Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-01

ling, Discovery of the Murder
and Capture Of the Accused.
Especial TO the Register.
SistersvilIe, w. Va, July Sl.-To-
morrow morning at the converting Of
the Circuit Court at Harrisville,
Richie county, the trial OF Irwin
Brown will begin. He is charged with
the murder Of his cousin. NJ. Emanuel
Crsll. of Richmond. Va. formerly OF
jamestown. n. Y. This is a most re-
markable case.
The story Of the crime is substan-
TALLY as follows: On Saturday night,
June Is. 1897. the body of a foater was
found at one Of the house boats lying
about a mile above this city by some OF
the inmates. When the body was taken
out of the water and brought here it
was found to be in a very badly de-
composed condition. and at the time 1t
was supposed TO be the remains or some
unfortunate who had tired Of life and
had passed to the great beyond by the
suicide route and the only thing done
was to take a description Of the re-
mains and then give them a decent bur
ial All of the newspapers in this
section of the country published a de-
scription of the remains and il was sent
out by the press associations. The
Richmond. Va, papers published the
story. and Mrs Emanuel Crull, of that
CITY was at once struck with the idea
that the description fitted her husband,
who had started for this city a short
time before with his cousin, intending
10 make the trip overland.
Mrs. Crull at once communicated
with the authorities here in regard to
the matter. and a more thorough inves-
tigation was made of the affair, with
the result that a wagon which had
been standing az a point near where the
remains were fshed out of the river
was examined and everything was
found 10 tally exactly with the outfit
with which her husband had left Rich
mOnd. As soon as the authorities here
were satisfied that a crime had been
committed they made an effort TO dis
cover the perpetratOr Inside of three
days Brown was arrested.
IL took the officers but a very short
traced in all of his wanderings after he
left here. and was finally located in
MOundSville. where he was arrested,
and later was brought here and given
a preliminary hearing At the prelim-
mary hearing the following facts in
regard to the case were brought out
through the examination of a number
of witnesses one Of whom was the muir
dered mans son who had arrived here
the day before and who had identified
the remains as those of his father they
having in the meantime been eXhumed:
On Thursday. May q, Crull and
Brown left Richmond with a wagon
and four horses. on their way overland
10 this city, where Crull intended going
into the livery business. Crull had
been induced TO take the trip by Brown.
who had told him some very glowing
tales of the immense amount of work
TO be had here and the good prices
paid Brown having been i'm this city
several DAYS while on his way from
New York to visit his kinsman in Vir-
ginia.
After leaving Richmond and while
on their way to this city they stopped
at the home Of Nelson Crull. a son of
the murdered man. who lives at Irv-
ing. Va. on the James river. about
thirty miles from Richmond. and there
the fifth horse was gotten When
Crull was at his sons he remarked that
he had plenty of provisions and about
S25 liz money. IL seems that from that
time on Brown and Crull were con-
stantly Quarrreliug. and az every point
at which the outfit stopped there were
people who have said the men were
quarreling. The men proceeded on
their way. and after three weeks trav-
cling arrived at a point in Richie
county. about two miles from Penns-
borO. and this is where the crime is
supposed TO have been committed. An
examination of the ground where they
camped over night showed a spot in
the middle-Of the wagon tracks where
there had been a pool of human blood
and after the murderer had shot Crull
he had used an axe with which ne
beat is head. Marks of the struggle
were found.
On Thursday evening the outfit
Camped at Wick. about eight miles in
the interior of this county, and while
there Brown asked a farmer TO loan
him a spade as he had some spoiled beef
In the wagon which he desired to bury
but there was no spade to be had. and
ne said he would take the stun on TO
Sistersville with him and throw it in
the river. He left there Friday morn
ing and started for this city but camped
again on the way in. On Saturday af-
ternoOn he passed through this city
shout o'clock and drove TO the point
above near the shanty boats where the
body was found
Crull had been dead long enough
for gas to accumulate in the entrails.
and instead of the body sinking il float
ed to the place where it was found.
The authorities had little trouble in
getting track of Brown. as he had
taken two of the horses with him and
had been trading horses with everyone
with whom he could make a bargain.
When brought here after being ar
rested the indignation against him was
very high. and il only needed a leader
with a cool head TO urge the crowd
along and there would have been a
lynching bee IL is understood Brown
has written out a full confession of his
crime. and that on Monday when he
comes up for trial he will plead guilty
and ask the court for lenienCy.
Crull. il seems. was at the time he
was located in the upper oil country
one Of the most popular men in his
line Of business. There are quite
number of the older operators who re-
v,,nnoher him distinctly and All of them