI nnfG
BEGGED FOR HIS LIFE,
and as soon as he could escape from the grasp OF
his brother he 30 strongly feared fed from the
house. James pursued him and fred revolver.
IT Is not known whether he aimed at his brother
or fired in the air merely TO frighten him. George
went away, and, procuring q double -barrelled
shotgun, returned TO his home, where he called
upon his brother 10 come out and fight a duel.
James would not come out, and George kept him
in the house nearly oil day, each looking for a
chance to shoot the other, but neither being
willing to face his enemy. After this scene both
of them went heavily armed, and the old man
slept with revolver under his pillow. Such vio-
1ent scenes as the above were of frequent occur
renee III the Weir mansion, and poor little Ada
Weir was forced TO hear and witness them. There
was no mother In the house to whom tho child
could fly for protection and assurance Piece by
piece the furniture was sold of, and the fine
library accumulated by the old man went the
Same way. Everything was mortgaged and every
,day the place became more and more squalid and
miserable. Yet this was only the beginning oil
the real troubles of the family.
A MURDER.
ST. Clairsvllle became infested by n gang Of out
laws, who were the terror Of Belmont County. Rob
berries were committed and property burned
George Weir was suspected of belonging to the
mob who were responsible for these depredations
Although young In years George Weir gained the
reputation Of being an exceedingly desperate
character. Many crime was laid at his door
but he succeeded in evading punishment through
the influence he was able to command. Al
length the people began to fear him so much that
no one could be found with tho courage to insti.
gate his prosecution. George became very handy
with the pistol. and his violent passion made him
all the more to be feared. One day in 1879 he fired
two shots at man named Mcintyre on the public
streets Of st. Clairsville for trihing cause,
but no attention was paid to this. In May, $780,
the house of Martin Fink was burgarized, on
which occasion $500 was taken. For some time
there was no clew TO TO the perpetrators but on
November a man named Sterling Riggs informed
the officers that the burglars were George Weir
and william Il. Downing. Weir and Downing
were arrested. Riggs turned States evidence and
the prisoners were
INDICTED FOR BURGLARY
aud larceny. The case went to trial, but Weir goi
q continuance On Christmas Day, 1880, George
Weir nervcd himself with liquor, and meeting
Sterling Riggs In front of the mayors office In
st. Clairsyle shot him three times with u thirty
eight calibre Smith & Wesson revolver, killing
him almost instantly After chase and a des-
perate struggle young Weir was nearly killed
himself captured and lodged in jail. Thus the
son Of the once proud and influential lawmakei
became murderer. Although his brother was
arrested and imprisoned for capital oifense,
James Weir IT, never went near him, nor did he
send word of sympathy or consolation TO him.
George was tried, but the jury disagreed and he Is
still iL Jail awaiting new trial The old General
did all he could to defend his son George, and
firmly believed that the killing Of Riggs was JUS
tihable.
THE cRowEING TRAGEDY.
Tho next tragedy in the Weir family was enacted
Oh Saturday, October %. Ada Weir, the old Gen
erals daughter, is beautiful child, fourteen
years of age. She has a wealth Of dark brown
hair, lovely blue eyes, complexion that might bC
envied by any woman on earth, and a form tina
Is Just budding into charming voluptuousness
that would please the eye of the most fastidoul
artist in search Of model. This young girl Il
innocence ITSELF bright and intelligent, full o.
grace and exquisite gentilliy. She has been de-
MED not only the comforts but even the decences
ofife, being for years compelled TO occupy the
same bed rs her father, whose deerepItude caused
his habltSto be extremely filthy. Yet although sur
rounded by misery aud squalor and scenes calcu
lated TO
FREEZE THE BLOOD
of tho strongest man, cut or from the companion
ship Of all but her desperate brothers and half
idlotlc father, the poor young creature made N
complaint but bore her burden with Il braver
worthy much bettcrcause. The child could notge
material with which to mend her own clothing, b
say nothing OF her fathers, and, therefore, the oil
man went about attlred in rags that would scarcel
hold together At length a dressmaker In tn
noighboring town proposed to adopt her as an ap
prentice and companion, promising to send her Il
school. and the old man reluctantly consented