Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-28
ACCIDENTAL.
THAT WAS TIN VERDICT IN TIE MCGOWAN
SHOOTING.
A Number Of Eye Witnesses Examined Beior,
Squire Arkls Last Nighi-Fahsy Released
From Jall-His Fined S. and Costs
for Carrying Fire Arms on Sunday.

Shortly after seven o'clock last even
ing the taking of testimony before the
Coroner's jury in the MCGOWAN shooting
was continued in Squire George Ankles
Office, which was well filled with spec
tators. DR.. Charles Frissell was the
first witness called to the stand. The
Doctor stated that late Sunday after
noon he received telephone message
asking him to go out to Pole Cat Hollow,
that someone had been shot. When he
arrived there he met the wagon return
ing with the body of the girl. In his
examination OF the deceased he found
that the head and left shoulderhad been
riddled with shot. She was bleeding
freely from the mouth and nose, the re-
suit of the gunShOt wound. The Doctor
stated that the immediate cause OF the
death of the deceased was hemorrhage.
1t was impossible to tell the position OF
the lady, at the time Of the shooting,
from the wounds.
Charles Gaus, after being sworn, in
effect said: l was twenty yards behind
the party when / heard the report OF
the gun. During the excitement that
followed did not see much that passed.
The parties participating in the affair
were all friends. Although many in the
crowd had been drinking no one was in
toxicated.
Andy Hite took the stand and said
that he was the man who had the gun
used in the shooting. AT about nine
o'clock Sunday morning he started out
from home, intending to shoot ground
hogs. He met Il party OF plcnicers
from East Wheeling in Pole Cat Hollow
with whom he stopped and drank sew
eral glasses of beer. This was.about ten
o'clock. From there he went TO the
house of friend and got hunting
dog. On his return to the picnickerS
he drank five or six glasses OF beer,
where ne remained until three o'clock.
At half past three he reached the crowd
where the fatal shooting took place.
One of the party, Fahey, took the gun
from him. Several of the crowd were
shooting at a beer glass. He said that
some of the crowd had been drinking,
and when they asked to shoot he
put blank cartridges in the gun.
He did not remember whether he
had said the gun was loaded or
not. as number of people had been
using it, but thought he had told Fancy
that the gun was not loaded. He saw
Fahey raise the gun and then he turned
to get a glass Of beer. Immediately
afterward he heard the report, and
turning around saw a woman fall.
Fahey turned on him and said, Damn
you, why didn't you tell me the gun
was loaded?" He replied that Fahey
should not have taken it from
him and aimed it at anyone.
The party was from twenty to
twenty-five feet away from Fahey.
He, Hite, had drank twenty-five or
thirty glasses of beer, but was not In
toxicated. The party shot had their
backs turned to Fahey at the time OF
the shooting. On being questioned by
Attorney Coniff, counsel for Fahey,
Hite said that he could not tell how the
girl was shot in the face when her back
was turned, but supposed she must have
turned partly around when Fahey said
"look out" The gun was not
cooked when he gave it to Fahey.
| Hite was about six yards from Fahey
when the shooting occurred. There
was a great deal of noise on the grounds
at the time and the clicking of the gun
might not have been heard. He re-
NAMED on the grounds until the girl
died. He was looking toward the beer
keg at the time Of the shooting, and the
parties shot were not In his line OF
| vision. There was not an intoxicated
man on the grounds. The three
people shot were sitting on the ground
talking when the shooting took place.
After the shooting Fahey told Hite that
they must go to town and give them
selves I'D. Hite said that he would do
nothing OF the kind.
William Supler testified that about
five o'clock Andy Hite came up with
gun swinging by his side. Suplar said
that he went over and sat down on log
with Miss Kenney, Miss McGowan
and several others. Miss Nc
! Gowan was in stopped position
when shot. She turned around,
Strengthened up and fell forward on her
face. Mr.. Weitzel had guitar in his
| hand at the time and was looking
toward Supler. Weitzel fell on the
grass, and Supler raised him up and
asked him where he was shot. His face
was filed with Jumps. lie said he
could not see, and did not know where
he was shot. Fahey was near the beer
keg when the shot was fired. He
showed no signs of intoxication. Hite
was in a drunken condition. There
were no harsh words used.
Miss Mary Coffee was then called. She
said she heard the report and saw Miss
MCGOWAN fall. She was excited, she
said, and did not see much that trans
pired.
Miss Maggie Carroll stated that when
she was going to the woods to get some
wood to build fire she saw someone
point gun at a man, but did not know
either of them. Five minutes afterward,
when she was in the woods, she heard
the report, but saw nothing.
Miss Kate He'll was the next witness.
She said she saw Miss MCGOWAN fall, but
did not see Fatey shoot, as her back was
turned toward him. She was sitting
in the crowd with Miss MCGOWAN at the
| time.
Charles Houston was next called. He
said he had been kicking foot ball with
Fahey and Gaus in the afternoon, and
that, being tired. ne and Gaus left the
crowd and went off and went to sleep.
Some one awakened him and told him
of the shooting. He did not see the
affair.
Mr.. Wayman then took the stand and
testified as follows: l had been taking
walk with Miss MCGOWAN just before
the shooting occurred. We came
up to the log and Miss
| McGowan was STOPPING forward