Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-13
Special TO the Register.

Special to the Register.
Steubenville, o., December lathe
trial of John Dubbs, the seveteen-year-
old degenerate, for the foul murder OF
twelve-year-old Mary Wesley on Au,
gust 10, began this morning IN the
court here. The crime was one of the
most horrible ever committed In East
ern Ohio. The youthful and self-con-
fessed murderer has at times told with
heartless stolidity the shocking details
of the crime. On August q four boys
who We're going up ravine on the htll
south of Steubenville, found the badly
decomposed remains of girl in tho
bed OF the ravine. In few hours the
officials learned that she was the
daughter of John Wesley, q German
miner of Mingo Junction, who operated
a coal bank on the hillside half mile
from where the girl was found. 1t
was thought curious that the girl
should be missing eight days and no
alarm given or search made by the
parents, so they were subjected to a
rigid examination, which developed
that since a step-mother had entered
the home the girl had been in the
habit of leaving home and staying
away for weeks at time. The little
girl watched the coal platform for her
father, and on the day of her disap-
pearance had gone up on the hill to
get apples and potatoes. A sister who
was with her said good bye and went
home another way. Mary Wesley met
John Dubbs, the boy Tramp" on the
road down the hill, where she was go
ing TO lock a shed. Dubbs spoke 20
her and she ran, and he followed. She
ran further and got behind some
bushes. Here Dubbs caught me- and
attempted to outrage her, but she
broke away and ran down in the ravine.
Dubbs followed her there, and she
started up over the hill only to bs
grabbed again by Dubbs, who outraged
her after quite struggle.
She broke away end jumped off the
bank into the ravine, and when she
landed there Dubbs threw a rock,
which crushed her skull. After she fell
Dubbs piled rocks on her head, imi-
tating, he said, hunter who killed a
man by mistake and when he left him
lie piled stones on his head. Dubbs
wandered around until September 1st,
when he was arrested at a soldiers re-
union gathering at Unionport. The
clue leading to his arrest was sent the
officials by a farmer where Dubois
stopped after the crime. Dubbs rela-
ted to the officers how he killed her
and took them over the ground, de-
scribing the struggles OF the girl and
her murder. In order to calm public
feeling 1t was given out that Dubbs
was not sane. and insanity will be
made a part of the defense by Messrs.
J. w. Jordan and F. H. Kerr, who have
been appointed to defend him.
Prosecuting Attorney A. c. Lewis il
assisted by John McClave, Esq. The
case has attracted widespread atten-
ton and there will be crowds at the
trial. Dubbs has been anxious for the
trial as he says he will be acquitted,
and he wants to get a job in a coal
bank. Dubbs' father lives at Hope
dale and he is miner also. and there
Is stepmother in his home. DIR. A. p.
Richardson. of the Massillon Asylum,
and other insanity experts will testify
in the case. The defense may try to
show that the murder was committed
by another.
A jury was not secured until eight
O'clock tonight. The entire day was
spent in securing twelve fair men, ex.
hausting a list of 81 names drawn.