Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-12
IT is
THE EVIDENCE ADDUCBD IN YESTERDAYS
HEARING,
or Adam Shafsr, Johu Rust, Frank Riddle and refer
Grass Proves Them Innocent Of Shoot
ing Adam Saub.

ing Adam Sanb.
The preliminary hearing Of Adam Shat,
far. Peter Krees, John Rust and
Frank Riddle, charged with the shoot,
ing of Adam Sisuh, at Taylorstown. on
the night Of the 9Th September, took place
yesterday at Washington, Pa. Quite a
number OF Wheeling people went up to
attend the hearing, among whom were
Rust's father and mother, shafer's mother,
Kress' mother and Riddles brothers. Be
fore the hearing the friends of the pris'
ouers were allowed TO see them in the jail.
Quite q number of people got on the
train at Claysville and Taylorstown, most
of whom were witnesses in the case. The
hearing was set for ten o'clock and quite q
crowd of curious people had assembled
around the Court House to see the prisoners
and attend the bearing. Some people
seemed to have an idea that the accused
men were terrible specimens of murderers,
and. when the crowd which gathered in
the corridor saw the boys az they went up
stairs there was
GREAT CHANGE OF FEELING,
and the respectable and innocent appear
snce of the boys was commented on favor
ably.
The hearing was held in u Of the Jury
rooms OF the Court House, and none but
witnesses and a few friends Of the accused
were allowed inside. The boys look some
what pale from their confinement IN jail,
and while the effects Of their encounter
have pretty we'll worn off, the scars on
Rust and Shafer still show up pretty
plain. cn
| Rnple. the case for the State being taken
care of by Prosecuting Attorney Taylor,
while the defense was ably represented ny
Messrs. Brsdeu, McCracken aud Judsou,
three of Washington county's prominent
attorneys.
The witnesses examined were among the
nripeipal ones for the State, but not more
than halfof those present were examined.
The Ham boys, one of whom was the first
man to have
A HAND IN Fl MELEE,
were not examined. 1t is thought their
evidences is favorable to the defendants
The evidence adduced shows quite
MAINLY that while the accused were en-
gagged in the melee none Of them was the
man who shot Staub, and none oil the wit
uesses we're able to give any clear idea as 10
what sort of q man did shoot him, al
Though they agreed he wasn't among the
| four accused men, which the friends OF Tee
bows will be pleased to hear.
After Justice Ripple had read the war.
rant charging the men with the murder OF
S,aub. Counsel Braden IN behalf OF his
clients pleaded mot guilty" The hear
ing then commenced. The first witness
was:
GEO. W. HILL.
Examined by Prosecuting Attorney
Taylo ,
Reside in Claysville, was there night Of
fifth of September. DR.. Denny and my
self were together when we got word Ina
a man was shot at Taylorstown. we
hitched up his horse and went out. we
fouud Mr.. Staub was shot and DIR. Denny
went into Anderson & B~uchannon's store
see him. We passed a wagon and gray
horse on the road. l came back to Gays
willie and arrested two Of the men, one OF
whom wa, Adam Shafer. / arrested them
and they asked me if they thought there
was any danger of violence being done
them by people in TaylorstOwn. l told
them | would protect them, that II any
BODY attempted to do them any harm
would cut the ropes and give them reyolV-
ers, az l did not Delieve in the mon law.
Peter Grass was the man who asked me
about the matter. / took them back TO
Taylorstown. Schafer was badly bruised
and was bleeding He didn't seem 10
know anything. He was lying in the bot
ON of the wagon. We talked going over.
| Tbey told me the Taylorstown people had
| thrown stones at them. When we got TO
Taylorstown a big man took hold OF the
prisoners and / told him to let go and lis
did 80.
Cross Examined-The large man ] saw
Yesterday and identified him; l heard
heard his name was Cronin; Grass was
on the seat with me and Adam shater was
lying in the back part OF the wagon insen'
sible; it was about II o'clock when ! ar
rested them; they made no resistance;
they were in an open top g pring wagon
when we got back to TaylOrstown five OF
six men were shouting abou. being depu'
tizsd hy the Sheriff to take charged of them
| saw no one was going to be hurt 20 l let
them take them; they started to tie one
mans hands before l gave them permission
/ think there were four or rather fonr and
a half guns in the wagon; they were shot
guns; none were loaded; none OF the de-
PENDANTS were armed; the men all had in,
cations of having been in q fight; SbsfeI
was cut about the head and the other man
had a big cut in the face; Schafer's clothes
were covered with blood and the wagon
was very bloody he was in such q bad CON
dition | did not know him; / was raised in
the same ward with him; when Cronin
laid his hand on the man told him tc
take his hand away from his pocket and
not draw a revolver on me; he had put his
hand to his hip pocket; there were about
twenty or twenty-five people on the street
when we got back to Taylorstown.
DIR. WIN. DENEEY.
I was called to Tsylorstown on the
night of the fifth; saw Adam Staub lying
in Anderson & Buchanon's store suffering
from q gunshot wound; made an examine
ton and discovered that the man was in
a dying condition, and that l could dc
nothing for him; l asked him if he had
any statement to make, and he asked me
to say goodbye to his children; bis
death was caused by the guushot wound
should Judge that the shot had been fired
with the gun rather close TO him.
Cross examined-Held post mortem
after | took body to Claysville; DR.. Sprowl'
assisted me; there was no inquest held.
JOHN W. LEONARD.
live in Dsquesne county, Bradford; ]
work at Tsylorstowpi was there on thu
fifth; saw the fight; about eight o'clock
was going home to 20 to bed; 1 heard 9
noise and turned around and saw q wsgor
full of fellows, some Of whom had theil
legs hanging over the sides; as they passed
thew seemed To be intoxicated; the crowd