The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-25
A HORRIBLE MURDER.
James Welsh Beats His Wife's
Head to a ] lily
WITH A BRICK At NEWBURG.
One of the Most l'lcndIsh and Bru.
tai Crimes In the History Of
West virglnia.-.The Murderer
is Past Sixty Years Old.

The town ot NeWburg 10 greatly ex
cited by a most brutal murder com
mitted there last Friday.
For many years James Welsh, a coal
miner, now about sixty years of age, has
lived in the town with his wife. Both
were addicted to drink and the neigh.
bors have been obliged to interfere in
their coujuRal quarrslS, as they not in.
frequently came to blows.
Last Friday night about 0 O'Clock a
lady living opposite the dwelling OF
Welsh heard woman's loud screams Is.
suing from the house, intermingled
with oaths in the voice OF man. She
supposed Welsh aud his wife were
drunk again and indulglng in their
usual hght The screams ceased after q
while, and the lady supposed they had
fallen in Adrunken sleep. One OF the
neighbors had seen Welsh that night
with brick in his hand. Welsh, who
was very drunk, remarked that he was
going 10 kill bis vile, but no attention
was paid to him.
On hearing Of this occurrence, those
OF tho neighbors who had heard the
quarrel between Welsh and his wife de-
cided to investigate, and entered the
house,
HORRIBLE SIGHT.
A horrible sight met their eyes. On
the floor, alongside the bed, lay the
body Of Mrs. Welsh in pool OF blood.
Her face was unrecogniEable, and her
whole head had been battered almost TO
o Jelly. The bed was covered with
Blood, and the state Of the bed clothes
gave evidence OF the fearful struggle.
Welsh was in the house, aober enough
BY this time, and told q disconnected,
halting story OF coming to the house aud
finding that tramp had killed his wife.
His own hands were covered with clot-
ted blood, and hair corresponding to
that OF the woman.
A Ere brick was found in the room,
and that 1t was the instrument OF death
used by the brutal murderer, could
plainly be seen, ss It vas covered with
blood and matted hair.
Mayor D. ]. Gibson appeared on the
scene, and arrested Welsh on the spot.
Drs. T. F. Lsnham and S. J. Posten held
an autopsy on the body.
cIRcuMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE STRONG.
While nobody saw Welsh commit the
crime, circumstantial evidences points
directly to him ss the murderer. The
agent Of the B. & O., Mr.. F. NJ. Clayton,
relates that on Friday evening he heard
some one pounding on the rear Of the
station, and upon going back he found
Welsh, who was kicking viCiously against
the side Of the house, with no apparent
object in view. Asking him aharply
what be wanted, lie responded
by striking the agent in the face with
bis fist, seiECd On iron bar and started to
assault him, Mr.. Clayton naturally re-
treated out Of the mans reach. Welsh
then started up the street. On the way
he met an acquaintance and picking up
a Gre brick tald him he was going up
home to kill his wife. Shortly alter
Mrs. Welsh's cries for mercy were
heard.
From the appearance of things about
the house 1t is Coniectured that Welsh
went into the house and sprang upon
Mrs. Welsh, who was in bed; that she
jumped up and ran into another room,
followed by her husband, who rained
blows upon her head till she fed back
into the bedroom, where Welsh finished
The murdered woman had only one
fault, 30 far as known; a leve for
liquor. When sober she behaved very
respectfully. Welsh is an Irishman, apd
was known as an honeat, hard working
man when sober, though very devil
when drunk.
This is the first murder ever commit
ted in Newburg, and the excitement con.
sequent upon the affair is intense.
Kuots OF people gather at all points and
DISCUSS the dreadful occurrence. The
murderer is lodged securely in Jail at
Kingwood, the county scat. The grand
Jury is now in session, and true bill
will no doubt be found without delay.