The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-23
KELLY And CHRISTIE.
Their Trial for the Murder of
Officer Joe Glenn.
SIGNIFICANT TESTIMONY.
A Man Narrates Conversations with
the Prisoners in Which They
Describe the Murder ofGlenn.
Seen at Benwood.

When the Circuit Court opened I
half past nine o'clock yesterday morn
ing there was big crowd of men in tn
chamber of Part 1, and in the corridc
leading to the court. When the prison
ers, Kelly and Christie, indicted for tn
murder of Policeman Joe Glenn onJar
uary Is last, were brought into court
they were subjected to the gaze of tn
curious people, who then rushed int
the court room. There is great curiosi
ty to get close view OF the men, an,
each time they are taken out or brough
in by the Sheriff and his deputies, ther
is a great gang all along the way.
The prisoners, who OCCASIONAL,
seemed little nervous on Monday, ha,
entirely recovered their composure, ant
watched the evidence yesterday will
much interest, and occasionally mad,
suggestions to their counsel.
When Court opened George W. Nc
Farland, the witness for the prosecution
who was on the stand when court ad
journed the night before, was recalled
and cross.examined by the defense. Mr.
Sommerville brought out the fact thai
the witness's name was George Wash
ington, and turned joke on it.
In his direct examination Mcfarland
said he had not been here for seven
years till this time, yet when he came
here the other day he went over to the
Centre market house and found the
scene of the shooting, aided only by the
description given by Shorty" kelly in
the Newark jail.
Upon Cross-examination, the witness
said he went over with Capt. Smith and
Eli Davis to the lower end Of the market
house and turned 10 his left and found
the stable, and made an examination oi
the premises and recognized it by the
description given him by Kelly in Jail.
He knew the prisoners only by the names
of Shorty" and Skinny" The first he
heard OF the trouble was the second day
in iail, when Kelly told him that they
saw a black cat crossing the road on the
night OF the Mt. Vernon robbery, and
Kelly wanted to kill it, as it was a bad
omen, like the dogs barking in Wheel
ing. The first day Kelly was in Jail he
sent out and got them some clothes, and
when they undressed he saw the hole in
KelIy's leg, and he remarked that they
must have been in close quarters, and il
was at this time that they told him
about the shooting here. He saw also Z
mark on Kelly's elbow; had three diff
ferent conversations with them; in the
third they told him the police
mans name was SANDY" They
then told him that they shot
the policeman when he was down
and he in turn shot Kelly in the leg and
then Kelly turned and shot him again
The witness's first conversation aboutth
matter with anyone outside the jail was
with Officer Meridith, who secured hin
to find out all about the burglary at Mt
Vernon, Ohio. Subsequently he talked
about the prisoners statements to Mar
shal Rickenbaugh, OF Newark. The
first person from Wheeling with whom
he had ever talked on this subject wa!
Sheriff Handlan. He did not know tha
there was reward offered for Glenn'i
murderers until he came down to thii
trial. He acknowledged telling the pris
oners he wanted to go on the road anC
wanted pointers, but said he was lying
He never never told Kelly or Christy
that he stole q horse; would be afraid Il
do it. Never told any one he stole any
thing. He was in jail twice, once TO
stealing chickens and once for keeping
a house OF ill-fame; was not engaged il
any conspiracy to break Jail with tn,
prisoners; never had any fights will
either one OF the prisoners.
Walter Joy, OF Newark, a respectabl,
looking Irishman, was the only othe
witness examined during the forenoon
session. He said he was in the Jail a
Newark on a charge Of fighting whel
Kelly and Christie were confined there
In a conversation with Kelly one day
the latter asked the witness il he haI
ever been at Wheeling. He said no
but he had been ut Bellaire, and coult
see Wheeling from there. Kelly sale
yes; so you could. He continues
that he had been at Wheeling
and while there had shot 4 policeman
The officer was the best man on tn
force, and was Catholic, and Kell,
added, "If we had known that we wouli
not have shot him." The witness said
That is generally the way; the bes
man is the one who gets the worst OF it,
to which Kelly agreed. Kelly sait
when the policeman came upon them h
was under q lamp post, and could set
them better than they could see him
Their only way to see him was by tn
flash of his revolver. They knew whei
his revolver was empty, and then the,
opened fire on him and saw him fall.
The witness said. you ought to b
very careful about telling this"
Kelly said, $50 We are. OF course
am Just telling you, and don't expect
to 90 any further"
Kelly asked, "Why, didn't your hea
about the big reward that was offered 70
US last winter?" and when Joy said h
did not Kelly was surprised. At on
tfma Kelly showed him an empty cart
ridge shell, and said "What was in tina
was what killed that policeman q
Wheeling" Christie passed about thi
time, and said, "Why don't you throy
that thing away? l told you not TO b
always carrying it,. Kelly showed tn
witness the wound on hisleg and anothe
on his elbow, and said he was shot bot
places by Glenn. A third wound, i
bis side, was older. When the me
came in the Jail they were awful har
looking, and the witness noticed tha
there was a bullet hole in Kelly's ha
, Kelly was called out before the witnes
and he pointed out the scar Of the woun
he had referred to.
, On the cross examination he said b
, came to Wheeling to testify because h
was subpGnaed, and thoughthe could nc
refuse. He did not want to prosecut
the bows. He had been in Jail thre
times In the last six months. Kelly tol
him about two months before that tim
four or FIVE shots had been fred at hir
, and Christie down in Wheeling, and tbs
they would have had good thing OF
II they had not been chased away; bU
: after the policeman had emptied his n
| yolyer they turned on him and shot an
, killed him, and that there was a big N
: ward for their arrest.
I Alter dinner the first witness calle
/ Il. =. A