Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-27
JOIN R|CHNER'S TRIAL
Commenced at St. Clairsville Yes
to-day Morning,
On the Charge of Breaking Into the
c., T.. & w. Railroad Office and
Postoffce, at Wheeling Greek,
Last November-The Case Not
Concluded.

The trial OF JChn Rlcnner, lHe
Bridgeport youth indicted on Tour
charges by the grand jury, came up IN
Common Pleas Court, at st. Glars
vile, yesterday.
The charge he is being tried on at
present is that OF breaking into the o.,
L. & w. depot and postofiice at Wheat
| ing Creek station, on the night CT NO
vember 2, 1897. The case is being
watched with interest by the people
on the Ohio side, as Richner was
acquitted once before at a preliminary
hearing before Mayor Barr, at Mar
tins Ferry, of the charge OF wreckins
a c., L. & W. passenger train last tail.
! He will also have to answer to this
charge, and one Of robbing the c., L.
| & w. station at Bridgeport about
year ago. To the fourth charge, rob-
bing the c., L. & w. station at Fair
point a short time ago, he plead gull
| ty. He is being defended by Attor-
neys SHEPPARD and w. V. Campbell,
| while Hon. Newell Kennon and Prose
cutting Attorney Weems are looking
after the interests Of the State.
Only portion Of the evidence
| was given in yesterday, and the
case was adjourned until this
morning. The witnesses for the State
have been examined and to-day the
witnesses for the defense will be put
on the stand The general opinion is
! that he will be convicted of the charge
| he is answering to now.
Z, Frank Henderson, operator of the
! Wheeling Creek station Of the G., L.
| & W., also ticket agent and postmaster
! at the time the offense was committed,
| was the first witness called for the
| State He testified that on his return
! to the station the next morning he
/ found one of the window panes in the
| station broken and the window raised
| On entering the office he found
several small articles taken in
| Guiding number of postage
| stamps and registered pack
age Cross-examined, he corroborated
his evidence. j. e. Waters was the
next witness called. He is the super
intendent Of the Wheeling Creek mines,
and in his examination it was brought
| out that he, in company with Marshal
| Doud, of Bridgeport, heard Richher
make confession to the marshal. The
attorneys for the defendant objected TO
the witness relating what witness said
in the confession, unless it could be
| shown that Marshal Douds had held
out promise of some kind. The OBJ
lection was not sustained, and the wit
ness repeated the confession Of Ritner,
which is in brief as follows:
Prisoner arrived in Wheeling on the
night of November 2, 1897, and went
| out to Wheeling Creek, where he and
a partner committed the robbery he is
charged with. Ritner advised his part
ner, so he said, not to break in the
building. Cross examined, nothing
new was developed.
Howard Feely, of Wheeling, Ritner's
partner Of the night Of the burglary,
was the next witness. He stated that
he was in company with Ritner on the
night of the robbery; that they walked
out to Wheeling Creek. Ritner had a
screwdriver in his pocket; pried screen
off window about 2 o'clock at night
He stood guard while Ritner ran
sacked the place, securing some stamps,
a small amount of money and some
letters. Ritner left shortly afterwards
and did not come back for several
days.
Cross-examined, said he had known
Ritner for several years. Had ran
around together with him a great deal
Otherwise his testimony was about
the same as Ritner's, except that he
did not have the screw-driver or break
into the building.
Marshal Douds, to whom Ritner first
made his confession, was placed on
the stand From his testimony it was
adduced that Douds got the confession
from Ritner by mentioning in an off
hand manner that Feely, his partner
had blamed on him. He then TOLD
the Marshal the story of the robbery
first saying that Feely had done the
JOB" and then retracted his words
saying that he done it. Prisoner told
also that Feely had all the stamps
and registered packages.
Miss Douds was called next Said
she knew Ritner, saw his sister in
the jail, but never heard any CONVEX
sation between them in regard to the
! Wheeling creek affair. He had
conversation in which his sister asked
what he had told about the Fairpoin
robbery Warren Cowan, the county
iailer, said when Douds and Waters
entered the Jail to talk to Ritner
Douds said Here is Mr.. Waters.
Remainder Of his evidence was upor
the confession made at that time.
Here the State rested its case ant
the witnesses for the defense wer,
sworn.