Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-15
MYSTERIOUS MURDER
At Cleveland of an old Woman-The Oio
Mans Story-PeculIar Circumstances

At Cleveland Of an old Woman-lhe OAu
Mans Story-PeculIar Circumstances
CLEVELAND, 20, November 1S,-The
house of Benjamin S. Wheeler, an extern
sive 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 ransack the premises
Quite sum OF money in closet escaped
| the notice of the robbers and it is not
/ known how much wealth was secured.
| Patrick Graves, former tenant, has been
arrested for the crime and Wheeler identi-
fes him. The Coroner is investigating the
| case.
LATER-Wheeler 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 not
knowing, as he claims, that his wife bad
| been murdered. 1t is also stated by friends
that the couple have not lived happily for
for a number ofyears.
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF TILE MURDER.
The very mysterious murder is occupying
the minds of the Cleveland people to-day.
! BENJAMIN Wheeler, and his wife Jane the
former 80 years old and the later 50, lived
on Eagle street, near the centre OF the
city. He was originally q blacksmith
Being very economical he managed to save
little aud in few years he married a
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 1913,
bOthhe and his wife made large amounts OF
money. Their combined fortune, are by
many placed at $2OO.0OO. The life Of the
couple was us peculiar rs the individuals.
themselves. Though living under
the same roof, theiWhellers were as separ-
ate in the majority Of matters as 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. He
was equally silent about his own money
affairs, and always addressed his wife as
Mrs. WHEELER" instead Of Jane. Ii
Jane did anything 10 crafty WHEELER
or made any Improvements in his clothing
she charged him money for it and he paid
it. =. Did Wheeler have anything anon &
his possessions that his wife wanted, she
had to pay him for it, although 1T 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, ac-
cording to Whcller's story, the old couple
were sitting in the Office Of their residence
us usual, reading q 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 mufiled and his hands tied,
and then he remembers little that occur
red after, except that he managed to crawl
along the floor to front room
to his bed. He 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 he lay for an unknown
time, and by repeated efforts finally sue
ceeded in freeing his hands from the
cords that bonnd them. He then gave
the alarm. After the old man
had left the room it is presumed, Mrs.
Weller was attacked by Graves, and des-
pitc 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 abb. The house was
transacted and the clam is put forward
that robbery was the motive of the murder
or Nyhnnypr no was