Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-19
MURDERoUs WORK.
a Grocer Fatally Beaten by q
Would-bs Robbsr.
Successful Confidence Game ,vsa Near , west
Alexander = Miscreants Wreck a
Train-The Seductive Con-
cert Saloon.
CRIMINAL NEWS FROM ALL QUhaTEaS'

A. No,xrs Iowa, September lS:-Ah-
- h' 80 sror.s assault was commiteu IN
tSjs city to-day. J. B. James keeps au up
town retail grocery in the residence pva -
ticr, of the city. About 3 O'CLOCK aS i ne
wa,alone in the store looking over '0
booss, a stranger came in and stoppea d
moDent, a. he did not desire TO purcla
ANYTHING. Mr. James kept on WIN n4s
books. when the stranger stepped up an q
dealt 1im tsrrible blow ea the slde Oh I'll,
head with an ron bar. MI James droppeu
t,.oLS, Nd hoe ,sss.si'ssa '.iico
na ~ nas The clerk with the delivery wagon
Jrnre m at thistime, and the murderer re-
treatad by. the. back door. Inc clerk,
Pobert Fs;rd by name, noticed his hurrle9
ax;t end -oming in saw the proetrate anu
Needing ibrm OF his employer where ne
boS fallen bebindSthe counter, Taxing IN
the situati an,at a glance; he started
In H0t Pursuit
after the retreatingyillain.. lie ran nim
lively race down town, through various
streets and alleys, being Joined by severai
as he ran. The pursued finally sought re-
fuge in Ne back door OF down town sa,
loon where he tarrisd inst long enough 10
str;n himself of his coat and fo1cibly ex-
change hats with a party in the saloon.
When he rsed out the front door, the
marty, who was averse'to the hat trade, iol-
lowed him TO the" door. and the iuglt1e
was stopped by the ponce. by
this time the pursuing parties hau
appeared aud he was accordingly
He is an active and powerfully bullt man,
hoi
stu6by beard. He does not deny the COM
mission of the deco, and the incentive was
robbery. Mr.. James had in his possession
this morning several hundred dollars, and
il is probable that this WIS the temptation.
The weapon with which he was struck is
railroad tish.plats bar, eighteen inches long,
half an inch wide, and about half an inch
thick, and is most formidable weapon
with which to deliver blow. Mr.. James
condition is most critical The physicians
attending him have no expectations OF his
recovery. The force Of the blow laid open
his scalp to the bone across the entire side
of his head, and probably fractured his
skull and ruptured the blood vessels Of the
brain, as he is
Bleeding at che Ears
continually. There is now talk at lynch
ing. More people are OH the streets to-
night than there have bern at any time
since the hanging of Howard, nearly ten
years ago.
About 8 o'clock rumor was passed
around town that James was dying. Be
fore that hour numerous groups OF eXclted
people had gathered upon the streets, dis
cusSing the enormity of the crime and the
eypediency of letting Justice take it's course
without the formality of law. The city au-
thorities closed the saloons, thinking thus
to allay the excitement. This turned the
idle populace upon the streets and aug.
mented the excitement. The crowd around
the courthouse began to swell in numbers
and to grow Rore passionate. About IL
o'clock
A Rush Was Made
for the basement where the Jail is located
Sheriff Littleton met them at the Jail door
He declared that the man they sought was
not in the building He was willing to
show them through the Jail, and Jet etlseu
to, and committee 81 81 three was appoint
ed by the mob. A thorough search
verified the sheriff statement. The crowd
then demanded to search the rest OF the
building, which demand was granted. Nc
trace of the man was found. 1t IS known
10 a select few that before nightfall Harris
as he calls himself, had been secretly SNUG
gled out of the. city, but the mob tha
gathered here tonight declare that theey
will not let the matter rest here. The OBJ
iect of their vengeance, they say, will bt
compelled to return here for his trial, ant
their opportunity will come then. Am0nt
this gathering are many of the business
men of the city. They have evidently re
serted to this method to quell the reign o
lawlessness that seems epidemic here
They are in earnest, and will carry, ou
their purpose if such thing is possible.