Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-14
MYSTERIOUS MURDER
At Cleveland of an old wOman-The Old
Mans Story-Peculiar Circumstances. d..

At Cleveland of an old wOman-The Old
Mans Story-Peculiar Circumstances.
CLEVELAND, %, November 13,-The
house Of Benjamin S. Wheeler, an extern
siye property owner, on Eagle street was
entered last night by robbers, who after
beating and kicking the old man into in
sensibility, and checking his aged wife to
death, proceeded to ransaek the premises
Quite sum of money in a closet escaped
the notice of the robbers and it is not
known how much wealth was secured
Patrick Graves, a former tenant, has been
arrested for the crime and Wheeler identi-
ties him The Coroner is investigating the
case.
LATER-Whecler has also been arrested,
there being several curious circumstances
in connection with the case. One is, that
the old gentlemen, after being assaulted,
crawled into bed and went to sleep hot
knowing, rs he claims, tiGiv ms wife had
been murdered. 1t is also stated by friends
that the couple have not lived happily for
for number OfyeaIs.
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE MURDER.
the minds of the Cleveland people to-day
Benjamin Wheeler, and his wife Jane the
former so years old and the later 50, lived
on Eagle street, near the centre of the
city. He was originally n blacksmith.
Being very economical he managed to save
httleau in few years he married
widow named Mrs. Fudge. She had about
S., 900.
A certain patent bucket appearing about
this time took the blacksmith'S fancy, and
dealing in it, he realized largely. Several
successful deals in real estate then aug
mented his fortune and in the panicof ISIS,
bOthhe and his wife made large amounts of
money. Their combined fortune, are by
many placed mt $2OO.OOO. The life of the
couple WAS rs peculiar rs the individuals.
themselves. Though living under
the same roof, theiWhellers were as separ-
ate in the majority of matters rs different
families Occupyinga double house. Mrs.
WHEELER conducted her own business affairs
and WHEELER knew nothing of them beyond
what she chose TO tell him at the nightly
chats before the kitchen fire, when they
ate their supper and drank their beer. lie
was equally silent about his own money
affairs, and always addressed his wife As
Mrs WHEELER" instead of Jane" Ii
Jane did anything to crafty WHEELER
or made any improvements III his clothing
she charged him money for IL and he PAID
il. :. Did Wheeler have anything anon
his possessions that his wife wanted, she
had to pay him for it, although it might
have been q trinket of scarcely any value.
Many stories are atlOat about the neigh
borhOOd concerning business deals the
WhellerS had with each other. Although
rich both dressed in the poorest style and
the old man wears coat that rag
picker would hesitate to bargain
for. Friday night about 9 o'clock, at
cOrding to Wheller'S story, the old couple
were sitting in the office of their residence
as usual, reading a newspaper, when the
door was thrown open and Patrick Graves
came in. Graves struck WHEELER with
some heavy instrument, telling the old
man to the floor. WHEELER says that after
this he was muflled and his hands tied,
and then he remembers little that occur
red after, except that he managed to crawl
along the floor to a front room
to his bed. lie looked around before
going to the front room and saw his wife
at the office door struggling with Graves.
The old man finally reached and got
into his bed, where lie lay for an unknown
time, and by repeated efforts finally sue
ceeded in freeing his hands from the
cords that bound them. lie then gave
| the alarm. After the old naaIi
had left the room it is presumed, Mrs.
Weller was attacked by Graves, and des-
pite her struggles was throttled and laid
ON the floor. After this the murderer es-
capped.
Such is the story told by WHEELER. SuS-
piciOn WAS directed to him, and he was ar
rested along with Graves, who claims that
he can prove an alibi. The house was
transacted and the clam is put forward
that robbery was the motive Of the murder
er whoever he was