Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-07
NINE YEARS.
William Wilson Found Guilty of Man
slaughter and Gets Heavy
Sentence.

The echoes about the court house cor
ridors were awakened Wednesday morn
ing at O'Clock by sharp rapping on the
door of the room in which the jury, hav
ing the Wilson murder trial in hand,
were confined. The verdict, given few
minutes later to hurriedly summoned
court, was maDslaughter.
As soon as court convened in the regu-
lar morning session, Wilson's attorneys
made motion for new trial. This was
overruled. The penalty for manslaugh-
ter is Imprisonment one to twenty years,
at the judges discretion. Judge briggs
sentenced Wilson to term of nine years
at the penitentiary. 1t will not be known
before Saturday whether the case will be
taken to higher court.
The case was begun Friday morning,
and was stubbornly fought for four days.
Prosecutor Hollingsworth and Albert
Lawrence appeared for the State, while
Capt. Danford and Thos. Shay, criminal
lawyer from Cincinnati, conducted the
defense.
1t will be remembered that Policeman
Murphy was shot to death in fight at
Martins Ferry, September 1st, between
some men and boys of that place and
employees of travelling circus. The
fight occurred at the circus cars, and
Wilson was the only man arrested. He
lives at Peru, Ind, and was the keeper
of animals for the show. His defense
tried to show that Wilson did not fire the
shot that killed Murphy, but that it was
fired by man on the circus Car. Fail
ing in this, they expected to show that if
he did fire the shot, it was done while he
was dazed and stupefied by having been
knocked down and pounded about the
head with black jack" and after hav-
ing been shot at by officers whom he did
not recognize as officers, but believed to
be persons seeking his life. 1t was shown
that the circus people had not been the
aggressors, but that they had been insult
ed and attacked.
The jury evidently thought that Will
son fired the fatal shot, but considered
the circumstances as mitigating.
An especial assault was made on Mar
shal Westwood's testimony, and four st.
Clairsville men testified that the Marshal
said on the evening of the trouble that
Wilson shot from under the car, state
ment which he denied on the stand. The
stories of the witnesses for either side
varied, and it seemed impossible to get
at the truth Of the matter. The jury had
to take the stories as the come, and form
their own judgment as to the reliability
of them.
The case was argued all day Tuesday.
Mr.. Lawrence opened for the State,
speaking logically and eloquently for an
hour and a half. He was followed by
Mr.. Shay for the prisoner. Mr.. Shay's
speech was exhaustive and pathetic. The
wife and child Of the prisoner sat beside
him, and Mr.. Shay, with tears in his eyes,
pleaded the mercy of the jurors, amid the
conflicting stories of the testimony. He
went over the case thoroughly, and spoke
about four hours. Captain Danford then
took up the defense, and in an ingenious,
and profound argument pointed
out every scrap of evidence in the pris
oner's favor, the uncertain nature Of the
testimony and enlarged on the discrep
pancies in the stories of the witnesses.
Prosecutor Hollingsworth closed the ar
gument with a strong presentation, neces-
sarily shortened by bad cold. Judge
briggs read clear charge to the jury,
and they went to their room at O'Clock.
The trial attracted many spectators to
the court room.