Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-24

found and murdered him. At that TIM
Last Wheeling was not built up, anC
the quarter in which the murder wa.
committed Was as safe from visitation
rs the widest glen in Wetze
county. The man having been killed
the men thought the safest and bes
thing,to do with the body would be tc
cast II into the creek which was run,
ming out and it would SOON be lost sight
OF Il reVer in the waters of the Ohio.
Long in his disclosure of the circum-
stances narrated nearly the same
Instrument of death was
hard burned brick partially black from
its proximity TO the fire of the kiln, aud
so terrible was the blow dealt the man
that the brick was broken into three
pieces, all Of which were afterwards Sc
cured and used in evidence against the
nurderers. The head of the man, il
was found, was completely crushed in,
the upper part of the lett ear having
been cut off by the force of the blow.
Searching him nothing except a small
sum Of money was found and a silver
watch, which was afterwards thrown
into board and lumber yard on the
site of the house now occupied by
Mrs. Harbour, nearly opposite the
City Building. The body was then
weighted and thrown into the
creek, where it lay all night aud into
the next day, when a boy, who WAS
fishing en- the bank, got his hook en-
tangled in the clothing and brought it
TO the surface. His cries for help brought
assistance and the rest of the story is
well known. The men were sent to
trial on the strength of their own adj
missions and the circumstantial evil
dence against them. The best talent in
the city was employed to defend them
and a stubbornly contested trial fol-
lowed. Both men belonged to highly
respectable families who made super
human efforts TO save their unfortunate
representatives. Both were convicted
and sentenced TO be hung on the same
day. An effort was made to save Long
as it was believed that he was but the
instrument of Wintrin ger, but the MUIR
der vas one of such a revolving nature
that popular opinion was too strong for
even the then remote State executive to
interfere with the demand of justice
and an order was issued for the execu-
ton. Subsequently respite of forty
days was granted Long because Of his
disclosures, but no further accommOda-
ton could be obtained.
The execution OF Wintringer took
place within a short distance of the
scene of the murder. The gallOws we're
erected on the bank Of the creek on the
flats where are now the brick yards of
East Wheeling, and there on the 18th
day Of September, 1886, in the presence
of the assembled thousands, with not
one spark of pity for his unfortunate
fate, in the breast of single spectator,
Thomas Wintringer met his death.
Boone Long was executed fourty days
afterwards n respite having been grant
ed him for that length of time.
THE wHELAN WIFE MURDER
For dozen years succeeding the
execution OF Wintringer and Long there
We're no other judicial murders" and
Wheeling came to be regarded as
safe and quiet city. On the morning of
March LIST 1915 the citizens of the GEN.
trail portion. of the city were startled by
the announcement that an Irishman
named Michael w. Whelan had killed
his wife in their little hOvel on what is
now known as MOrrvw street, in the
Second ward, near the head of old
Union or what is now Eleventh street,
At once there was the widest excite
ment and rush for the scene of the
murder. An officer made his way
through the crowd and demanded from
Whelan, who was standing in the door,
who had committed the crime. al did
il and here is the knife" replied the TX
oricide Surrendierng the bloody weapon
to the officer and himself To his custody.
Whelau was arranged at the ensuing
term of the Circuit Court before Judge
Joseph l.. Fry, and after very brief
trial sentenced to death, and was hung
on Friday Sept. LIST. in the East Wheel
Ing flats on or near the spot upon which
" utringer and Long suffered l. years
before.
An extraordinary effect was made to
save the murderers by his friends and
also by some of the more influential of
those protesting the same faith As him
self but the attempt was futile and he
" as executed.
THE BURNS BCTCHERH.
On the morning Of May l6, 1858, the
horribly mutilated body of Mary Mon
tony was found on the hillside between
the Top Mill and the cemetery. The
head was crushed, evidently by stone.
There We're also several cuts across the
abdomen, and the appearance of the
remains indicated that they had been
exposed to the elements for many hours.
The body had been found by lad who
had been providing about the hill aud
given the alarm. At once Coroner Day
impanelled a jury and proceeded to in
vestigate the causes of the homicide.
The suspicious conduct of John Loeb
man, Mary Ann Smith, Polk Chalk
and John Rodenbaugh attracted atten-
ton and they were arrested. Next joan
Burns, a noted desperate of the city,
who had earned q reputation as q bur
glar and thief, was unprecedented. SUD
;, uuently Oscar Myers, another well
known character of the city was jailed,
and after his arrest others to whom suS-
picion attached were arrested.
The inquest then proceeded. Loch,
man and the other suspects disclosed
the fact that they had, In company
with several others, been on the hill on
Wednesday night and Thursday morn
ingwith the woman, who was notorious
prostitute from Cincinnati. They had
been drinking and carouSing all night,
and toward morning, their brains dazed
and confused by the fumes of the alco-
hoi, ouarrrels began when the more
timorous OF the party withdrew,
leaving Burns, Myers and one or two
others with the woman Montony. Their
next information was that her mutt
lated body been found near the place
where they had left her hours before.
The testimony was continued at great
length, but it finally narrowed down III
its scope until the guilt was fixed upon
Burns and Myers, who were sent 10
iail. Subsequently Myers was released