Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-13
WIFE-MURDER.
A WEST VIRGINIA FARMER CUTS HIS
wIrEs THROAT.
Another Murder Unravelled-A Convicted
Forger Makes Confession That
duplicates Three Men.
Especial telegram TO the Dispatch,

Especial telegram 70 the DispAton.1
CHARLESTON, W. VA, July H.
Information has Just reached here Of =
brutal murder on Horse Branch, Of
Falling Rock creek, some twenty miles
from this city, in Kanawha county.
George Beasley, q former citizen OF
Clay county, murdered his wife by cut
ting her throat from ear to ear. The
cause Of the act is unknown, but
it is supposed that it grew on,
Of an old trouble, which is as
follows At the last December term
Of the Circuit Court in this city
Beasley was tried for the murder OF
one Henderson Moore. 1t was one Of
the longest murder trials ever held
here. Over week was consumed in
the examination Of the seventy wit
nesses summoned in the case. The
evidence tended to the substantiation OF
the fact of Moore being too intimate
with Beasley's wife, and the prisoner
was acquitted. No facts as to the
minutia Of the murder are as yet known,
nor is it known whether Beasley has
been srrested.
NJ. b. Martin, who was con-
vic,td of forgery and sentenced TO
two years in the penitentiary, was
started for Moundsville this morning,
but before be was taken he made to
Prosecuting Attorney Burdett con-
fession which unravels one of the
most horrible ard mysterious murders
ever committed in this State. About
four years ago Thomas Duskins, a
farmer of Roane county, was found 10
enc Of bis cornfelds dead, with a bull
let.holc in his body and his skull
crushed with stones. A few weeks
subsequent to tie murder two men
living in that neighborhood were ar
rested, tried, and acquitted for want Of
evidence. The witnesses for the State and
upon whose statements the men had
been arrested bad disappeared. The
murder remained mystery from that
time. Suspicious were hsrbored and
theories advanced, but no one could
make any advancement towards its true
solution. But murder will out, and
the confession of Martin clears
up the mystery and imph-
Gates prominent citizen of
Roane county. According to the con-
fession the facts are as follows: A short
time previous to the killing of Duskins
a store had been burned in that neigh
boIhood. Duskins getting on spree
few weeks before he was murdered,
told several persons he and two other
meI-ihe ores who were tried and
acquitted as being his murderers-
bad been hired by one Simmons, a
rival merchant, to burn the store in
oider to secure the future trade for
himself. After Duskins had made this
confession, Simmons, it is alleged, hired
the two men who were acquitted of the
murder and one N. j. Lesher, who
will be brought to this city to-day on a
warrant as being an accessory to the
forgery on the pension receipt
for which Martin was convicted and
sentenced at the present term Of the
Circuit Court. These three men were
given $50 apiece by Simmons to put
Duskins out of the way. For fear Of
his telling 4 true account of the burn
ing Of the store they went to field
in which he was ploughing corn, and
Lesher, placing the rife against the side
of a tree, did the shooting, but as the
leaden missile did not do the work, all
three men procured rocks and beat
Duskins over the head until he was
Had