The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-01-07
A LIFE PRISONER
Finds the Missing Link That
May Set Him Free
AFTER A LAPSE OF FOUR YEARS.


Chain Of Tangible Evidence Showing
that Convict at Moundsville is not
Guilty of the Charge OF Murder
Interesting History Of the
Entire Case.
There is confined in the West Vir
ginia State Penitentiary, located at
Moundsville, a man who, while he
doubtless ought to he in some pcni-
Tertiary. is. it is believed by all who
have ever given his case any eoDsid
Grafton, wrongfully and unjastly
incarcerated for . crime ofwhich he
is guiItless, and for which he has
been committed for life.
There were some atfidavits which
had been forwarded the day before
from McKeespert, Pa, to Thomas b.
Kelly, alias Robert Ferris, an inmate
of this penitentiary who is one of
Two men who are serving life terms
for the murder of Policeman Joseph
Glenn, of Wheeling, and which, it
was intimated. might have something
to do with clearing him fIem the
charge
Policeman Glenn was fatally shot
by burglars early Sunday morning,
January IA, 1888. His beat was in
a residence portion of the city The
barking of a dog in the rear of the
house of John Hoffman, a wealthy
tanner, attracted his attention and
be started down an alley to inyesti-
gate. As be came to short cross
alley, he ran into two masked men,
who opened fire on him and he fell
mortally wounded. Before he died
Glenn partially rallied and made a
painful attempt to tell who his as
sailants were, but beyond getting out
the words that one was short and the
other tall, his tongue was powerless
to speak Brother officers, ss they
leaned over the dying man, asked
him repeatedly II he knew the men
who had shot him, but received no
spoken answer, but there was look
in Glenn's eyes when the question
was asked which many interpreted
to mean that he did not know, but
aside from that look there was no
word or sign.
BIG REWARDS SECURED CONVICTIONS,
Rewards aggregating $2,500 were
offered for the apprehension of the
murderers, and this big prize money,
coupled with general desire To
avenge the death of the officer. who
was general fasorite, set everybody
in any way connected with a consta
bularY, either public or private. on a
diligent search for clues The local
men whom 1t WAS suspieioned by
some were implicated in the killing,
and who were had in mind when
Glenn was asked il he knew them,
were closely Swallowed. but theugh
they are known to all leading police
officers of the country, their conduct
during the time they were under sur
veillance vas most exemplary.
On February "a. 1888. Thomas
Kelly and Edward Christy tramps
were arrested al Newark, Ohio, on
suspicion OF having committed a
small burglary They we've locked
up, and while in the station house
Christy was overheard TO make some
reference TO the shooting at Wheel
ing policeman, in connection with an
empty cartridge shell he had in his
pocket. The conclusion was jumped
at that these men had murdered
Glenn; they were taken to Wheeling.
indicted, tried, and on September / /,
1888, sent here for life. The evidence
all the way through was purely cir
cumstantial. Kelly proved an almost
perfect alibi, and at the time he was
found guilty and sentenced there
were hundreds who looked npon the
outcome of his trial as gross mis-
carriage of justice.
With Christy the case was differ
ent. Many who believed Kelly limo.
cent nd did not think Christy did
the shooting, yet believe the latter
had knowledge of the attempted bur
glary of the Hoffman residence that
he was one of the gang composed
mostly of Wheeling crooks, who at
that time carried on an extensive
program of robbery in Ohio, Penn.
sylvsnia and this State.
| xur. ~ cpnar ,r,,r
Kelly was ably defended by John
A. Howard, now Prosecuting Attor-
ney OF Ohio county, and ex Senator
Sommerville. At the conclusion oil
the trials there was a wild scramble
for the reward money, and in it some
thought they saw an explanation Of
the force with which testimony was
given against the men, especially as
regarded their behavior and what
they said while in the Newark, Ohio
police station. A good part of that
evidence was given by persons who
were confined in the Newark station
as prisoners.
The one weak point in the alibi
sought to be established by Kelly
when he was on trial. was the tesli
mony OF j. L. Conlin, proprietor o
the City Brick Works, at Mononga
hela City. Kelly's story was that in
company with other tramps he haC
spent the nights of January 10 ant
IA, 1888, in Conlin's brick yards
keeping warm by the kilns, and tina
on Monday morning, January Is. h,
had first learned of the Wheelin:
murder by hearing an account of i
read BY companions who had Sc
cured a Pittsburg paper. Mr.. Con
lin knew that Kelly had been abou
, his place, but was uncertain as tt
whether it was on Sunday, January
; IA, or week later. Since then, how
, ever, Mr. Conlin has studied tn
} matter out carefully, and is positiv
it was Of, the 14th. He has gon
further, aiNd has found Jam Porter
alias scranton Slim, who was on
/ of the other men who slept in TIL
brick yards those nights, and he cor
roborates Mr.. Conlin.
Kelly was about Is years old whel
he entered the penitentiary, and i