West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-12-12
COURT NOTES.

vas continued until next term, Dunn
not being ready for trial. lie was
let out on So, 900 bail, his sureties
being Thomas Fleming, p. j. Dunn,
Susan Coniff and u. A. Coniff.
Sheriff Jackson disposed of the
delinquent lands of the last two
years as follows /: $398.26 sold to
individuals ; s259.31 worth redeem
ed, and 1851 purchased by the
State.
Judge Hoke has procured an *
perienced short hand writer in the
person of Mr.. d.. Il. Barnum, of
Binghamton, New York, to attend
his courts and take down the evil
dence in the more important cases.
John ID. Hecleiner, who is ste
nographer for Hon. j. II. McGraw,
of Grafton, was here last week taking
down the evidence in the case of
the State VS. Johnston. McGraw is
attorney for Johnston.
The court ordered that hereafter
the grand jury be summoned to
attend the first day of court and the
petit jury the fourth day.
The Judge is getting the business
of the court down to a fine point
and gets through with a vast amount
of business i'll IL remarkably short
length of time.
In the case of William Johnson,
the mine boss from Irondale, who
was tried for criminal neglect of
duty, the jury brought in a verdict
of guilty, but as there was some
controversy in regard to some Of the
rulings or instructions Of the court
i'll the case, the judge awarded a
new trial, but 1t is thought the case
will probably go harder with the
defendant next time as the prosecu-
ton claim they will be able to make
out a stronger case then than this
time.
Harvey Massie was tried and
found guilty at this term OF court
of breaking into the milk house of
S. N. Rogers, near Gainesville, and
stealing therefrom. 1t will be re-
membered that about three years
ago, Massie was tried and convicted
on a charge of forgery and sent to
the penitentiary for two years. At
ter serving about half his sentence
he was taken TO the asylum at Wes-
ton, having been adjudged insane.
Thereupon Governor Wilson issued
a pardon, and after remaining at
the asylum a few months he was
discharged as cured. In fact he
never exhibited any signs of insani-
ty while there, and was allowed to
RIM at large nearly all the time he
was there and could have been sent
home sooner, only he did not want
to come. We saw him almost every
day while he was there and we are
satisfied that he is no more crazy
than lots Of other people who are
running at large. We had known
him for years before and could see
no change in him. He told the
writer when he w&s first brought
from Moundsyille to Weston, that
he had just played off crazy to get
out of thc"pen"for fear they would
kill him if he staid there. lie won't
work pOr never would and as he had
to work there it went very hard with
him. lie tried to play off sick to
get out OF work, but that old dodge
wouldn't 60 and they put him in
the "Shoo Fly six times in one
day and very nearly killed him, so
he says. The "shoo fly" is an APP
paratus for furnishing prisoners and
making them work. The convict
is put in there and water turned in
on him, and he has got to hustle
around and work pretty hard to
pump it out or drownd. Col. Jnc.
+. Peck Of Logan county, was Supt.
OF the pen at that time and there is
no doubt but what he was unneces-
sarily severe in his punishment Of
the prisoners and the Legislature
refused to confirm his appointment
and lucky for the unfortunates con-
fined there, he had to step down
and ont. Massie seems TO simply
have a constitutional tendency to
be q worthless character generally