The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-14
THE LAWLESS SPIRIT
THAT CURSES ooDoRlDaE COUNTY.
Some OF the Recent Bloody Deeds that Have HOrri'
nld the COuatrJ-Foar Murders 10 Is AanJ
MOnths-HhAt the Better Glass Of peopls
say Of the State OF Affairs.

| ueEIOLbplc bthle Va hAhhn Aa' S@u'eSa sf4AN,
still exists here cannot be denied; but there
ia q large claes OF icitizsns who feel the stigma
OF lawlessaess and are resolved to clear the
skirts OF the county Of the foul stains with
which they have been dlscolored,
The lawlessness which has existed has
not been exaggerated. Indeed, alter being
here few hours was constrained b to eay,
"The hall hath not been told. AS l
a!igllted from the train here Tuesday three
murderers were awaiting the later train Tor
Clarksourg. Two Of these were the Kim
neys, OF whom l spoke yesterday. The
third was Aaron NJ. Swiger, who killed
John II. Booher last July, about three
months after the Doyle tragedy.
THE swIGER SLAUGHTER.
swiger and Booher had had quarrel
concerning woman, but met, talked over
the dispute thoroughly, and settledit, each
expressing himself satisfied. On the night
OF July 2S:h last, an entertainment was
given at the closing oi school on syca-
more fork OF McElroy creek, few miles
south OF here. Booher was among those
present. After the entertainment Aaron;
Swiger appeared, and calling Booher aside,
broached the subject OF their old difficulty.
Dooher refused TO renew the quarrel, say
ing, II thought that was all settled and
dropped. have nothing against you, and
don't propose to get into q row here" Ey-
erybody who knew the two men Gays that
Booher could easily have worated Swiger
In a fair and manly fight. Bat
Swiger deliberately drew revolver and
fired, the ball taking effect In Boohel alb.
domen and producing fatal would.
Swiger was arrested and has since been
in Jail, and is under indictment for muir
der in the fiat degree. It is said the evil
dence on behalf OF the State will be con-
elusive, and that unless some such bur-
leSque on justice as these enacted al the
late Kinney trials intervenes, S8iger will
probably end his career on the scatfold.
John A. Cation will probably have his
despicable life terminated in the came
rather summary manner.
cAToN's CRIME.
The Cation murder has attracted good
deal OF attention for various reasons, and
the true version Of the affair has never
been given to the public. Cation killed
Henry NJ. Rice. There was long stand.
ing ieud between them, and Cation Gays
they met In a lonely spot, both armed,
and Rice raised bis gun 10 fire, but Cation
'tsot the drop" on him. Cation gives the
relative positions Of himself and Rice at
the time the fatal shot was fred, and BY
q visit to the spot 1t can readily be seen
that Cation lieS. Had he stood where he
Gays he did, he would hayeto be seventeen
feet high to have fired the shot in the d.
rection they took. Another damaging fact
Is that all the charge which entered Rices
body struck him on the right side.
II there ever was cold blooded, cal
culatiug and devilishly deliberate murder
committed 1t was this one. Cation, know
ing Rice was in town and would have 10
pass certain point on his way home,
secreted himself in the loft OF q deserted
cabin, removed one Of the boards from the
gable end and as Rice, suspectingno danger,
passed, he fired upon him. The shot ranged
downward at Just the angle Of string
stretched from the hole In the gable to q
stump where some stray slugs entered, and
the holes remain silent witness to the
fendish crime.
WHAT IT WAS ABOUT.
Rice was a married man, and Cation Is
alleged to have been unduly intimate with
his wife. Once before Cation fired several
shots from revolver at Rice, and the lat
ter defended himself with a hatchet and
drove bis murderous aseailant of. For
out by Cation, and alter larcical hearing
bound oyer 10 court to answer 10 charge
OF assault with intent u kill. m,,
Alter this occurrence Cation repeatedly
said that he would have TO kill Rice or Rice
would kill him. On the evening Of the
murder, Rice went to West Union with an
old gun which he tried to trade of, but 1t
was 60 worthless that be failed. This was
the gun ho carried when he wss shot, and
1t was not loaded.
Rice Is spoken OF by his former neigh
boIs as q peaceful, inofensive man, while
Cation is given bad character by his
acquaintance.
called on him at the jail Yesterday.
And such jail JEFF Davis or Poodle
Price could walk out oil 1t in ten minutes,
and some Of the Wheeling Jail birds would
not want any better picnic than 10 escape
from ii ten times day. They tell here as
a fact worthy Of note that two men did
break out once. Cation says he would not
90 out II tSe door was left unlocked, and |
believe him. Why he should stay in ii he
wants out / cannot imagine. Some OF
Rice's friends inSinuate that he is afraid to
come out.
JUDGE sTUART's LETTERS.
Judge "Chap" Stuart, who Is counsel
for Cation, has received two letters
Of warning, one Of which, signed "Red
Men OF Doddridge county," was printed in
the IETELLlaENCRR. I asked Chap II he
thought the letters were genuine, and he
replied that he did not know and did not
care; that they could not scare him. Some
uf the citizens here think they were gen.
uine, and while they do not approve Of
them, they think that they are not en-.
tirely without justification. One man spoke
warmly on the subject. "1f that man Cation
Is not convicted and hanged" ." said he, II
myself, much as l deplore lawle sneEs Of
any kind, will advocate lynching him, and
will help to do It! Unless the supreme
penalty Of the law is visited on some Of
there men We are r1ined community.
Eyen now property hos deprecated, busi-
nesl has been affected aud the prosperity
OF this town hPs been severely injured.
Nothing can right this but to make mani
iesEa determination to stop this lawless.
ness, and to visit condign punishment
upon the criminals, Il the courts will not
protect Us we must protect ou,selves. And
we will do It."
Such an utteIance from such q man
means more than the angry threats Of q
heated crowd.
SOME OLDER CRIMES,
This feeling In the community does not
owe its origin altogether to this years
crlmts, though the crop OF 1883 was large,
At the Court House, the other day, was
Introduced 70 man who was under indict