The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-01-23
SAM REEVES SLAYER
Trial Of Andy BlagG for Murder in
the Criminal Court.
THE CASE GIVEN TO THE JURY.
vigorous Defense of the Man on Il Plea
OF insanity-Thc Jury Before
Whom the Case was Tried
Incidents Of the Trial.
THE CASE GIVEN TO THE JURY.

The trial of Andrew BlaGg, the murder
er of Samuel Reeves, occupied the first
three days of the present weeks session
OF the criminal court, the hearing of evil
dence having been concluded nj $50 Tues
day afternoon.
The first knowledge of the death of
Samuel Reeves, n farmer residing in the
Bates City n~eighborhood, was received by
Constable Archie Gillespie, of Clay town
ship, on the morning of Tuesday, June %,
1891, a few minutes after the termination
Of the affair. Mr.. Gillespie resides with
his father, II. G. Gillespie, but Il shor dis
lance from the Reeves homestead. On
the morning stated Andy Blagg went to
Mr.. GilIespie's and called the constable to
the fence. There was blood on his face
and on his hand, and the man was labor
ing under n good deal OF excitement. He
asked the constable, in his Ignorance of
the law and legal proceedings, for n war
rant. BY this time the elder Gillespie had
come up, and in answer to questionings,
Blagg, who had been employed by Mr..
Reeves, told the two men that he had had
some trouble with his employer, and had
killed hin with his pocket knife. His
story was that the two men were plowing
corn, and about $50 or 9 o'clock had stop
ned their teams and gone to a spring near
by for a drink, quarreling as they went.
They took n drink and started back, Blagg
in the lead. He said he had seated him
self on his pillow, and when Reeves came
up, he (Reeves) was slashing at Blagg
with an open knife. The latter arose n
grabbed his assailant. With one hand he
held the man, and with the other he took
his knife from his pocket, opened the
blade with his teeth and cut Reeves
throat, killingshim almost instantly.
Constable Gillespie placed the man un-
der arrest and took him to Bates City. In
the meantime ncwsi of the killing hnd
spread over the neighborhood, and the
body of the slain maniwas taken in charge
by II. G. Gillespie and others. In Blagg's
pocket was found n pocket knife. This
was damp, and upon inquiry, Blagg said
that he had killed the man with that
knife, washing the blood off in the branch
~ he went to surrender himself To the
officers. He made no attempt 10 deny the
crime, and when the older Gillespie asked
him for n motive, he said, ''you know the
trouble between me and Reeves" Mr..
Gillespie denied any knowledge of trouble,
and Blagg said he thought everybody
knew it. He stoutly asserted that he had
had To defend himself, and that Reeves
had cut him three or -four times on the
face and as many times on the back of the
/ L..l lngn,, l,n ,an,,I1 ,,paptpoVrap aud lis
arm him.
Blagg was brought to Lexington on the
day of the killing and lodged in Jail, hav-
ing been in custody since that time. He
is about 80 years old, medium size, black
hair and red beard, and all during the
triaI-sat with his hat in his hand and his
eyes cast to the floor. The plea OF insanity
was strongly relied upon by his attorneys,
Hicklin & Welborn, and one seeing Blagg
sitting there, the only motion, almost.
being to occasionally raise his eyes and
look toward the jury n witness, could
scarcely doubt that the man was some
times unaccountable for his acts and
deeds.
The case was well and fairly tried-fair
to the commonwealth, whose interests
rested so we'll in the hands of County At
torncy Aull, and fair to Messrs. Hiciklin
aud Welborn, who sought to show that
the killing of Samuel Reeves was not the
act of a man who should be held account
able to his fellow Every point was
contested, Judge Ryland acting Impartial
II in his rulings. The result has become
u matter OF history.
Out of the venire of forty the following
Jury was selected, and begun their long
sitting Monday afternoon:
Joseph O. Ramey Benjamin M. Lewis
Floyd e. Schooley, G.. b. Chamberlain
simon p. Kline, Irving L. NOEL,
Charles Fl. lies, Charles Il. Alstadt,
William A. Peachy, William u. Buford
George w. Stewart, George A. Chamblin