The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-07
A SENSATIONAL .MuRotR TRIAL
10 FAystte' 'Caanly-Ths Conviction Of 4 Nan
Z DSGssd bf aa Eatmy-LailuE In Ambush
Tor his Victim ths Is iKilitd-lso.h.r ID
" 5f'if .aad laost Ilsvoltlns Murder. f 2l

the verdict Of the jury, which they hoped
would atquit Thompson. ',ls
The circumstances OF the killing are as
iollows: Thompson and Fisher had had
a difficulty and the former had invited tho
latter TO fight 1t out, but he refused 10 do
so. Afterwards Fisher lay in the brush at
tho sideiof the road one afternoon watch.
Ing for Thompson to come along go ho
could shoot him, and when he came Fisher
snapped his pistol ut him three times but
the weapon would not fire. at another
time, and just shortly before his death,
Fisher slipped behind hog pen 10 shoot
thompson out Of IN apple tree as ihelalter
was shaking down some apples ior neigh.
bor wsman and her little girl, but he said
afterwards that he IVES afraid 10 shoot for
fear that the body w6u d fall on the woman
or little girl and hurt them. tassGssii-,1l
a5ss -, IT. : FISHERS MESSAGE, ~
Fisher ) also sent Thompson word Of
these attempts on his lie, but that he had
pistol then that would do the work and
he intended TO kill him on sight, that he
intended to kill him and one OF two more
men and aee the country. Fisher had al.
ready taken up with disreputable woman
and had abused his wife and driven her
oil into the woods, and was living in open
prth gacy with thss " olnau 1T. his own
house. - He intended to kill Thompson
and take this woman with him;when he
left the county. He had taken her up in
Raleigh county on the previous Saturday,
and had left her there and come back to
slay his victim and flee. Blu, his aim WIS
thwarted.y The; evening before he was
killed he had renewed his threats and said |
hc intended 10 play crazy long enough TO
do his bloody work and then iesye. These
threats we're told TO Thompson and when.
ever he went out OF the housp, being in fear
Of losing his lille, carried his gun with him.
Fisher, learning that thompson bad 10 20 |
along the road the next day to a neighbor's |
on business, went into field near where
Thompson would nave to pass so as to |
watch his chance and kill him, he began |
to act like he was crazy and commenced |
calling the name OF the woman lie had left |
up in Raleigh. (Vicy DAviu). h
Il Z TIE CRIME. ~ 90
Thompson came along with his gun, and
seeing Fisher about to pull his pistol and
shoot him, fred bis gun and killed Fisher,
He then aed the country until the excite.
ment died out, when he voluntarily sur
rendered himself at the last term Of this
court ior trial . ::
Hi was ably defended by Hon. E, W.
Wilson, Col. Milton French and J. II. Nc.
Ginniy. EAnd Mr.J. W. st. Clair, the en-.
ergetic and able States Attorney, was as
sisted by Major Il. W. Bryzie, editor Of the
Fayette Enterprise, The cese was given to
the jury! Saturday night about II o'clock.
and 10 day they brought in their verdict OF
murder in the second degree and fixed bis
term OF imprisonment at five years in the
pcnitentinry. This was surprise TO all,
as nearly every, one wanted to see him
cleared, as the man be killed Was euch a ter.
ror to the neighborhcod in which he lived.
Since the verdict, all the Jurors, the Prose.
cutting Attorney and the Judge have signed
q paper esking his sExcellency Governor
jackson to pardon Thompson. sa-
Oh Friday during the progress Of the
above trial., q counter excitement, was
raised by ALT Burnett, Of the Eureka De.
,ictives, bringing Androw Parker into
court, a man charged with numbering John
Golf, a half.wittea young mau, for bis mo-
ney-sixty dollars -some seven years ago
iu this county. y, = sg.i} m
( ANOTHER MURDER a 45;i -
Parker induced GoG to leave the road
and so short distance into the woods
when he struck him on the head, knocked
him down; with stick he carried in bis
hand and then he cut his throat with his
knife, took his money and left for the
Wet. The body uf Gor was not found iortwo
or three weeks and vixen found was terri
bly, eaten and mulitnted by heep, and hardly
any part Of Golf could be found, but the BODY
WIS recognized by the clothing and also
the sick and knife were found and recorni.
z.d rs belonging 10 Parker, and his having
been seen with them the day GcG was
missed. Thus the very instruments OF the
dead will be the silent hut almost con-
elusive evidence agalrst the accused A
reward Of 500 was offered ior the arrest OF
Parker, but nothing could be heard OF him
till short time ago Burnett got trace Of
him in Lincoln county, Mo-, where he had
married into respectable family, and was
making quiet, good citiz-n. But hs has
terrible crime 10 anBwer for, and it looks
doubtful II he will ever Ret to see his fam.
lily again in this world. His trial will coma
OIL at the May term Of the Court. Parker
came from Virginia to this county under
an alias, james A. Parker, as he is charged
with some crime there. Mr.. Burnett says
the community in Mieaouri where Parker
was living when arrested were very much
excited by the news OF euch grave charge
againet him, as they considered him a
quiet, peaceab!e man. The bones OF Golf,
bis victim, and the telltale hickory stick
and the knife are preserved es evidence in
the trial when it dots come OF. Parker
will very PROBABLY hang, IS, having such
powerful prosecutor as Mr.. St. Clair, his
chances Of escaping the gallows are very
poor. i f7 !., j 'tc%
James Daniels (colored) and John W.
Query (white) have each been sentenced
ut this term OF the Court TO two vcars in
the peniteutiary for grand larceny. ;2
Two colored men were indicted and tried
at this term Of the, Court under the "Red
Mems Act" but they were acquitted, no
conspiracy or combination being proven
on them. '9f la 2l5.s5
F3&s HENRY vILLAKH. 81, =,
A Turn of Luck that sPron.iscs 10 Sci
Him omibis feetA gain.i 3 4; ;is5
EKw YonK, March G-Though Willard
was supposed to: have lost everything he
had in The Northern Pacific Railroad
collapse, there have been numerous side
speculasions in: which he was interested,
which promise to yield such profits es to
give him q new fortune. One OF these was
a real estate acheme ut Portland, Oregon.
Willard, Jay Gould and others bought for
SA5. 900 attract OF land near Portland, about
; five years ago! II wss left unimproved
. through all the subsequent railroad build.