The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-03
JAMES WEIGH CONVICTED.
THE NEWBURG WIFE MURDERER
FOUND GUILTY AND SEN
TENCED FOR LIFE.
A Light Punishment For Such an Afro.
cious Crime.

A Light Punishment For Such an Afro.
cious Crime.
James Weleh, murdered his wifi
at Newburg, on the night of March
10Th last. He was tried in the
circuit court OF Preston county last
week. found guilty and sentenced tC
the peniten tiary for life. The fol
lowing history of the crime is taken
from the Kiugwood Journal Of
March Goth last:
| Last Thursday night March 19),
Mrs. James WEIGH, aged between So
and 60 years, was murdered in her
house at Newburg. Her husband is
accused of the crime, has been in
dicted by the grand jury for murder
in the first degree, and is now in
jail. He is about the age of his wife,
and said to be quiet and peaceable
enough when sober but very abusive
and violent when in whiskey. Both
the husband and wife were addicted
to drinking and frequently fought
each other when in their cups. They
lived in small o-roomed, one
stored house back of the Catholic
church. Welch is a miner, worked
in the shaft, and has lived at New
burg for many years. They have
several grown sons and daughters.
About 8 o'clock Thursday night
WEIGH, somewhat intoxicated, came
to the house of a neighbor, S. w.
Messenger, and asked to borrow a
match and said he believed the old
woman was dead. Messenger went to
James Clingan's, neighbor, and be
and Clingan went to Welch's house
with torch, and found Mrs. WEIGH
lying ON the floor dead. They re-
ported the matter and Justice ID. j..
Gibson had WEIGH put in the lock
up, locked up the house and tele-
graphed Prosecuting Attorney, who
went over Friday morning, when
Welch had preliminary hearing
before Justice Gibson who commit
ted him to Jail. The grand jury re
turned an indictment against WEIGH
yesterday, for murder in the first
degree.
The proof seems strong against
him. He was drunk Thursday.
About 5 o'clock he was at the rail-
road station, demanding of Agent
Clayton that he be admitted to the
building to get his wife. She was
not there, of course, and Welch
struck Mr.. Clayton, who then eject
ed him from the premises. After
ward he started home, hunting for
the "old woman" This was the
last seen Of him till he appeared at
Mr. Messengers.
The condition of the house shows
that there had been long and des-
perate struggle One room they
used as bed room, the other as
dining room, and there was small
kitchen built up to the house. The
struggle seems to have been carried
on in both rooms. Great quantities
Of blood were found upon the floor
of both rooms, and some hair, and
one of her teeth was found in each
room. Upon the door and door posts
were the prints of hand reeking in
blood. The bed was torn up and
there was much blood ON it. Hair
pins, found on the floor, the disar-
rangement of the furniture, and
other things, go to show that the
struggle was desperate, that it last
ed some time, and that it was carried
on in almost every part of the two
rooms, as the wretched woman
sought to escape the murderer's
hands. Some think she was MUIR
dered on or near the bed and her
body dragged to the other room.
The murderous work seems to
have been done with a fire brick,
which was picked up probably in the
path leading to Welch's house. The
brick was found in the house, cover
ed with tufts OF the woman's hair
and clots of blood and pieces OF flesh.
Her head and face were beaten in a
shocking manner The skull was
not broken, but the back of the head
was beaten into jelly-all cut up,
or rather mashed up. Other parts
of the head were in a similar con
dition, and the face was shockingly
multilated with the blunt weapon.
Two teeth were knocked out of her
head, and were found ON the floor,
as stated The direction of the
streams Of blood on the face shows
that she bled while lying on the floor
or bed.
Z. j. Crogan was attorney for de-
PENDANT, and States Attorney Fortney
conducted the prosecution. The
/ jury was impanneled at p. m. Sept
10, and they took the papers to
their room Tuesday morning, re-
turning the verdict at the time stat
ed. When it was made known that
the jury had agreed upon a verdict
the people in town focked to the
court house In short time the
sheriff brought the prisoner into
court, and he seemed perfectly calm.
The jurymen then walked firmly into
the room and each man wore look
of WEAKNESS from the strain and
constant confinement for several
days. But each also wore an ex-
preston that indicated that they
had satisfied their doubts, that the
verdict was truly the verdict of JUS
tice and upon the evidence they had
heard. Everything was as still as
death in the court room when the
verdict was read The prisoner was
perhaps trife paler than usual
but otherwise showed no outward
signs of emotion After the verdict
was correctly submitted to the clerk
and the man knew his doom, he
quietly walked over to the water
cooler near where he sat, drew glass
of ice water and leisurely slipped it,
then resumed his seat He is man
short in stature, rather heavy, and
wears chin beard His beard is
white as snow and his hair is quite
gray. He has deep blue eyes, broad
forehead and has quite genteel
look. The speeches in this case
were very fine Mr.. Crogan made
an eloquent appeal for the prisoner
and it is the general opinion ofevery-
body that Mr.. Fortney made the
finest speech OF his life. He has
spent much time and effort in hunt
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