Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-06-14
AN INTERESTING CASE.
Submitted at Yesterdays Session Of the So
ureme Court.

submitted at Yesterdays Session OF the su-
preme Court.
An interesting murder case, in which the
accused was convicted entirely upon CIR
cumstantial evidence, wal submitted In the
Supreme Court Of Appeals yesterday. The
case comes from Randolph county, the al
legged murderer being Jno.C Flanagan, while
the victims were Francis Somer6eld and her
infant child. The crime was committed on
the night of December l6, 1883, the scene
being in q little cabin on the banks OF the
Dry Fork of Cheat river, in the Rich Noun
tain region of Randolph. Flanagan although
a married man, had been on terms
Of intimacy with the Somerield woman
visiting her cabin at various times In
the capacity of lover, the two often having
s:rious qurrels, but ss often renewing their
friendship. Saturday / light, December 10,
the day before the murder, Flanagan
called on the woman, and in the night the
two had q very stormy time, blows being
exchanged on both sides. The following
morning she told some neighbors that he
man" had threatened to kill her. The
rext night the cabin, which stood in a lone
iy spot, was destroyed by FIRE with its CON.
tents. The whole matter was shrouded IN
mystery but there were several suspicious
circumstances which led the noun
tsineers of the neighborhood to be-
lieve hat foul play had been committed,
and this suspicion was confirmed by the dis
covery of a mail carrier, who, having stop
ped at the ruins more from feelings OF
curiosity than anything else, and the heavy
fall Of snow of the night before having some
what melted, be began to look about in the
hope offnding some article of value. In q
short time he came upon the nearly con-
sumed remains Of the woman and child,
among the blackened bones being discerna-
bic the skulls and a portion of the sternum
and ribs and other large bones. The skall
OF the woman had evidently been crushed in
with some heavy instrument, presumably q
short crow bar which was found outside of
the limits Of the house. The mail carrier
gave the alarm, and in a short time nearly
one hundred men were on the scene. Squire
White was notified and at once held an In
quest, which lasted nearly q week, the jury
finally returning q verdict of murder and
charging Flanagan with the crime.
Flanagan was arrested, and in the spring
Of 1884 had a trial before Judge Ice, and
was convicted upon purely circumstautial
evidence. The prisoner stoutly maintained
his innocence, and attempted an abb, which
the jury failed to consider satisfactory. The
case was appealed on a writ Of error, and
yesterday it came up before the Supreme
JUDGES as above stated. Ex.Prosecuting
Attorney C. Il. Scott, of Randolph, ap-
peared, with a diagram Of the
part of the county in which the crime was
committed, all the. mountains, streams,
houses, etc, being laid down, and distances
marked, and showed, from the data at his
command, that it was simply impossible for
Flanagan to have gone from the Somer-
vile house, where he was Saturday night,
to the point where he said he passed Sun.
day evening. The case is a very interesting
one, and the decision Of the Court will be
cooked for with interest in the eastern por-
ton Of the State.