Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-02-01

like me to stand any show Of getting
Off"
TIE CASE OF CHRISTIE
is even stronger than that of Kelly
On the trial c. M. Watson. of Fair
mont, swore as a witness for the de-
tense. that Christie was at Fairmont
during the afternoon Of Saturday jan
uary IA, 1888. Glenn being killed at
1915 a. m. of that night. Mr.. Watson
said that he and Charles Hagans saw
later on Saturday afternoon. He
could not be mistaken, for he saw
Christie in the court house when the
case came to trial, and recognized him
as the same man Christie swore he
did not leave Fairmont until D. m. on
Saturday and that he got off at Clio
yer's Gap. In
HIS EVIDENCE
on the stand he said:
1--WE went to a hotel Cat Glover's
Gap) on the left side of the road going
towards Grafton. We left there and
went across the track to bunk house
where the train hands stop, and asked
them where we could get something
W vi lin lie Ouilh iIOuSC IL NiOoC "
the depot. We couldn't get anything
to drink, and | sat there and talked to
the engineer of a pusher. He had a
pint Of whisky, and gave him book
for it, Then / went to sleep and woke
UP the next morning-Sunday. Then
| went over to store-a low building
of wood. | bought some eggs there
and some other stuff, from the propri-
etor. | took them to the sand house
and boiled them. The sand house is
on the right hand side of the track.
going towards Grafton. | boiled the
eggs, and ate them, and at II o'clock
| took the train and came to Mounds
vile. | was with a very short man
named Thomas. I think he went to
Baltimore, and went on a man of war.
At Moundsville I went over to the
mines, and stayed there until Monday
morning | got here at noon on Mon
day"
J. L. Wells. of Glovers Gap, recognized
Christie as man who had been at his
store on a Sunday and bought some eggs,
but could not fix the date.
Mr. C. NJ. Watson, or Fairmont, who
was
YIN II NE NE Wy l. ~ EoSGo
for the defense at the time Of the trial,
told the Register in 1895:
Il never believed that Kelley and Chris
tie were guilty. l did not think so at the
trial, and | do not think so now. Christie
and a companion of his-both tramps-
were at Fairmdmt the day before Officer
Glcln was shot. Glenn was shot just af-
ter midnight on the morning Of January
15th-Sunday-and Christie was in Fair
mont up to five o'clock or little later
on the Saturday evening before. The late
Charles Hagans. Christie. his partner and
myself. were at VIII Burns grocery and
bar Saturday afternoon until pretty late.
We were talking and drinking beer. 1
don't remember that we played cards
there that day. although we often did
play there. There can be no doubt about
the date, for Burns book shows it. 1t
happened that neither Hagans nor myself
had any money that day. and everything
we bought was charged. Mr.. Sommer-
vile went out and saw the entries in the
books at the time The two men left in
the afternoon and I did not see them
again until I recognized Christie in the
court room as one of the two. Kelley
was not there. If they had left Fairmont
on the first train after | saw them last,
Christie would just about have been able
to reach Wheeling in time TO have taken
part in the murder provided everything
had been arranged. It is my understand
ing and recollection, however, that Chris
tie and his friend went to Glover's Gap
that night, and were put off the train
there, and that they were there on Sun
Ila oh Wells testified that
he saw them. and that they got some
eggs and coffee at Chirle Wells store,
and cooked them at the sand house. AS
| remember. Wells
COULD NOT BE SURE.
of the date. There is no doubt but that
both men were tough-probably they
ought to have been in the penitentiary.
but they could not have been out the
road and in Wheeling at the same time.
The trouble was. there was great cry
here to convict somebody, and the two
men had to go. Charles Hagan's testi-
rnony would have been about the same as
mine was at the time OF the trial had he
testified Many affidavits also support
Christie's story
Tie Register of June so, 1895, in COM
menting uron the facts, said:
"The entry in the book at Burns gro
Gerry at Fairmont. fixes the day Christie
was there absolutely as the Saturday be-
fore Glenn was killed. He was seen by
Hagans and Watson as late as five clock
Saturday afternoon, and Christie himself
says he didn't leave until 8 p. m. If that
Is so. and he had come clear through to
Wheeling, he could not have arrived here.
met Kelley, stole Gilligan's chisels, and
have shot Joe Glenn at 12:15 Sunday
morning. But Christie says he got off the
train at Glover's Gap, and stayed there
until some time Sunday morning. and
John L. Wells recognized him. and cor
roborated Christie's story as to the eggs,
bat could not fix the date although he
said he saw Christie on a Sunday These
vital facts shorn as they are Of imma-
terial matters. come too near an alibi to
be passed over lightly, and must be
weighed in the balance with Kelleys very
strong afiidavits before an impartial and
final judgment can be rendered in the
case. They certainly appear 70 give room
for that reasonable doubt which the
law interposes between the accused and
verdict of guilty, and ought TO be infiu-
entail in forming that sober second
thought as to guilt or innocence which
can be arrived at, after the lapse of sew
en- years, without danger of the criticism
that undtie haste has influenced the opln-
ION"
During he past three years many adj
ditional facts, tending to show the inno-
cence Of the men, have come TO light, and