The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-18

| The trial OF william Eaton' lGLe o.
Chicago, on the charge Of burning
goods and ehattels with intent to De-
fraud insurance companies, began yeS-
terday morning in the criminal court
Of OHIO county, Judge Hugus on thb
bench. Contrary TO anticipationS at the
court house. the securing OF jury was
not the dlhicult task that had been e1-
pected. When noon Adjournment WIS
taken the jury had been chosen and the
attorneys had begun the presenta-
ton OF their cases 70 the jury. Al the
afternoon session three WitnesIeg were
| examined, MessrB. ". d. Johnson,
agent OF the Turner estate, and ]. v. L.
Rodgers and D. @. Morgan, all OF whom
| had dealings with Eaton before the hra.
The queer" fire that ended In the ar-
rest and Indictment Of Eaton, TOOK
place early IN the morning on February
/ Is, 1881, in the Turner building, no. Luz
/ Main street, which had been empty
since vacated BY Henry SpeyeF soIle
time previous. Eaton was an enuIg
stranger and came to Wheeling teg
/ DAYS before the dre and put In . stock
/ Of novelties, including fishing tackle'
/ tinners' BundrieS and other stun, IN
| Guiding big lot Of sticky ay paper tnee
i Waa OF 4 most fnhamnable c0mpoSltioh
| Though the RppraiSement after the tfe
showed that the entire stock was not
worth more than 500. and most Of Z
/ stun that was not mRrketaole, yos
Eaton succeeded In getting insurancs
10 the amount Of 1850, and made IN.
successful efforts to secure aodiuopl
| Insurance at two other agencies that
| declined because they did not IKE the
| Appearance Of things at Eaton's place
Some Of the 81, 800 insurance WIS plaeed
without the knowledge OF agents Wno
had policies-In other words Eaton oln
| NOT represent to the agents al the con-
| current insurance that was carried On
the stock. A day or two before the nLes
some OF the insurance people becaIne
/ alarmed and Il was freely predicted
| m underwriting circles that fira would
| certainly occur At I1o1 Main street Tha
underwriters made unsucoesEful ef-
| forts to get back the policies Issued, end
then placed a wAtchman on duty a. the
/ Turner building, but Notwithstanding
these precautions the IRE occurred.
A ARsmSrkabls Btatsmsnt.
Eaton returned to Wheeling from
Pittsburgh and made the remarkable
statement that he had suffered q ca
lamity-his stock was worth far more
| than the amount for which It was Inc
| sured. Such boldness upon the part uf
| a man whom the underwriters firmly
1 believed TO be concerned in the start
| ing Of the fire somewhat digmayed the
! insurance people, but they natly deelln-
/ "a 10 settle with Eaton for his loss The
latter remained in Wheeling for Gbout
| two weeks and then disappeared In
the meantime Captain McNichols de-
/ tective agency had worked up case
that was thought 70 be sufficiently con-
elusive 10 warrant the arrest Of Eaton.
| II was learned that he had gone 20
| Chicago, and thereupOn Lieutenant
/ Wally Lukens, Of the detective agency,
went 70 Chicago, armed with Fequisi-
| ton papers, and speedily returned 20
/ wheeling with his man Eaton. BY the
way. attempted TO bribe the Odioef en-
route 10 wheeling, but OF course was
unsuccessful Then came Indictment
/ BY the criminal court grand jury, since
/ which Eaton has been In the county
jail awaiting trial. The tastles,
/ placed his bail bond at $4,000, ana
| Eaton's attorneys made desperate but
unsuccessful Efforts for reduction %
| s, 600 or 5000, but with only partial
| success, 90 Eaton's friends failed 70
come to his rescue and he languiHhe4
| In prison up 20 the time OF the trial
which began yesterday.
The Trial OPons'
The Eaton trial began at 10 o'clock
yesterday morning. Judge Hugus was
on the bench. and the attorneys were
Colonel W. W. Arnett and Mr.. Sam o.
Boyce, for the defense. with MeSsrs. ].
d. sommervIlIe and Frank ". Gesbltt.
acting prosecuting attorneys. and ex-
| Prosecutor John A. Howard caring for
| the states interests. shortly before
| noon the following Jury had been choS-
/ en-: A. II, Hanna, Allen Seuman. Tho
| mas u. Moore, Otto Auber, James I.
| McGee. Joseph Lotz, A. L. Bauer, JR-
| cob PeRerInan. ]. n. Wilhelm, Thomas
/ Clark, William Hess and Niehoias
| Bandi.
/ 4 statement TO the jury. He went over
the ground thoroughly, making q con-
/ else statement OF the case. The state
had selected the Fire Association, ot
| Philadelphia, as the one which lt
| charges Eaton with defraudIng by
burning goods and chattels contained
in the Turner building a. 1909 Main
street.
For the defense. Mr.. Royce made tho
statement TO the jun, and claimed that
Il would be shown that Eaton was out
| OF the city when the alleged incendlary
fire occurred, and consequently could
have had no hand in II
When the court re-convened at J
O'Clock. short statements were made bg
MeSsrs. Arnett and Sommerville. after
which the state began the presentation
OF Its case.
Mr. W. D. johnson.
Mr. w. D. johnson. agent OF the T1F-
nor estate. yns the first witness. He
was examined by Mr.. sommervilie. for
| the state. He made the acquaintance
| OF Eaton about February /, 1887, AZ his
store on Main street. He came TO him
10 sign n lease for the store room at
| isos Main street. Colonel Arnett OBJ
jccted to the question regarding The
lease and Judge Hugus oyerruled the
| objection. A man named Smith had
/ made the arrangements for the renting
| Of the room. II had been said that the
room would be used as a paper ware
house. The witness produced the lease
signed by himself and Eaton.
Colonel Arnett objected 20 the intro
/ duction OF the paper In evidence. The
objection was overruled and an eXcep-
tion taken. The lease was then read 70
the jury. The goods put In the store
I rDoni Included fiy paper, timers sup
| plies. fishing tackle. and a number of
store hoXeR. The only cmplOye at the
| store known by witness was the color
ed man. Albert Grandson
As 10 other TRANSACTIONS between wit.
ness and Eaton. Mr. Johnson started 70
tell about having introduced Eaton 10
officials Of the Bank of Wheeling. when
Colonel Arnett objected and Mr.. Som
merville did not nsht exclusion OF the