Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-09-01
HIS SKULL CRUSHED.
John Grayem Kills VIM. Harris with
Piece of Scantling.
Full Details of the Tragedy at GAINESVILLE
Last Week-Grayem Pleads Self
Defense as an Excuse.

AS the result OF DlOW SIruCk Ou Nci }
slight, if any provocatiOn, John Grayem
of GAINESVILLE, now lies in Jail charged
with murder. The victim was William
Harris, a colored man, whose home was
in Springfield, but who has been working
in Barnesville for about month on the
street-paving contracts. The fatal blow
was delivered with piece of 2x5 inch
scantling, about three feet in length, and
the skull was cracked and crushed as
though of glass. The murder took place
Oh Wednesday forenoon of last week.
The circumstances of the killing, as
shown by the testimony at the Coroner's
inquest on Friday, are in brief about in
this wise:
Robert Hunt is building some houses
on South Chestnut street in Barnesville
and ON Wednesday had workmen engaged
in blasting well. At the same time
gang of street-pavers, of whom Harris
was foreman, was working in front OF
Hunts property. Whenever blast was
put off the stones and spawls would fly
over the house and fall in the street, thus
endangering lives and property. 1t is
stated that some neighbors had objected
to the blasting but it had not been
stopped. About IL o'clock, after blast,
Harris went to the rear of the buildings
and protested to Hunt against the blast
ing, asking either to stop or to cover the
well, and saying that the lives of his men
were in danger from the falling stones.
Hunt replied that if Harris had any
bOssing to do to 90 out in the street and
boss his own men. Harris still protested
and was ordered away again. The two
men indulged in some further parleying
when John Grayem, carpenter who was
employed on the buildings, took hand
and asked Hunt if he (Grayem) should
put Harris off the premises. To Grayem
Harris replied, "Do you think you can
put me off? ?" and again turned to Hunt.
This is said to be all that passed between
Harris and Grayem. Grayem then picked
UP the piece of scantling and with great
force struck Harris on the side of the
head, back of the ear. Harris fell as
though shot. He remained in an uncon-
scious condition until Friday morning,
when he died. An examination by
physicians showed that his skull was
cracked in almost every direction and
his brain reduced to a pulp. Witnesses
to the murder believe that Harris was
not aware of Grayem's intention to strike
him as his head was partly turned away
from Grayem. As the discussion was
between Hunt and Harris, Grayem's in
reference is regarded as uncalled for and
the murder unprovoked and cold blooded.
Coroner Boyd was summoned and held
an inquest, and the. verdict was in ac-
cordance with the above statements.
Grayem waived hearing and was COM
mitted to Jail without bail. He was
brought to this place on Saturday
evening.
Harris was 28 years old, and leaves a
wife and two children. His good char
acter is attested by the position he held.
His employers speak very highly of him,
and the men under him, many of whom
were white, had formed strong at
for him. His body was taken
to Springfield for burial.
Grayem, the murderer, is 30 years of
age, and has a wife and three children.
He has always been noted for his ungov-
ernable temper and but recently narrowly
escaped killing boy, at whom in fit of
anger he hurled hatchet. Grayem has
some sympathizers, but the people of
Barnesville mainly unite in condemning it
a willful and wanton murder. Grayem's
plea will be self-defence, but the testi-
mony of the seven or eight witnesses to
the killing is entirely against such plea.