Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-08-31
Randolph County's Dark and Bloody
Ground---A Long Forgot
ten Mystery About to
Be Cleared Up.
MOTHERS SAD FATE.


county, in which Jacob Flanagan is plain
tit and Rev. George W. Summerfeld is de
fendant, is exciting great interest in all thi
region of country, the case promising to- re
. vive, If it does not eventually clear up, tvt
| Of the most cold-5loeded and deliberate
double murders ever committed on Wes
Virgiria soil The frat Of these bloody
m5steries dates back forty four years ago, il
having Been committed in the spring o.
1870. The second, sTrguhrly like the frs'
in many details, occurred less than year
ago, and the circumstances attending it are
still fresh IN the minds Of the people Of this
and adjoining counties. The persons sfleged
to have been, involved iI'' these crimes are
members, of some of the oldest and most
prominent families OF northern and eastern
West Virginia and detailed review of such
facts bearing on the matter as are obtainable
in this community will be Of wide interest
in this State and western Maryland. These
details have been cleaned piecemeal from
quite number OF citizens of Randolph and
Tucker counties, principally, however, from
Prosecuting Attorney Scott CT this place,
who, the other evening related to me be-
tween puffs ofa mild cigar, history of the
case, prefaeing. bis story with the remark
that this part of the State had more
Innate Cusssdness and Repravity
to the acre, Notwithstanding the great pre-
ponderance Of law abiding citizens, than any
other of which he had knowledge.
To enable the unfamiliar readerto obtain
a correct idea Of the causes leading to these
murders, 1t will he necessary to 90 back to
the year 1888. Then, as now, Tucker
county and the region round about it was
an almost unhroken wilderness, its
picturesque mountains and valleys being
still clothed with the primeval forest, be-
meath whose branches the deer, the bear, the
panther, and the wildcat swarmed in count
less numbers for the most part undis-
turbed by man. Its villages were few and
widely separated roads were almost un-
known, few brialepaths over the noun
tains and along the creek valleys being the
only means of communication, and agricul-
ture was practiced only in limited and ex
tremely primitive way. the few itha ,taut>
relying chiefly for support on the game
which abounded in the forest and the trout
which filled every brook and creek The
people were, as rule emigrsats from old
Virginia, honest, frugal and industrious, and
the bloody crimes destined to be ted in
their midst filled them with htrror and
alarm.
One of the most prominent citizeH,l Of the
county at the time of which we write was
John F. Flanagan, man Of considerable
education and some means who lived with
his second wife, whom he had recently mar
ried, and a son aged about seventeen, on a
farm near the Randolph county line Mrs
Flanagan, who had for several years previ-
ous 10 hermarriage been the
Leader OF the Mountain Bellies,
was tall stately woman, Of great beauty Of
person, and in consequence had many ad
mirers among the young men Of the neigh
borhood Before her union with Mr. Flana-
gan the tongues of the gossips had several
times been set to wagging by her wild esca-
psdes, and even after the wedding ceremony
her conduct was such rs to more than once
excite the jealousy Of her husband and time
and again stormy scenes were enacted in
The farmhouse, brought on by the remon-
strances Of Mr.. Flanagan with his wife.
Matters ran on in this way until the sum
mer of 1899, when. after more than usually
l
| Flanagan left her home, and became the
mistress Of one Eli Carr, one of her many
former lovers, who lived in log house Oh
the hanks of Leading creek, in the northern
part Of Randolph county Here the self
willed beauty remained during the winter
and early spring Of lSt0, being however, re-
peatedly visited by her husband, who first by
entreaties and later by threats. endeavored
TO induce her TO return to his home aud lead
better life. These visits, in which Mr.
Flanagan was often accompanied by his son
utterly failed oftheir purpose, the wayward
wife de6sntly announcing her determination
to cling to her lover at all hazards, and in
the last known interview with her husband
she warned him. after long and stormy
scene, that further interference on his part
would not be tolerated.
For several DAYS after this last visit to the
house of Carr, Flanagan was observed tC
be morose and Sullen, neglecting the affair:
! OF bis farm for days together. His domestic
trouble, however was well known to hi
neighbors and friends, and his preoccupieC
and unwonted demeauor was attributed Il
his wife's conduct, and excited to particular
comment. One bright spring morning
about two weeks after the last meeting be
tween husband and wife, the rumor wa
waited far and wide that Cars house ma
been
Totally Destroyed by Fire
during the previous night, and that the tw
lovers were missing. A searching part.
was at once organized from among th
farmers and villagers attracted to the spot
and the neighboring mountains and valley
were carefully and repeatedly examined
but no trace Of the missing couple could b
found, and the men after an absence o
some hours returned to the still smoulderin
ruins Of the house. After short compari
son of views, the party came to the coz
clusion that, in order to avoid further risl
of trouble With Mr.. Flanagan, Carr had vo
UNFAIRLY fred his home and left the vicinit
with his mistress, and, acting on this plaus
ible theory. were on the point OF dispensing
when alynx-eyed hunter, CHANGING to go I
the creek, near which tie house had stood
for gourd of water, noticed three sets q
footsteps leading from the waters edge u
the low bank to the immediate vicinity Q
the house. knowing that none Of the search
ing party had been to the water before HIN
the hunter called the attention of his com
panions TO his discovery. A close and mot
extended examination Of the surrou ndins
resulted in the discovery OF the same thre'
fold line Of tracks crossing the narrow STR
Of wet sand between the grass and the waite
at the distance Of two or three rods tro'
those FIRST discovered. and with the To-
pointing in the opposite direction. He
was q mystery worthy of solution, and 8
little knot of searchers at once reconyen
their caucus After hssty discussion |
t theory was advanced that Carr aud N
: Flanagan had been murdered and the hoI
T~on,.ncaa III SecoIl pag.