The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-11-24
ACQUITTED or MURDER.

How the six West Virginia Law Officers
We're INDICATED In the Baltimore Grim
nal Court.
Following is the Baltimore Ancric1n's
account OF the trial and acquittal last
week OF six we'll known West Virginians
on a serious charge:
Six OF the lest known and most
prominent OF the citizens OF Randolph
county, W. Va, were tried in the crimi-
nal court OF Baltimore yesterday on the
charge OF murder. One OF the peculiar
features OF the case was the fact that
most OF them were law officers OF the
county. They we're ]. L. WamsIey, pros
ecuting attorney OF Randolph county;
Nelson Wilson, deputy clerk OF the
circuit court; S. A. Rowan. the eX-
deputy clerk and editor OF the Randolph
Enterprise; Leslie Herding, acting depu.
" clerk OF the county court, and R. 3.
Coplinger and E. D. Wamstey, farmers.
Ali the parties live at Beverly, W. Va,
which is the terminus OF the West Vir-
ginia Central Railroad. The men were
specifically charged with having MUIR
dered an old man named Paul Ratm-
hid. He was hurt on the night OF
March 5 last, and died on March %, ut
the home OF his son, Paul Raimhild, on
South Fremont street. 1t was charged
at the time OF the occurrence that
the Young men who were accused
had arrived in Baltimore from
Washington in hilarious mood, hav-
ing attended the Inauguration OF Presi-
dent Cleveland. They went to the
boarding house OF Mrs. Mary Bowers,
III Hanover street, where they we're as.
signed to room. They were skylark-
ing for long while, and RaiInhild, who
had an adjoining room, was alleged to
have been hurt by them, receiving in
iuries which resulted in his death. 1t
was never claimed that there had been
deliberate murder, the sale contention
of the state being that the men were
guilty Of manslaughter. None OF the
defendants were ever arrested, aud they
voluntarily came to Baltimore, arriving
on Tuesday afternoon, for the purpose
OF being tried. They are q fine looking
set OF Young fellows, and as soon ms they
surrendered themselves here were bail:
ed by Mr.. John Quinn. The trial did
not last long. All the evidence was cir
cumstantial, and no evidence was pro-
duced to show that they had at any
time come in contact with Mr.. Raim-
hid, though there was evidence, which
was ruled ne inadmissible, which would
have tended TO show thatin q statement
made by the old man before his death
he said he mad been hnrt By the young
men Mt the boarding house on the night
OF March ).
At the opening OF the trial states at
torney Kerr stated that he would sim.
ply ask for manslaughter The jury
was taken from the regular panel. The
frat witness was DR.. n. G. klerie, who
performed the post mortem examina.
ton. He said that Raimhild died OF
blood poisoning. His collar bone and
several bones were brolIon. Tho iniu'
res might have been the result OF a
fall, or could have been received in @
wrestling match. 1t was this that was
sought to be proven.
DR.. Spvuill, resident physician OF the
MARYLAND University, testified that Mr..
Raimhild was brought TO the hospital
on March IA, suffering from intlamma-
ton OF the lung. The doctor made an
examination and found that he had sus.
tanned other injuries, which finally re-
suited in his death.
Mrs. Mary Bowers, who keeps the
boarding house, testified that the
Young men came there on the night
after the inauguration. They had APP
parently been drinking. Mrs. Bowers
went TO her room and raised her win
dow, listening to the noises which they
made. She said that the next morning
Rnimhild came down to breakfast. He
looked pnle and also looked as though
he had been drinking the night before.
lie drank two cups OF coffee, but ate
sparingIy. She didn't see him come in
the night before, and didn't know
whether he was hurt before no got in or
not. She said that he remained at her
house until March Il, when he went to