Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-07-19
And a Sleeping Nine Superintendent Hurled Fr0m
His Bed Into a Mass Of Flame
and SmOke-Ths Victim
Dies in Agony.

with the double crlme vi ih'iuei
is Henry Campbell, at one time manager
of the works, but who was recently dis
placedby the management and the situation
given to Ramage. .
The Union coal works is owned by DIR.
John Frissell, of this city, and ]. ". Gal
laher and Charles Thompson, OF Mounds
Vile, but has for some time been operated
under a lease held by ]. B. Ramage,
brother of the murdered man. The change
in the office of manager, by which Camp
bell was displaced, angered the outgoing
official terribly, his passion being directed
toward the new manager, and he and ms
wife were frequently heard to make threats
against the life of Ramage, the m be-
ing said by some to be the more violent OF
the two. After his elevation to the Office
of manager, Mr.. Robert RamaSe,
II MURDERED MAN,
made Il practice of sleeping in the store
room of his brother, J. 3. Ramage, the
building, q large new frame structure, be-
ing located upon the bank of the river,
lust opposite the b. & o. depot in Mounds
Vile. and about two hundred yards south
of the coal works. The building was well
stocked with groceries and miscellaneous
supplies, andini it was also kept eleven kegs
of blasting powder, to be used in the mine,
and two barrels of oil, II for the miners
lamps and the other petroleum.
Saturday night, about half past twelve
o'clock, Robert Ramage left some friends
with whom he had spent the evening and
entered the stOre-rOOm to retire, leaving
word TO call him at 4 o'clock in the morn
ING, as he desired to go to his home ut
West Alexander TO see his wife, and par
ticularly to catch II glimpse of q new born
babe which had entered the world about
three weeks ago. Just after two O'Clock
the people living about the coal mines and
dozens of citizens of MOundsville were
awakened by a loud and sharp defamation,
and as they ran to their windows they saw
a shaft of flame shoot into the air from the
storehouSe, and a moment later there came
A DULL, HEAVY EXPLOSION
which shook the windows and doors all
over MOundsville, and blew the sash from
the houses near the scene of the dis
aster, while the blazing timbers of the
building were scattered in every direction.
Two smaller explosions followed, and then,
all danger seeming to be past, men from
the few houses. near by rushed to the scene
- =. Nh. E,,k ,,Nn, Nln FrnAtrnI
William Mustard, James Terrell, Urias
Rankin, Randolph Rankin, and Others,
were Mortified at hearing a voice cry: FOR
Gods sake, help me out" and through
the fire and smoke they caught sight ofthe
bIackened and blistered figure of Robert
Ramage standing at Il shattered window OF
what remained of the st&e-hOuse. Willing
hands at once drew him out and laid him
upon the road, afterward removing him to a
house near BY. He was alive and con,
scious. and stated that he thought he had
been blown up by some one, who, he had
no idea. The frightfully burned and distiS'
ured man, lived about four hours, dying
about six o'clock in the morning in
INTENSE AGONY.
The fire communicated to a stable or
the Thompson estate, which was also en-
tirely destroyed. One man, Mr.. William
Dawson, saw a man run across the rOaC
from the store room to some tall weeds
, Just after the explosion, and this person i:
popularity supposed to have been Camp
bell. During the fire the suspected muir
derer remained close ut his house
about one hundred yards away, anC
,l,,,nI h,p,ga1f Eft1a ahnlrt thn 0NRtn
tragedy enacted so near ut hand. Durin.
the morning, however, when the body o
Mr.. Ramage was being taken over tn,
river to NJ Oundsville, Campbell came on
upon the pOrtico of his house and watched
the ghOStly and grim procession file by.
The dead man was taken To the house o
Mr.. J. b. Ramage, on the West Virgins
side of the river, about 8 O'Clock, but ut
o'clock in the afternoon, when Coroner p
o. Crisswell, of Bellaire, who had beel
sent for, arrived, it was brought back anC
the inquest held. The testimony adduceC
before the Coroner was substantially a
follows:
WILLIAM MUSTARD.
Knew the deceased; he came to hi
death from an explosion in the store house
| ItNCl lCNlh NlAlA AANNtNn GU -dtAA AAAAh
saw him about 9 o'clock last night; mex
saw him between . and 3 O'Clock thi
morning; he was at the door of the store
he cried: For Gods sake, boys, help mt
QUIT" We helped him from the building n
soon rs possible; he lived about four hour
after we got him out; l talked with hin
after the explosion; he was in his RICH
/ mind; he told me he thought he was blown
: up by some person, but did not tell NJ
who he thought it was; he accused no ont
of it in my presence.
/ JAMES TYRRELL
Was acquainted with the deceased; saw
| him last alive on Saturday evening; mex
saw him about half-past two this morning
he was then standing in the door of tn,
/ store room; the building vas all in fame
at the time; there had been two explosions
think the explosion was caused by dyna
mite; think the explosion was caused b,
f some one under the floor; had heard of NJ
threats against the deceased.
WILLIAM RANKIN.
About halfpaSt two o'clock heard de
ceased calling for help; l ran down ant
with Others helped him out; we picked hin
up and carried him into the road; had II,
conversation with him before he died; haC
heard of nO threats.
URIAS RANKIN.
run coal for the Union Coal Works
was on my way up this morning about TIVE
o'clock; l heard the explosion at ThOmp
sons gate; in a few moments heard n maj
cry for help; he said: "FOr Gods sake
take me out of this fire!!' l ran up t.
|, Campbells house, where | saw the stor
; on fire; saw no one at Campbell's house; i
was dark, and none of his family were out
stayed with the deceased until death en-
sued; deceased said he had been blown up
RANDOLPH RANKIN.
Deceased came to his death by being
burned by fire in the company's stOre-room
the fire was caused by the explosion o
powder; did not talk to him after the ex
plOsiOn; the house was set on fire
was there while the building was burning
saw the deceased there; he was standing