The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-23
MYSTERIOUS MURDER
IN THE VICINITY OF WESTON, W. VA
Probing For the Causes which Led to the Dsa,i
OF Bamusl Flulkusr-Found Dying In Ditch.
!. Several Theories -AdIauesd-AllsEsd to
t- Il Have Been accidentally Shot.


Correspondence OF he LateQtgener. 'yg-
WESTON, W. Va, October 22.-The aver
age Westonite always has plenty OF food
for converse, as something out Of the ordi'
nary occurs in this region regularly once Q
week, and in flush times much oitener.
During the past two months we have had u
band contest, creating plenty Of comment
for season, then H. L. Powers was she!
at Roanoke; two prominent Weston ge..
tlemen at the same time bad "set-t-" OIL
Main street. Then came the Directory
meeting and the great investigation, the
Circuit Court with its long array Of indict-
ments, and finally on Friday last genuine
but most mysterious shooting affair at
Jane Lew, o few miles from here, on the
O., W. K G. railroad. Along with these
happenings, mix in the unusual number Of
deaths and marriages, and the local occur
iances OF minor note, and It can readily be
seen that the people OF Weston have about
ali they can do to discuss home topics
without paying any attention to politics or
general news.
TIE MURDER MYSTERY.
Jane Lew, the scene Of the last great
sensation, is q little village Of probably 200
population, situated in Lewis county, on
Hackers creek, and is the first station
between Weston and Clarksburg, on the
narrow gauge railroad. 1t contains some
four or Ave business houses, depot and sew
eral doctor and drug shops, and is sur
rounded by one OF the best agricultural
sections in the county; but it does not seem
to have the enviable reputation to which
it's surroundings should entitle it.
On Saturday morning Mr.. James w.
Woflindin, coroner, was summoned to
Jane Lew to hold an inquest on thebody
OF man who bad been shot there on the
evening before. Impaneling a jury, COM
posed Of the following gentlemen, j. NJ.
Dakan, foreman, ]. G. jackson, james
Altman, Lod. Flannigan, V. B. Flesher, f.
Harden, Mad':on Peck, ]. W. jackson,
uortimer staludke, D. Clayton, D. @.
ifitchell and George Goodwin, he proceed.
ed to investigate the circumstances sur.
rounding the mysterious case.
From the evidence deduced it appears
that Samuel Faulkner, the man who was
killed, accompanied by I. G. Fury, his step
brother, with whom he had been working
about Carkshurg since June last, were on
their way to visit relatives, on Gee Lick, .
thickly populated region in this county
about five miles from Jane Lew. The two
had walked from Clarksburg and arrived at
Jane Lew about o'clock on Friday alter
noon. At this point both became intoxi-
Gated, but Faulkner was probably most un-
der the influence OF the ardent. The two
visited some OF the stores and fooled away
about an hour In the place, when they
finally got started on their way. Arriving
ct the railroad bridge on the outskirts Of
the village, Faulkner and Fury sat down TO
brace upa bit. Here they were joined by
Henry Ratcliff, resident OF Jane Lew,
who knew the parties, and eat down and
conversed with them few minutes. Pres
emily Fury arose and remarked that II was
going to rain, and asked Faulkner to walk
on. Faulkner refused to do 30, and Fury
started on, 9s he ssserts, In the hope that
Faulkner would follow. About 100 yards
from the bridge Fury passed out OF sight
over bit Of rising ground, and as he says,
kept straight on till he arrived at his BROTH
er's, sending word back by some parties he
met on the road for Faulkner TO hurry on.
RATcLlFF's TESTIMONY.
Ratclif, the man whom Fury left con.
versing with Faulkner at the railroad
bridge, testified that he started down the
railroad to his own home op the opposite
side Of the village from where they were,
and Faulkner started on in the direction
pursued by Fury. This was the la1t he
cav Of him. .-..bs. ... III
Mrs. Hacker, testified that the man
Faulkner came up 10 her house, just at the
top Of the rising ground, and about l25
yards from the railroad bridge, and made
Inquiries relating to the man Fury who
had passed. From the description Mrs.
Hacker gave him Of the man who passed
he said he wss not the man be was lookir Z.
for, and turned back toward Jane Lew, n
the direction he came. This was suppose
10 be- about 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
The next seen Of Faulkner was about 4
o'clock, when be was. discovered by some
school boys lying by the roadside against
tree, the creek running directly beneath
and the bank being high and precipitors.
The boys paid no attention TO him other
than telling parties when they arrived at
the yillage that drunken man wes over
there about to get in the creek. Knowing
the condition of the bank from the road to
the creek, and fearing the man might
drown, four or five men repaired to the
scene, and found that he had rolled over
the rough bank to the edge OF the stream,
The party approached him and some one
esked what was the matter, to which he
replied he had been shot, and on examina-
ton Il was found 10 be too true.
WHO SHOT HIM.
He was asked who shot him and replied
that "Quince Cummins shot me, II It is the
last words have to speak," From the
testimony Of Fury on being re-examined,
lit appeared that he had recently had a
difficulty with Cummins, boy about Is
wears old, and son OF Thos. Cummins,
living near the depot at Clarksburg.
Cummins and some other boys at Clarkg-
hurg had got some kind OF joke on
Faulkner, and kept the thing running
until he got tired Of It. He told Cummins
that he must stop It. He also told his step.
brother. Fury, that II Cummins did not stop
he would indiCt him, ss he had got whisky
from him and paid him the money for It.
He had also had fightwith man named
Joe Weaver, Of No. 2smines neat Clarks-
bnrg, on Saturday night, the 18th, in which
Cummins was reported to have figured.
But in Cummips' favor let It stated the
general supposition iG that the charge Of
his doing the shooting was made when
Faulkner wss not respon6ible for his words,
and wss prompted by enm!ty, as no one
saw Cummins or knew Of his being in the
neighborhood. - ri
Faulkner was taken to the office OF DR..
Baily and given careful attention, but died
about 0 o'clock OF the same evening. Be
tore his death he made two other state
ments regarding the shocting-one to the