Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-27
THB DORSEY MURDER
TIE REWARD NOW AGGREGATES OVER ONE
THOUSAND DOLLARS
The Public Making a Subscription - LOca
Criminal Happenings in and
About Town.

The people Of Little Washington
seem determined to leave no stone I'M
turned in the effort to run down the
murderers of Samuel w. Dorsey.
In addition to the sum of $500 offered
as a reward by the Board Of Commits
sioners, the citizens have so far contrib.
uted $3.50 in addition, and this sum will
probably be added to within the next
few days. The money was mostly raised
by a number of young business men,
who had no trouble in raising the re-
quired amount.
The Observer says excitement over the
brutal and Cewardly murder has appar-
emily died away though 1t still furnishes
the principal topic for conversation
about hotels and on the streets. The
crime was apparently so unjustitiable
that its commission has aroused unusual
and righteous indignation. With the
cooler thought which always follows in
a community after a crime of startling
bodness has been committed, comes
the reflection that almost any citizen is
likely to meet with a like fate at the
hands of evil minded persons. For that
reason an intense desire on the part Of
al good citizens to capture the crimi-
nails has been aroused. Almost every
man ia town has developed into de-
tective of greater or lesser acuteness,
and discusses the probable motives OF
suspected persons and the persons them.
selves, with great zeal.
This latest stain on Washington coun-
tvs record as peaceful community
differs very much from that OF the
Lane mystery. There all was uncer-
tainty and only evidence OF crime was
manifest, in the Giffen case also there
is doubt. The shadow OF suicide fingers
around and will not down, many firmly
believing that he committed the rash
act of taking his own life, In the
Dorsey case murder and robbery pure
and simple with two men seen running
from the body takes away all argument
as &c whether crime was committed and
leaves only the not too pleasant rehec
tion that such was the case and that
the murderers escaped. The very bold
ness and intrepidity OF the perpetrators
of this latest outrage against the law.
makes their escape all the more aggra-
waiting.
1t is now believed that Mr.. Dorsey
did not receive the fatal shot at the
place on the street whore his assailants
at first intended. There is little doubt
but that the mouth OF Seybold's alley
where 1t opened on Chestnut street was
selected by the murderers as fit place
for their bloody work. The surround
ingS favor such midnight crime; trees
throw their deep shadows here away
and shut out the rays of light from an
electric lamp on Main street that would
fain penetrate their depths. The alley
Is a private one and forms an opening
between Pine alley and Chestnut street.
Along It's entire length stygian dark
ness threw its sable mantle and
though the moon shone on Satur-
day night, heavy fog made its
light seem but mockery. At 1890
o'clock Jack Godfrey, night clerk
IN ConnOr'S restaurant, was at
tracted enough in front Of the alley by
subdued voices to stop and listen; at al
most one o'clock Ambrose Asbury and
Sam Tobias saw two men standing in
the alley ten feet from its mouth, and
when the two started In they ran. Five
minutes later George Seybold drove the
intruders from his back yard. II is
known that they then went into Pine
alley, and following it eastward came
again to Chestnut street at Gsyhart's
store. The crime was committed in a
place not nearly so favorable to one Of
such daring. From this it would seem
that Dorsey was destined to meet the
two men aud that the murder was pre-
meditated.
The police have received a story from
what is considered good authority, the
facts of which may have some connec-
ton with the case. About fifteen
minutes after one, Sunday morning two
young men, one Of whom told the story
Wednesday evening, were standing at
Smiths corner on Main screet engaged
In conversation. While they were en-
gagged in talking two strangers walked
up TO them and asked II they had heard
of = man being murdered. The Wash
ington men replied they had not, where
upon the strangers started up Main
street again. 1t was but few minutes
later however, when they were seen TO
turn about and run rapidly down Main
street and disappear. One OF the stran-
GERS is described as being short, heavy
set, and having a dark mustache. One
wore long coat.