Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-02
A NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL
Arrested For q Murder Committed
Years Ago.
A Startling Story Of Crime N;nost
unsqualled
In All the Annals OF the
World.
One Man Accused Of Committing
Eleven Murders.
Trying To Burn Up His Son and
Family.
A Terrible Tale OF lnhu-
manity.
One Man Accused Of Committing
Eleven Murders.
Trying To Burn Up His Son and
Family.
Terrible Tale Of lnhu.
manity.
ComaHAiodied.

Y,
better known as "old Lige Wease" was Ar
rested in Grant county, this State, for the
murder Of Hiram Ault in October, 1861
The circumstances, socially and morally,
surrounding the Wease family, were of the
most deprsved and criminal character.
Old Pill wease, the father OF "Lige," was
one of the most desperate men in Hardy
now Grant county, in his day. On one oc'
casion he built heavy rail fence around
the log cabin in which his son "Lige
and his family lived, and at the time
we're sleeping, making it impossible
for any Of the family to escape from the
burning cabin The father applied the
fagot TO the clapboard roof Of the cabin
and retreated to safe distance to witness
the horrible tragedy but Providence caused
heavy rain to fall about the time the fire
began to crackle over the sleeping house
hold, and the flames were extinguished and
the family saved from dreadful death.
The first murder in the Wease family oc'
Cured when one killed another With a
plow singletree many years ago. No arrest
was ever made Of the murderer, he making
good his escape at the time. Old
Bill, the father Of this family OF
murderers, drowned himselfon his way to the
Moorefeld Jail, by jumping from his horse
in what is known as the Gap some two
miles or more below Petersburg, now the
county seat Of Grant county, where the
South Branch river passes through the
mountains He was in charge OF Deputy
Sheriff McNemar and one guard at the time,
and as he was riding along, he suddenly
sprangeyom his horse and plunged into the
river. which ran along the lower side OF the
road, and before he could be overtaken by
those having him in charge, he was drowned,
and v hen found, WAS standing on his feet,
perfectly erect. johnson Bean, now dead,
was the guard In connection with his
death, il is O part Of the history Of that
event that before he left Petersburg for the
Moorefeld Jail he remarked, That he
Would go to Hell
before be went TO the Moorefeld Jail He
verified that determination in the manner
and form OF his own chosen death. This is
but brief sketch of this man. In physical
build he was about six feet six inches in
height, of powerful muscular development
and raw.boned in his features. His death,
violent AS il was, was in harmony with all
bis hfe-violenily wicked. II such was the
true history Of the father, wnat should we
expect of the son, whose crimes have no
pasalle in the criminal history Of the two
Virpinias, and but few in the annals OF
crime anywhere within the domain OF
civil alton. ,
As remarked already, "0'd Lige Wease"
shot and killed Hiram Ault in October,
1861, because he was Union man, or, as
he called him, "a torey."
From Wease himself was this information
obtained by his own voluntary confession TO
a number Of citizens in Delays mill on
The dsy he shot and killed Hiram Ault lie
said that he had killed hog then that
He Had Killed Two Hogs,
and then, when asked what he meant by
killing hogs, he replied that he had sho'
Two "tories" that day, and at he meant 70
kill every --- OF them before he
sopped. He had an oldfashione1 hone
rife the one with which he had shot and
killed Ault. nj the time when he can"
| into the mill and told about his
terrible crime. The gun was taken
AWAY from him, and he was arrested and
sent 70 the Moorefield Jail, in which he re.
mained up to March, 1862. when, on the
advance OF the Union forces up the South
Branch Valley, he was taken to the Wood
stock Jail, in Shenandoah county, in the
VALLEY Of Virginia, aud from there to the
Front Royal Jail, in Warren county, Vir
sipia. and from there to the HarriSonburg
iail. in Rockingham county. Virginia, from
which be was released by the Union soldiers
By bis telling them lie, claiming that he
was a LOYAL Unionist, and because OF his
Union sentiments be had been arrested and
imprisoned. The chapter now 10 be written
Of this outlaw exceeds anything in the his
tory Of crime. -,
fleyen human sacrifices did this fisnt
maye Of innocent men during the civil war
ster be h,d llel A l. Eyrybody tr
the,wo Mil Creeks and about Petersburg
knew simple Phil Yonkim. Wea,e ~ hi
own confession. took this inoffensiye--
almost idiot, assisted by two Of Harry Oil
uours outlaws, 10 the place known as tn
Lean" on the mountain pike leading froG
Moorefeld to "HoEads Lick, o EateiioI
Mace Of some celebrity before the war, snt
there. a spot made immortal ia the snnsl
Of the war because Of the cold
blooded murders committed.
Phil Youkum was brntaily sbo
and killed by "old Lige Wesse' sn'
his gang OF desperadoes, and his Hfeles
BODY pitched over the cliff Of rocks. trou
which Il takes the classical name Of Leap.
and left TO become food for dogs and ~il'
animals. Young Coffnan, Of Burgetn Hole
then in Hardy. now in Grant county va
disposed Of the same way by Wease an
his gang. wease and bis gang shot an
murdered eleven Union citizens mot sol
diers) st this Bloody Leap" and they wer
all denied an interment. Nine name
of the victims cannot not
be recalled 10 memory, altho1gt
ihey we're well known citizens in Hardy 80
PendIeton counties. in which they wer
born and raised. These men all suaere
death a. the hands Of Wesse and bis gan
, during the yeArs Of the civil wa, simpl
because they were Union citizens and O
, posed 70 the dissolution Of the eosernmen
After twentythree years or more wea'
Is arrested again for the killing Of Aal', |
the instance Of Aglfs sister, and has h
, an informal examination before two Ju
, tees at Petersburg. Grant county, and .
! leased witbog: hsil for his appearance B
! fore the Grand Jury.
. wease, man who bossted and giostl
a over the deliberate murder Of Ault .,
; eleven more Of his fellow citizens. i nos
{ freeman again, and the plea ofold are is {
e Up a. barrier against his prosecaiion y
r punishment Wease Is no; as old - ciaii
II Cd, seyebty Eve. BAT i perhaps ssoEt y
q lFL-s LII tx (9Fa