West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-07-11

no trial held here for long time
has excited so much attention and
comment rs that Of these Penusyl-
yania outlaws.
-
The mother of the Smithley BOYS
seems very much devoted to them
and has been right with them
throughout the trial. She came a
week before 1t begun and has been
stopping at the Jail, with the
Sherlff's family. so that she could
be rs near TO the BOYS as possib le
and every day during the trial she
sat inside the railing with the boys
and watched the proceedings of tho
case very closely.
-
One Of the funny little incidents
during the trial, was when a wit
ness from Pennsylvania who was on
the stand testifying in regard to
Patterson and was asked by counse,
II he could point him out. lie said
he could, and pointed out Mr.. Il.
M. Heermans, who was sitting near
at the attorneys table taking notes
Tor publication, as the special cor
respondent of several papers. Mr..
Crogan corrected the witness and
called his attention to Patterson.
but II raised laugh on Heermans.
~
One noticeable feature of the
trial has been the interest mani
tested by the ladies, who have been
attending every day and listening
very closely to the progress of the
case. The prisoners have been very
cheerful through it all and very
careful Of their personal appearance.
keeping shaved and sicked up as
well as they could under unfavor.
able circumstances. In bringing
them from the Jail to the court
house and back, they were hand
cuifed together in pairs, TO prevent
any attempt to escape, the Smithley
boys In one pair and Harvey and
PATTERSON the other.
-
The boys have attained lots Of
notoriety, II that IS any -saI,lsfation
to them and column after column
has been published in the papers
all over the country, about the
general iniquitY Of the ferocious
band of robbers and daring des.
peradoes, ETC." Staloy, the pho
tographer here, took their pictures
and finished and sold a lot Of the
negatives. Mr.. e. NJ. Heermans.
of this place, wrote several very IN
teresLing articles for the blg Sunday
papers, and these sketches with the
pictures of the band, made good
reading. The Philadelphia Sunday
Times contained the beat account
and the finest illustrations.
-
A good many people attended the
trial of the Smithley gang here and
there was great curiosity to see the
prisoners. On July 4th, there were
quite number of strangers here
and we overheard q prominent CIT
izeu ask an intelligent looking, we'll
dressed stranger, over at the base
ball ground, if be had seen the
SmithleY gang. The fellow replied
that he supposed he had, but it
wasn't satisfactory, as he had went
to the Court House on purpose to
see them but the prisoners and
lawyers all being mixed up together,
inside the railing, he'd be hanged
If he could tell which was which.
And the funny part Of it was that
the follow was very much IN earnest
about itand very much disappointed
at not being able to identify the
prisoners. This is not only good
joke, but it is absolutely true.
On the Fourth, while court was
in session and crowded with spec.
tators, the Calathumpian parade
broke loose about the middle Of the
afternoon aud created considerable
excitement on the streets. When
10 passed the court house the spec
tatOrs and even the attorneys. Jurors
and court officials crowded to the
windows TO sec tho "cause OF the
disturbance" as Peter Are Smith
would say. One Of the Smithloy
boys catching the excitement, nat
urally got up TO look out also and
the Sheriff thinking that he was
trying TO escape, or at least assum-
ing to think so, sternly commanded
him to sit down. The Wheeling
Register correspondent here, (who
Is q Republican and of course can
not be depended upon TO report for
q Democratic plper) sent in a dis.
patch which appeared i'm that paper
next day, TO The effect that smith.
ley had made q bold break for lilo.
erty and that great excitement pre-.
vailed in the court room. This
sensational report is a rank inius.
tice 20 the prisoner, who probably
never thought of oseqpfpu az thar