The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-25
THE PENALTY.
Tho Jury Finds Wilholm Major
Guilty of Murder as Charged,
AND rs IT FIXES NO PUNISHMENT
His Fatc Must be tho Gallows...Thc
Usual Motion for n new Trial Made,
and TO BIO Argued lIcrca(tcr...Pos.
siblc International Complications.

"Wc, tho jury, find tho defendant
guilty as charged in tho Indictment"
This was tho simple report OF the
jury in tho case OF Wilhelm Major, tho
murderer OF his wife, Mario Maicr,
mado in tho circuit court Saturday af.
tcrnoon.
The court roc was even moro
crowded at Saturday mornings session
than usually heretofore. Tho corridors
OF the building and tho sidewalks near
wero also crowded with people, who IN.
ticipatcd the end OF the trial and q yer.
dict, Mr.. ConiT made his address for
tho defense, acquitting himself in n
manner 10 win general and hearty
praise from those who heard him. lie
reviewed tho evidence with great clear
ness, and maintained that his client was
insane, rs shown both by his behavior
and tho testimony. In concluding ho
said with feeling:
This case closes with n sad, sad spcc-
tacle! There ho is alone! alone! There
is no father, no mother, no sister, no
brother, standing around, looking with
anxious eyes upon you for n smile Of
encouragement Or a frown indicating
despair. Uo is hero alone, with his
father and mother in n distant land, not
knowing that their son is hero on trial
for his life, and unconscious that q Jury
OF Americans, in q land whore justice
rciyns, Is about to say whether or not
he must die. Gentlemen, his death
will not give back tho lives OF the dead.
Do not 20 from the case with the
thought haunting you that you have
taken q step not warranted. Let me,
in taking farewell OF you, ask you to
pause, and not let it 20 down into his.
tory that q jury OF Americans took n
mailman for a murderer! Gentlemen, |
have donei l thank your
Mr.. HOWARD CLOSES.
Prosecuting Attorney Howard, in
opening his closing argument for the
prosecution, remarked that this was the
most solemn duty OF his life. 1t was
his duty under the law and the evil
dence to urge upon the jury that 4 yer.
dict be brought in under which tho
court could do nothing but sentence the
prisoner ut the bar to death.
Gentlemen" he said, 1--WE are all tho
humble instruments OF the law. My.
self, the counsel for the defense, the
court, you gentlemen OF the jury, the
sheriiF-cach OF us has n part to per-
form, and all OF us are bound by the
solemnity OF an oath. This is not an
agreeable task for any of us. 1t is not
an agreeable task Tor me. 1t was not an
agreeable task for Messrs. Atkinson and
Coniit to stand here and look on that
red-handed murderer and plead for his
life. 1t will not be a pleasant task for
the court to sentence this man. 1t will
BET most unpleasant task for the sheriff
to execute him. 1t will be unpleasant
for you to find 4 verdict. But it is your
duty to return q verdict, without 4 quib-
bio or Z question. No n OF you, I
know, has 4 shadow OF q doubt OF his
guilt, in the manner charged in the in
dictment; and ii you believe that, there
is no doubt OF your verdict"
lie then started in OH a clear and
forcible review OF tho testimony, pre-
facing it with the remark that nobody
who had heard tho evidence had any
doubt OF the guilt OF the prisoner, and
he proceeded to show why he took this
view. He. closed by asking in the name
OF justice a verdict OF guilty.
Ills MoTuER.IS-LAw.
After the concluding speech Mrs.
Yoho, mother OF the murdered woman,
leaned over Maier's chair and talked
briefly with him. She was very much
affected by tho speech OF Mr.. Howard,
as indeed everybody in the court room
seemed to be, excepting possibly Maier.
Mrs. Yoho, crying hard, asked the
prisoner if he did not love Marie. He
said that he did, and she asked him
how he could cvcr kill her. He said:
"Oh, l did not try to kill Marie, and
I am very sorryI did kill her."
Mrs. Yoho said that she forgavc him,
and would pray for him. This seemed
to. affect Maicr more than anything that
had happened before, He told Mrs.
Yoho sho'could have all his things that
were'in his room.
The court instructed the jury as to
the form OF verdict to be Endorsed on
the indictment under different findings,
and ut their request, rs it lacked still
some minutes OF noon, they were allowed
to retire to their room and deliberate on
their verdict.
When they returned to tho court
there was a decided sensation in the
room, many people standing up
to SEQ the jury, expecting
that they had arrived at n verdict.
Judge PAUL. forbade any demonstration
OF approval or disapproval, and notified
those in the court TINT my demonstra-
ton whatever would be followed bv the
arrest and punishment of the offender.
This had the desired effect, and the
crowd was orderly and quiet.
The jury had no verdict. and was nd.
journcd for dinner.
MAlER GUILTY.
When court reassemblcd the Jury
filed out at once TO its ROOM. It was
out Tor somewhat less than an hour,
whom, at about ten minutes OF three q
knock was heard or the door, and Judge
PAUL. repeated his injunction Of order.
The jurors appeared amid n solemn
hush, and the anne having been read
over and responded to, Clerk Mitchell
asked:
gentlemen of the Jury, have you
agreed upon a vcrdict?"
1--WE have" said Foreman O'Neal.
"Prisoner at tho bar, stand up! Pris,
oner, l%ooNnpon the jury. Jurymcn,
look upon the prisoner. What say o
gentlemen OF the jury; guilty or not
guilty?
Guilty"
The clerk took the verdict and read:
"We, the jury, End the defendant,
William Maicr. ruiltv No cborrod IN a.