The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-02
HE G0NFEsSES
William Davis Admits Having
Stolen Telephone Wire
FROM NATURAL GAS COMPANY.
HIS RrethsE aud John WHITE, According
. Hl' cenf..slOn, ars Not implicated,
Bat AaothsF Mar, John slillsr, waslIl,
PeFtasr Y GHllt, aad was Captured Yss
tsrday ThFoukl, Clever Russ w Con.
STABLE Andsrson-Ths TRIAL Yesterday.

Ths case Of William Davis, John Davis
and John White. young men residing in
this county east OF Elm Grove, charged
with tho peculiar oftensc OF the theft Of
two mileg az wire that was part Of the
private telephone line OF the Natural Gas
Company of West Virgins, came up yes
teniay afternoon before squire y4tzpat.
rick, the hearing being held in the county
jail ONCE.
Before the hearing, on Wednesday,
Acting Prosecuting Attorney Frank w.
Nes6ltt. had a long talk With william
Davis, who seems to have been the lead.
Ing spirit in this out OF the ordinary
sDsculatiOnin sunk. and secured from
him a confession that ex0nerated his
brother, John Davis, and John White.
who were arrested With him several days
pgo.
William Davis acknowledged his guilt
and said the others were not connected
with the theft In any manner. InStead,
he said there was another young man,
not then arrested, who had been his part.
ner In guilt This person was John Mil
Ter, who lives on farm In this county,
fiust west Of the Pennsylvania line. Ailt-
Ter 10 a boy. OF about seventeen years
These two had taken the wire from the
.telephone.lltc as already detailed. They
brought It to wheeling and sold It 70
SUNK dealer, In the course Of his con-
feSaion Davis said that they had stolen
wire from telephone OF telegraph lines
In the eastern part OF the county on two
previous occasions. So far as Is known,
however, there have been no breaks IN
either telephone or telegraph lines, 10 the
wire taken on these OCCASIONS must have
been from lines that are not In use. This
Wheeling "1unlC" dealer. These theftS
occurred during the past month.
After securing this confession. Mr..
Neshttt sw0re out q warrant In Squire
Flt3patricIts court, and placed It in the
hands OF Constable John Anderson for
service. The constable left town early
yesterday morning, going to the farm
near West Alexander where Miller lives,
To MS surprise and dlsmay the officer
learned that Miller was actress the state
line at West Alexander, In Pennsylvania.
where he could not make the arrest on
the warrant he had, The officer worked
stratagem that succeeded admirably.
Word was sent across the line TO Miller
that no was wanted at home. OF course
he was wanted" but II he had known
the particular meaning OF the word In ltB
application to his case It Is doubtful II he
would have hurried over into Ohio coun-
IS as quickly as he did. Well, to make
the story short, no sooner was Miller on
West Virginia soil than he was con-
tronted with the warrant by the officer,
placed under arrest, brought to Wheeling
and consigned 70 Sheriff Richards
boarding house on Fifteenth street.
At the hearing before JuStlce FitEpAt-
rick, yesterday afternoon, William Da.
Wis, who made the confession, entered a
plea OF guilty, and was held for the
grand jury OF the criminal court. Miller
waived an examination before the Jus
tIce, on the advice OF fellow prisoners In
Hhe jail It Is said. and Ia held for the
grand Jury. It Il not likely that he will
fight conviction. however.