The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-07

and Willie Leach, charged with oh.
structng the passage Of the United
States mails, was pu: on trial in tho
United States court, Judge John j,
Jackson presiding. The jury was quick
Iy obtained, the only business preceding
this case being the admission OF NJ. I.
Dryden to practice in this court The
motion was made by District Attorney
s,urgiss. Mr. sturgiss appeared for the
government in the case Of tho two
boys, and Hon. &, W. Atkinson for the
defense.
Tho boys are aged about ten and
twelve. The charge is that Mt various
times, particularly on March p and q,
these boys obstrucIed the electrical
railway, thus preventing the prompt
passage OF the mails over that line.
The first witness called was Dir. J, W.
schcIIhase, assistant postmaster, whose
testimony was merely formal, and TO
the eRec. that the electrical railway
company had q contract 10 carry ceF-
tain mails Tor the United States govern
ment, between Wheeling and Benwood,
aud Wheeling and Martins Ferry
August Gelsler, man employed by
the electrical company rs motoFman,
was next examined. lie testified as TO
the distractions placed on the track at
various lines, particularly on March "a
and 81, and no also ldenlhed tho two
little prisoners as two OF the boys he
had seen placing obstractioHs on the
track,
August Weigand another motormap
in the employ OF the company, testified
to practically the same thinGa as Gels:
ier Both wore sure OF the Identity OF
tho boys on trial,
W. u. Myers, a conductor on one OF
the ears stopped by the distractions on
the track, gave much tho same testl-
mony, rs did also Mr. Grdybei, coti-
ductor.
a special mail carrier named Graves
gave similar testimony, adding That ut
times the distractions on the lines were
so serious as to necessttate tho bringing
OF the mails over tho Ohio River road
or tho Cleveland y Pittsburgh road,
when tho electrical road ahouId have
carried them.
About p, m. tho government rested,
and the defense began. All the wit
nesses were excluded from the court
room until called for examination. This
was ordered by the court after little
debate between tho opposing counsel.
Tho first witness called Tor the do
fonse was Mr.. Leach, father OF one OF
the children. lilo testified that the boy
had left homo to go TO school on the
morning the disturbances occurred,
and at time when no had not min.
ute to spara in order to get to school
without being tardy. lie came home a
few minutes after Y o'clock, and was
with him until tho bell rang for tho
afternoon session OF school. In tho
evening he returned homo n very few
minutes after school was out. In the
morning, as well as ut noon, there was
not car in sight when tho boy left.
The boy was usually at homo '. hcn not
in schoo, and was q good boy.
John Leach, a brother OF tho boys
father, also testified to the same general
effect, and both denied that they had
ever encouraged the boy to express any
disapproval Of tho people who had TAX
en- strikers places.
Victor Thomas, father OF the other
little prisoner, gave pretty nearly the
game testimony ms to his boy, and John
Thomas, the kids brother. followed
with testimony to show that Victor was
not present when the trouble occurred.
When he was asked who was present,
he evidently did not want to tell, and
he became so confused that the Judge
N;ss Anrio tjoIIov ocLooi ,oochor
in Benwood, testified as to tho Leach