Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-07
HE GETS NINE YEARS.
WILLIAM WILSON FOUND GUILTY OF MAN
SLAUGHTER AND SENTENCED.
The Court Thinks the Evidence Would Have
justified a Verdict Of Murder in the Second
Degrse-Tbe Judges Sentence.
Vine wears Lin the pepitentiary.

Nine years In the penltenuary'
That is the sentence which William
Wilson will be required to serve for the
murder of Officer George Murphy at
Martins Ferry on the afternoon OF
September 1st, 1893.
AS soon as the arguments OF counsel
we're completed on Tuesday night
Judge briggs delivered his charge to
the Jury. The charge was clear and
concise statement OF the law in the
case with full instructions to the jury
as to it's duty in rendering a verdict In
accordance with the evidence. Special
points of the law relating to self defense,
conflict Of testimony, what is a reason
able doubt the different degrees OF
murder and what constitutes them, ETC.,
were explained in detail and the jury
went to its room with a full and clear
understanding both of the law and the
evidence in the case. 1t was nine o'clock
when the ju y retired and the court room
which throughout the trial had
been filed with both men and Ia
dies, remained occupied for several
hours, so great was the interest in the
trial. By midnight Judge briggs re-
tired, with instructions to be called
when the jury should agree, and 1t W a.
Just four o'clock yesterday morning
when porter raped at the Judges
door with the message that the jury
had agreed upon verdict. The pris-
oner was hastily brought into court,
and was more viSbly excited as he lis
tened for the verdict than he had been
before throughout the entire trial. His
counsel, and doubtless he, had conf
IDENTIFY expected an acQnittal, so that
the words Of the foreman, as he report
ed that the jury found VIM. Wilson not
guilty of murder in the second degree,
but guilty of manslaughter, must have
been a surprise to them. The early
morning session lasted but a few min
utes, and the prisoner was conducted
back to his cell.
Later in the morning motion was
made by the defense
FOR A NEW TRIAL,
it being alleged that the verdict wa
contrary to the evidence, that the court
had erred in admitting certain testimo
ny that the court had erred in its in
structions to the jury, and that counsel
for the prosecution had been guilty Of
gross misconduct in making a plea for
the widow and six fatherless children
of the deceased, when il was not show
in the evidence that Murphy even had a
family.
The court heard the motion for new
trial and proceeded TO sum up his rea-
sons for not granting it. The "gross
| misconduct" alleged could not now be
| considered for the reason that the de-
Tense had not objected to it at the tim'
the statement was made and when IL
might have been ruled out. The prisoner
| had fair trial-as fair as could be
| given him-every question which ad-
mitted of the slightest doubt, had been
d ecided in his favor. He had been
very ably defended by counsel, who
had not omitted anything which could
be done in his favor. The Judge did
not believe there had been any perjury;
that there had been mistakes could
not be denied but the stories OF
gross perjury he did not believe. He
could find nothing in the evidence TO
Justify Wilson in mixing up in the
fight. He had not been assaulted nor
was he justified in taking up the quar-
rel of Grace and his wife, with whom
he had NEARLY speaking acquaintance.
He said that Marshal Westwood was
| fully justified in using his billy on
Wilson, whom he had just seen FIRE al
| Watkins and who still carried his
revolver in his hand. After WestwOod
had been shot at he was justified IN
again hitting Wilson, and it could not,
be said that be used more than necessary
force in attempting to arrest
Wilson, and the jury was right in so
finding. From all the evidence" con-
tinued the Judge, "this man is clearly
guilty and it is a serious question in my
mind whether he is not really guilty Of
m urder in the second degree as charged
in the Indictment If the verdict had
been one of murder in the second o.
gree the jury would have been justified
and there would have been no DISPOSE
! ton of the court TO override II. The
motion for new trial is overruled.
WILLIAM WILSON, STAND UP!
"You have had fair and impartial
trial: you have had able counsel who
have we'll presented your case TO the
jury. You have been found guilty OF
manslaughter, for which the law says
YOU shall be confined in the penitenti-
ary not more than twenty years nor less
than one year. Have you anything TO
say why sentence should not now be
pronounced upon you|"
Wilson replied in an audible tone
that he had nothing 10 say. Mrs. Will
son pressed a handkerchief to her eyes
and the court proceeded:
"As 10 who fred the shot which
killed George Murphy l have no doubt
whatever that you did it; that you did
it purposelY and intentionally l have
no doubt; that you did it with intent to
kill him l have no doubt, but as to
whether or not you did il with malice /
have some doubt. The jury has
found that you had no malice
but that you fired the shot inten-
tionally and purposely. The boys who
provoked the trouble were not without
blame, but there was no provocation
which would justify you in taking
life. cannot get il out OF my mind
that you voluntarily entered this quar-
rel If there fs apv fact which is es-