The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-20
a MIDNIenT muRDgn,

Sad Tragedy on the Island Saturday
NlEht-RFank Davis Instantly Killed
BY Wilbur MillIgan-Tho Murderer In
Jall-ltssuIt OF the COFOner's Inquiry.
Saturday night, shortly after midnight,
'ord reached the city that murder had
'een committed on the Island. Captain Ben.
lett aud an officer and several reporters at
,nce went over and found the report Corrob.
,ratOd.
The body Of the murdered man was found
lying on the pavement in front Of Lyda's
drug store on Zane street, and quite crowd
had collected about II. DR.. Myers YVES pres
ent, but his skill was poWertess 10 aid the
man.
Squire Thomas Sweeney having been mott.
fed, impaneled o coronef's Jury, and com.
menced the inquest into the circumstances
Of the affair. The jury was composed Of the
following gentlemen:
!. H. Waterman, foreman, VIM. Tappan,
Jonas Butteraeld, Geo. Gray, G. II. Schener.
leln, g. w. Tienan, Chas. Lukens, George
Clator, ], d, Ingram, Thomas Heyman, i,
Bishop and Andy Wheat.
The examination revealed the fact that the
dead man, or boy, for he was scarcely more,
was Frank Davis, Of EInaville, and that the
shooting was done by Wilbur bfitifgan, Of
the same place. Thetwo boys had been at a
dance Of MclAin's Hall, on Twelfth street,
and had had q quarrel there. Though the
circumstances OF this difficulty were not
brought out clearly at the inquest they are
said " beas follows: Ayoungl lady left her seat
to Join dance, and as she did SO threw her
hat to another young lady, asking her to
hold It, Davis caught 1t, aud out OF u spirit
OF mischief, refused to surrender 1t. Alilli-
gan ordered him to give 1t up, and dispute
arose, which the two men proposed 10 settle
From this purpose, however, they were dis
suaded. On returning from the dance, Davis
encountered Milligan at the corner OF Zane
and North Front streets, and there the shoot
Ing took place.
At The inquest, James BlaEfer ard Charles
CroSslRy, WHO were about twenty PAGES be-
hind Davis when the disturbance began, both
testified that the two boys were Quarreing,
and that Davis hit Miitigan with his fist,
knocking him down, and that Milligan I'm.
mediately upon rising, fired q pistol, aud
Davis fell to the ground. Milligan then took
one OF the girls and started toward bridgeport
Or. L. G. Meyers testified that he had been
summoned very soon after the shot was fired,
and Immediately upon his arrival saw that
the shot was fatal one, and that there was
no hope of life. The examination was then
adjourned till yesterday, TO allow additional
witnesses to be summoned.
The body OF hlVis was then removed to
the residence OF Mr.. VIM. Deecan, on Virginia
street, where Davis had been boarding. Here
q heaftfendiHg scene was enacted Mrs. DG.
Wis, the mother OF the boy, lives In Monroe
county, Ohio. She had arrived in the city
Saturday evening, on visit to Mrs. Deecan,
who Is her sister, but had not seen her son
until he was borne In, a corpse, with the
over the left eye. Mrs. DAvis's means and
cries. and her broken.hearted calculations OF
woe, brought tears to the eyes Of those pres.
ent. She was almost deranged with grief
and all efforts to sOOthG her only made her
demonstrations move violent. She ran
wildly around the room, shrieking and
moaning, and falling first on a chair and
then full length upon the floor md all the
time crying In an agony Of wretchedness:
MY darlingl Ny boyL My God, this will
break my heartw
Captain Bennett went over the river during
the progress of the inquest and getting OH.
Ger McConnahey to accompany him, went to
Martins Ferry and arrested MLilligan and
brought him to this side, where Squire ",
H. Caldwell committed him to the county
jail TO await an examination next Thursday
Yesterday afternoon Squire Sweeney con.
ttnued the inquest ut Keate's shoe shop on
Zane street, near the Suspension bridge,
Prosecuting Attorney Jordan conducting the
examination Of the witnesses.
Dr.. Myers testified that there was no doubt
that death was caused by the shot. He had
examined his face, but found no speCks OF
powder. His face wasv very bloody. The ball
was very small one-not over twenty-five
hundredths Calibre, and probably less, He
had probed the wound, but found no ball
He had noticed that tooth was out, but did
not suspect this was a recent injury: since
then he had been told that the tooth had
been found.
Miss Mile McIenry was next sworn. She
Is bright girl Of sixteen or SO, petite and
pretty, and gave her evidence with an air Of
candor and self possession. She was ut the
bali at Mctain's Hall, Saturday night: met
Davis there, and saw Milligan. She had
heard thenrswear at each other, and call
each other opprobrious names. Milligan had
invited Davis out to fight, but he had refused
to go. She left the hall with George Selyey.
Milligan went up Market street as they went
up Main. She next saw Milligan on the
crossing where the shooting took place, and
he had both coats and his hat of. Milligan
said, Come on, am ready for you" and
Sprang Mt Davis who knocked him down,
Milligan rose, drew his revolver from his hin
pocket, and saying "Now I'll fix you," fired,
and Davis fell. Milligan picked up his coats
and hat and ran toward the bridge. She did
not know what the quarrel was about, though
she understood they had fought before about
n EFtF with tfkF kat ,,t,tak
Prosecuting Attorney Jordan asked II
there could have been any trouble II Milf.
gan had not been there, and she answered
that there could not She had felt the wind
from the shot across her back. She had seen
Millig0n with revolver, which he took from
his overcoat pocket in the hall, and remark.
ed that he could whip any son Of in
the crowd. He put the revolver in his hin
pocket.
Miss Annie Conway corroborated Miss
McHenry's testimony very closely, in ali
particulars. She did not know whether Mil.
ligan struck Davis or not, but he rushed at
him as II about to strike.
Prosecuting Attorney Jardan here m.
nounced that DR.. Mccormick, dentist, had
exam lned the tooth found at the spot OF the
shooting and was Of the opinion that it was
from the mouth OF the deceased.
Miss Matte McAninCh was then sworn,
She was with Davis at the time of the shoot.
ing, and told the story OF the affair very in.
teiiigtbiy. She was alarmed when she saw
Milligan standing on the crossing with his
coat of; she was afraid there would be a fuss
Davis head touched her heels when be fell.
She could not say whether Milligon struck
Davis, as she turned away when the former
rushed toward the latter.
John kiester was then called and sworn
He knew Davis and had seen him and Mill.
gan at the dance, and saw the difficulty he.
tween them there. His story did not differ
from those Of the young ladies. He Ind
seen the shot fred, but was too far away 10
hear or see any OF the circumstances,
George Selvey had seen the shooting. and
told much the came story as the Others. eS.
cept IS to fireworks used by AIilligan when
he approached DAVIS. He only heard linn
say "0h, Davis" when tho latter struck him.
He might have used the words quoted bv
Miss McHenry and the Others, however.
Samuel Mcpherson testified that he had
passed Davis on the street lust before lie
shooting, and just after he passed MiiiiVan,
whom he advised to pnt his coat on and 90
home. He had only gone a few steps when
he heard the revolver, and returned and iii.
ed Davis nm and saw tim hlbni ~, IA r..