Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-03-07
NOTHING VET
To Stew Petticord's Death Was a
Murder.
The e. ques. Oaiy Half flnished-fhs Ship
House Yisited-TestlmOny Of Some
Of the Witnesses.

dsy. While the testimony elected much
Of interest, there was little OF real impor-
:apce and nothing at all, as yet, to show q
murder hsL been committed. ..
THE INQUEST.
The evidence taken yesterday showed
that there is something very peculiar about
this case, and it will be watched with the
greatest interest by the people, for if any
| foul play has been committed, the county
will certainly expend sufficient sum of
money TO catch and punish the guilty
party.
Officer Barum was the first witness ex'
amired and testified at follows:
knew John Pettlcord; saw him SItur-
| day, March !, lying in the hall OF the Shipp
| house on Main street, at Twentieth street;
II was about $50 P. NJ. he was lying in the
| bslI al the foot of the stairs with his head
| lying up against the partition between the
| oOor en- Twentieth street and the door
| opening into the front end Of the house;
be was lying on his face; his head was
b, mt partially to the right; l picked him
up and carried bin into the rear sitting
room and held him while Amanda Woods
washed off his face he was bleeding from
| the right ear and nose; the
| girl, Susie Kaufman, suggested
that physician should be summoned;
thought II wss not worth while 10 go for
doctor as l did not think the old man was
| hurt, as there were no marks on him. Tne
| girl said he was so very drunk that he was
| not able TO walk; | thought the fail had
| only knocked him senseleSS; he had so
much whisky in him; Mrs Ship came in
and said doctor must be sent for aud
| told her son to 60 for one; Dr.. Blum was
brought and l held Petiicord up while the
| doctor examined his head; DR.. Blum said
he did not think there was much the mat
ter with him then; that he was too full OF
whisky for an examination: | left the
| house then, the doctor remaining; | WAS
sent FIR sgsin by Mrs. Shipp; she told me
that the doctor had ordered the mans
rsu oval home; got a hack and helped to
place the man in it, after placing some
! comic rtS and quilts in it to make him tOm
| rorIable; gave The driver $i3 belonging to
the old gentleman; got the money out Of
| the pockets OF Mr.. Petticord; | found 80
81 OF which Dr.. Blum got and S. gave to
| the driver; the money was loose ia his
right hand pantalOons pocket; Mrs. ShipP
| told me that
HE HAD HAD MoNEY
tefore in the day; l was first sent for orig
l iuslly about $50 P NJ and when | got to
| the rouse the girl named Woods showed
| me the old man lying at the foot OF the
stairs; saw the old man drinking around
II ere for two or three days, and saw him
On Thursday night full half dozen times
eoing up Twenty first street. | made al
examination of Tire door when picked up
| the old man. There wsS 8 pool of blood
on the floor. | made no examina-
lion of the surroundings that night.
| bought from the shape the man was
lying in he had fallen from the stars
IN the corner between the two doors. The
stairs are straight and steep. Any man is
| liable 10 kill himself OF them. l asked
| the girl Woods If there had been any fuss.
| She told me be had gone up stairs with
Mary, and in coming down again she had
| helped him, and went down one pair Of
steps, and had gone to help him down the
| other pair when he cursed her and told
her he could get down himself. She turned
| TO go up again, and as she did so the old
mSn fell; heard nothing about the old man
Icing or leaving $50 there; heard none OF
tbs inmates say anything about the money.
On account Of the other murder,
FORGOT TO Rel. RI TO CAPTAIN BENNETT
about the matter. had intended report
ing 10 him on Sunday evening, but for
got it.
10 Captain Dovener: Amanda Woods
told ne what Mary Nandyne had told her.
| saw no marks on him until the doctor
threw water on him, when | saw lump on
his head; the mark was nearer the top than
the side of his head.
EXAMINING THE PREMISES.
At the conclusion Of this testimony the
Jurors signiieo q desire 10 examine the
premises of Mrs. Shipp. and particularly
the stairs down which PettiCord is alleged
foil loI y in a
body, AID examined every portion OF the
house in which the dead man is supposed
| to have gone, and the flight of stairs under
wEdt u close inspection. The landing at
the foot of the stairs upon which the Of
iicer swears he found Petticord is q very
small one, being probably four feet across:
The stairs are very steep, and are composed
OF fifteen steps. After the Jurors had
thoroughly examined the premises the
1870 z. NJ
A NEGROES INTERESTING TALE.
Denis Gardner was the first witness ex-
aIEinsd after the recess and said: Knew
John II. Petticord during his lifetime; saw
him last Friday night between 8 and 10
o'clock, by Joe Webb's on Sixteenth street;
as ked him why he didn't 80 home; he
Al swered, don't want to go home for I've
got some money over the creek; he said il
would 60 with him after the money he
would go home; went as far as the stone
bridge with him and he wanted me to go
with him to Mrs. Ships. l told him
would wait there till he came back. Blood
wss on his clothes, but | couldn't see
| where he was hurt. He said some one had
bit him. He said he had $50 of his money.
Didn't say which one had it. We came back
as far as Shirks drug store, where left
him, advising him to go up to Winters
Hotel, as it was then too late for the cars.
I saw no more OF him.
I'D. KLEvTs, DRIVER OF THE HACK
.bst took Petticord home, said: II work
| in George Butts livery stable on Main
Sas called TO Mrs. Ships about half-past
seven o'clock Saturday night; officer
Barum came after me, saying he wanted a
back to 90 10 Elm Grove; Mrs. Shipp came
10 the door snd asked me what wanted |
| said | wanted 10 get that man to take him
10 Elm Grove; she showed me where he
wss-in the kitchen on straw tick; Mr..
Bsrum, DIR. Blum, Mrs. Shipp and the
| girls were in the room; Mr., Barum said
had better get some one to help me carry
the man out: ] went to the stable and got
Robert Roeder 10 help me; we carried the
man to the hack; officer Bsrum told nue. to
| take him home; l knew the man when |
saw him; il was Johu Petticord; told no
| one at Elm Grove that Petticoro had fallen
on the sidewalk, neither did Roeder in my
bearing; no one told me so; when got to
Elm Grove | inquired where Petticord
lived; took him first to his
brothers house; then took him
home; Mrs. Petticord asker me
shat the matter was, aud l told
her had John out in the hack; she called
| her son to get up and he helped US carry
| him in we laid him on Lounge aud pull
ed off his coat; he was bleeding little out
If his right ear; stayed ABOUT ten minutes;
| rode in the hack with Mr.. Petticord; we
| got there about eleven o'clock. 1t was
about eight when got to Mrs. SHOPS.
PetticoId was breathing, when carried
him in, but he did not speak. Mr.. Bolts
| got So for the hack Officer Barum said he
paid him. | saw $i3. Mr.. Barum gave it
| TO me to take to Mrs. Petticord. I paid
eighteen cents toll out of that.
HIS SON TELLS.