Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-03-30
WEST VIRGINIA ITEMS.

The w. Va. C. & p. r. r. Co. will
put /. 900 men TO work on the extern
sion the first of April, if they can be
found.
Con. Moran. of Keyser, attempted
to commit suicide few days ago. The
bullet was aimed at his heart, but
missed its mark, and he probably will
recover.
An attempt was made last Tuesday
to wreck fast express train on the
Is. & O. Railload near Parkersburg.
A colored man has been arrested Tor
the act. He had put a big pile of
ties across the track.
Thomas Berkhimer, an old pension
er of Pleasant county, committed sui
eide by blowing the top of his head
off with pistol Berkhimer leaves a
wife and II children. He was believed
to have been temporarily insane at
the time.
A dispatch from Charleston says that
Stephen and Charles Kelly, two mem
bers of a gang of thieves who resided
in WAYNE county and adjoining coun-
ties in Kentucky and Ohio, have made
Z Il CONCESSION Ol llItlI oiAt '''4
plicated dozen other men.
Van b. Baker, convicted in the Cir
cult Court of Brooke county, of the
murder of his wife and her mother,
has been granted Il new trial by Judge
Bovd. A change of venue will be
asked for. The defense claims to have
new evidence that will acquit Baker.
One of the most desperate criminals
in this State is being hunted down
through the wilds Of Jackson county
by at least one hundred men. His
name is Henson Willis. About
month ago, according to the story of
a woman who lived with him in a junk
boat near Ripley Landing, Jackson
county, he murdered a man and n
woman named Jennings and threw
their bodies into the Ohio. Last Fri
day he murdered his father-in-law
and also consigned his body TO the
river The woman then informed the
authorities of the three crimes, and
Willis fled to the woods. He was at
once pursued by large posse. He
ambushed squad of his pursuers
and fired upon them with Winches-
ter, instantly killing man named
Thornton and wOunding another
whose name is not known. Willis is
evidently crazy. Just after the cleo
ton of Cleveland he added Grover
Cleveland to his name and painted
on his boat Beware of Henson Gro
yer Cleveland Willis placing the pic
ture of a large revolver under the
name.
Information comes from Parkers-
burg of the terrible suicide of Mrs.
Joseph Parker, near StewardStown.
She was young woman, with nus
band and three children. Friday she
took advantage of her husbands alb
sence to kill herself, in the following
manner: Leaving her infant with n
servant, she repaired TO stable and
saturated her clothing with coal oil,
then she lighted a match and set her
self on fire. The pain apparently re-
stored her to her senses. \ few min
utes afterward she came from the
building on fire from head TO foot.
The servant, who was still holding the
child, rushed up TO save her, but the
woman beat her off with one hand
and with the other made frantic eff
forts to clasp her infant to her arms.
The servant threw down the child and
endeavOred to smother the flames,
when the woman ran away. Two men
came to the rescue and she was Sc
cured with nearly all her clothing
burned off and her body horribly
scorched. Her hair was burned off
and her face presented terrible APP
pearance, one eye being closed. When
medical aid reached her she was more
crazed than ever and resisted all eff
forts to ease her pain. She died ter
rible death in few hours.