Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-05
EVIDENCE ALL IN,
AND TIE WILSON MURDER TRIAL DRAWING
TOWARD A CLOSE.
The Prisoner Tsshfss in Els Own Bshalf-TwO
Of the Ladies of the Show Give Soma
New Evidence in the Case.

The evidence in the Wilson murder
trial has all been heard, the arguments
Of counsel will be heard to-day and it is
not at all improbable that by this even
ing the case will be in the hands OF the
Jury, and If too much time is not taken
by the jury in the consideration OF the
case a verdict may be reached before
tomorrow morning. Just what that
verdict will be can not be told. Much
of the evidence is conflicting, and while
the preponderance OF it would go 10
show that Wilson fired the shot that
killed Murphy, still the evidence to the
contrary is probably strong enough to
cause a doubt in the minds OF the jury OF
which the prisoner vii no doubtreceive
the benefit. The prevailiDg opinion seems
to be that the prisoner will be found
guilty of nothing more than man
slaughter or that the jury will disagree.
throughout the trial the prisoner has
been given the benefit of the doubt and
has been treated with the utmost fair-
ness by Judge briggs. Scarcely has
an objection Teen raised by the defense
that IL has not been sustained, and II
the prisoner is found guilty It can not
be said that the jury was assisted by
the Judge in reaching the verdict.
Should a verdict of guilty be render
ed, it is understood that the defense
will carry the case TO the Supreme
Court.
Mrs. Wilson, the wife Of the defend
ant, who had been summoned as wit
ness, was not placed on the stand, out
the defendant was. He told straight
forward story, aud cross-examination
failed to mix him up. The burden OF
his evidence was to show that he was so
much
EXCITED AND BEwnDERED
and possibly so nearly unconscious from
the blows he had been given over the
head that be did not know whether he
fred his revolver or not. DE simply
knew that it was fired, but how or IT
what he was unable TO say.
The first witness examined yesterday
was Mrs. Nellie Grace, 3 contortlonist
travelling with the circus, who testified
that she was in the car on September
first, when several young men passed by.
One of them threw kiss at her, and
held up a dollar, at the same time max
ing an insulting remark directed toward
her. Her husband went out and slapped
several of them, came back and went
out again. She saw Wilson knocked
down three times, saw Wilson flourish
revolver aud then go under box car.
Miss Emma West, a chariot driver,
told practically the same story. Both
she and Mrs. Grace testified that when
Wilson went under the car and when he
was arrested he was covered with
blood, so that they could scarcely recog-
nizs him.
Park Anderson, a Martins Ferry
newspaper man, said he ran after the
first shot was fired, but after several
more shots had been fred he turned
and saw Murphy stopping and fire three
shots under the car. Murphy then got
I'D and walked about three car lengths.
No shots were fired after Murphy first
got up.
Al Moore did not see who fired any OF
the shots except WestwOod and Muir
ply, who fled under the car. Murphy
fell where be- had been shooting.
Charles Rizor had heard only two
shots before Wilson went undsr the car.
When Wilson came out Murphy was y
ing on the ground where he had been
shooting. Witness helped to pick Muir
ply up, aud heard him say: Pm done
for, BOYS; that's the man; take him."
The defence attempted to prove by
lobe Kline that friends Of Watkins,
after he had been struck, had tried to
get him to go home, and that he re-
marked that he'd be ID il he'd go
home till he had got revenge, but the
court ruled that this was not admissa-
BILE,