The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-03-06
An Important Fact in the
Weldon Murder
Determined.
4 JURY NAMES THE ORDER In
WHICH THE TICTfMS
WE'RE MURDERED.

of the disposition Of the personal
property of the victims was tried
in Court last week.
John Nutter was appointed
Administrator of the estate o.
Susan McClu-s, Welden's sister
and O. w. II. Wright, Of the es
tate of Nancy Hite, daughter Of
Mrs. McClurg.
The suit was brought by ar
agreement of Administrators, in
order that the Court might find
and they be legally advised as te
what to do with the property.
The issue is this /: If John
Welden was killed first, his sis
ter, Mrs. McClurg, inherited his
property. Then, if Mrs. McClure
was killed next, her daughter.
Nancy Hite, inherited from the
mother, and the property would
descend to Nancy Hite's nearest
relatives by the usual law Of
distribution.
But if Nancy Hite was killed
before her mother, she died pos
sessed OF no property, and con-
sequently the Hite relatives
would be cut out and the estate
would 60 to the relatives of Mrs
McClurg. About four thousand
dollars Of money is involved in
the case.
Messrs. Burgess & Hansen were
attorneys for Nutter, and adopt
ed the theory that the girl was
killed before the mother.
Messrs. Bright & Grogan were
the Attorneys for Wright, and
| maintained the theory that the
girl was killed last, and conse-
quently inherited from the moth
er. Mr.. Burgess theory is this
That the assassin, with ak in
hand, entered by the back door
into the room where the women
were sitting at the supper table
They took alarm, rushed scream
ing out Of the front door, the
mother first, the daughter step
or two behind. A few feet from
the door the assassin struck the
girl ir the back of the head, split
ting open the skull and pene-
trailing the brain depth of sew
eral inches, causing instant death,
then turning on the mother, who
ran round the house. overlook
her, struck hera blow on the side
Of her heal, falling her on the
hard beaten path, and then de
livered second blow, cutting
her throat, tie ak peiletrating in
TO the hard grauna Of the path
ard lifting up clay on the bit
Then the murderer went back to
the PROSTATE dead girl and gave
her final stroke. chopping hel
head almost entirely from hel
body, then dropped the ak a few
feet from her head.
Mr. Burgess sustained his the
cry by testimony showing that
the mother sat nearest the door
in a position to first see the as
sassin; to be foremost in the flight
out at the front door. The traces
of clay on the cut in the girls
neck were claimed as proof that
the dirt came on the ak in the
stroke which cut the mother's
neck, whilst the cut on the back
Of the head, a mortal wound, was
clear of dirt. The testimony o1
the women who prepared the
bodies for interment was that s
tuft of red hair was found in the
wound on the mothers head.
The argument Of Mr.. Burgess
was able and very ingenious. and
at the close of his speech the au
dience male up their minds that
his theory was correct.
Mr. Bright, who took the posi-
ton that the mother was killed
first, made a mastery argument
and was universally congratulat
ed upon an effort, which is rarely
euuaIed in our Court house.
The points in his argument are
briefly these:
The ak lay by Nancy's head,
physical fact undisputed, and un
der the circumstances contrell
ing fact in favor OF the theory
that Nancy was last killed.
1t is admitted that the supper
table sat in a room on the soutf
side of the house. There wer
but two ways of entering thi!
room-one through the kitchen
on the north side; one at The
front door on the south side
Susan sat on the east side of tht
table facing the west; Nancy OF
the north side of the table facin:
the south. Susan's body lay OF
the east side of the house ant
near the northeast corner, hea(
to northeast. Nancy's near tia,
southeast corner of the house
head to the southeast. Both re
ceived the first blow from thu
rear and both of these first blow
were fatal.
1t the assassin entered by tn
IL