Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-30
ONE OF THE WITNESSES

MI. I. NJ. watson, or talrmOnt, who
was
ONE OF THE WITNESSES
for the defense at the time Of the trial.
/ was seen last week, by a Register re-
porter, and said:
Il never believed that Kelley and
I Christie We're guilty. did not think so
~ the trial, and 1 do not think so now.
I Christie and a companion of his-both
tramps at Fairmont the day be-
( fore Officer Glenn was shot. Glenn was
shot just after midnight on the morning
OF January 15th-Snday-and Christie
was IN FairmOnc up TO FIVE o'clock or a
little later on the Saturday evening be-
fore. The late Charles Hagans. Chris
ne, his pardner and myself. were al
Z VIII Burns grocery and bar Saturday
afternoon until pretty late. We were
talking and drinking beer. I don't re-
member that we PLAYED cards there that
day although we often did play there
/ There can be no doubt about the day
for Burn s books shows it, Ii happened
that neither Hagans nor myself had
F any money that day. and everything we
bought was charged Mr.. Sommerville
went out and saw the entries in the
books at the time. The two men left in
the afternoon, and / did not see then.
again until / recognized Christie in the
Court room as one of the two Kelley
T was not there. If they had left Fair
mont on the first fast train after I saw
I -hem last. Christie would just about
nave been able 10 reach Wheeling in
time TO have taken part in the murder
provided everything had been arranged
To is my understanding and recollection
+ however that Christie and his friend
Went 20 Glover's Gap that night. and
We're put off the train there. and thar
they were there on Sunday morning
, John Wells testified that he saw them
and that they got some eggs and coffee
at Charlie Wells store, and cooked
them 40 the sand house. As remem-
Der. Wells
COULD NOT BE SURE
of the date There is no doubt but that
both men were tough-probably they
ought 10 have been in the penitentiary
but they could not have been out the
road and i'm Wheeling at the same time
The trouble was there was a great cry
here TO convict somebody. and the two
men had 90 so. Charles Hagan's testi-
m0uy would have been about the same
as mine was at the time of the trial, had
he testified.
The entry i'm the book at Burns gro
Gerry at FairmonL fixes the day Chris
tie was there absolutely as the Satur-
day before Glenn was killed. He was
seen by Hagans and Watson as late "a
five o'clock Saturday afternoon, anC
Christie himself SAYS he did not leave
until 9 p. m. If that is so. and he haC
come clear through to Wheeling. he
could not have arrived here. met Kel-
ley, stolen Gilligan's chisels and have
81 shot Joe Glenn at 1915 Sunday morn
ing. But Christie says he got of the
train aJ Gioyer's Gap. and stayed there
until some time Sunday morning, anC
John /. Wells recognized him. and cor
rObOrated Christies story as TO the
I eggs. but could not fix the date. al
though he said ne saw Christie on a
sunday. These vital facts. shOrn as
they are, of immaterial matters. come
TOO near am alibi TO be passed over
. lightly, and must be weighed in the
/ balance with Kelley's very strong afr
/ dayits. printed i'm the Register last Sun
day, before an impartial and fna
. judgment can be rendered in the case
. They certainly appear to give room for
. thar reasonable doubt which the law
interpOses between the accused and a
verdict of guilty, and ought TO be infu-
entail In forming that sober second
/ thought as to guilt or innocence which
/ can be arrived at. af ter the lapseOf sew
en- years. without danger of the criti-
/ cism that undue haste has influenced
the opinion.