Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-09-01

0poCldl W Liz 1lSSlStSl.
Marietta, O.. August 31.-The Nc
Sweeney murder trial opened this
morning with long argument between
attorneys as to the admissibility of
testimony showing that Mason had
made threats against the, prisoner. The
court held, on the ground that Nc
Sweeney Yves the sole aggressor, that
the threats could not be admitted.
The defense resumed their testimony
by calling George Richards and at
tempted to show by him McSMeeney's
abnormal mental condition previous to
the cutting, disclosing that the insan-
ity plea will probably be taken up by
the prisoners attorneys.
When Maggie McSweeney, of Pits
burg, was called, there was a fiutter
Of excitement in the court room. Wit
ness is younger daughter of the pris-
Gner, and saw the cutting. She testi-
fled that her father told her about her
sister Mary and Mason and warned her
that the latter was bad man. Her
story of calling upon her father, in the
old blacksmith shop, where he was liv-
ing after being driven away from home
by his daughter Mary, was pathetic in
the extreme and brought tears to the
eyes of the attorneys and many of the
jurors. She told how he had sent for
her to cook his supper, of her finding
his dishes kept in a little store box
and his bed made in the body of an
old express wagon, and altogether her
testimony made a deep impression.
On cross-examination, the witness
denied that her father had ever COM
PEELED her to leave home by forcing
certain attentions upon her. She de-
MED having told exMarshal Parlin
that she was forced to leave Marietta
In 1894 because her father wished to
have improper relations with her.
The crosse examinations also brought
out the fact that Mary McSweeney had
left home last Wednesday and had not
vet returned. The witness repeated
that her father seemed very nervous
and worried and that he said Mason
had induced Mary McSweeney to make
the charge of attempted assault against
him.
Miss McSweeney was an all-round
star witness for the defense. In telling
her story she said, speaking OF her visit
to her father when she came home from
Pittsburg:
81 wanted to make his bed for him,
and he hlped me make it. l wanted
10 do - = but he insisted on taking
1Qu nkgit. He
q had a watch and l an
90 but he said. 4 have a
watch I will give you He asked me
several times to come over and get the
watch. and so | said, L will come and
Co q ALWAYS that
,-giving away any little thing that was
pretty"
a went back the next night. When
went in he was sitting on chair with
his head on his arms, crying. | liffed
up his head and asked. What is the
NATTER? He said: L didn't think you
were coming: | thought they wouldn't
let you come I get his supper, and
we ate it; then l wanted to wash up
his dishes, but he said no, he could
wash them. He acted very strange,
After I got done I sat down and had
another conversation with my father.
! asked, Why are you staying here|
and after awhile he answered: Well,
I will tell you You know ! sold the
house to Mary. After l sold it to her
she had some trouble with man
named Mason-do you know him?' |
answered no. only when l saw him. He
says, We'll. whenever you meet him,
do not have anything to do with him,
for he is bad man l said: is that
the reason why you are staying away
from home? Because you don't like a
man? Would | let man put me in
a place like this?' He answered: But
my daughter has turned me away from
the house He would come here and
he and l can't both go there; one or
the other has to stay away He told
me that he had left home On Mason S
account and that Mary had had him
arrested. She wrote me: You viii
probably be sent for to come home as