The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-09-13


UNIoNTowN, Pa, Sept. William
c. Mccormick, the blind man, who is
on trial for the murder of Mrs. Mi
nerva Monaghan, to-day testified in
his own behalf and gave his version
of the crime. Mccormick counsel,
in opening for the defense, claimed
that the prosecution had failed to
establish any motive for the crime.
IL was also alleged that number OF
persons were in the house the night
of the murder, and that what
fighting Mccormick did was in self
defense. The final plea was that the
murder was committed by some one
OF the other persons who were in the
house
Mccormick gave his evidence in u
clear voice. He told OF being with
Mrs. McGogan early in the evening
and of bidding her good night at hel
door. Without explaining why, he
said he returned to the Monaghan
house about midnight. He opened
the door with key he always car
ried, and went up stairs The wit
ness continued:
Il had heard par ties talking in
the dining room, down stairs. Felt
my way up to the middle room,put my
hat and cane by the door inside, as
| always did. The door was open
took oil my shoes. intending not tc
waken Cert ! felt my way to tho
bed and noticed it was not turned up
| thought perhaps she was in the
room over the parlor, and / wen
over. When l got to the door
heard voices, recognized 'Gert's
voice and heard another, | showed
against the door and showed it open
PITCHER HIS WEAPON.
las ] went in the room / wa:
showed and knocked down As
got up my hand came in contact
with the pitcher Some one got hold
Of me as / got up and | struck Will
the pitcher. 1t broke as it struck
Cert screamed, and / felt that
struck her Instantly | got hold o
somebody else / reached to get
hold OF Cert, but clinched witt
SO nobody, who gave jerk and q
ding, and | fit that was ON the
bed. Somebody got hold of me. We
struggled and got to the door,
recognized Mrs. Monaghau's voic,
and mans. We struggled out into
the hall, and heard Minerva say
sYon--, quit tearing up my
house She said, Cert - YOU
= this is your fault | said, WhC
is thisT and had no answer We
separated and Cert took hold of me
and | asked her who that was in tho
room. She said it was Dick, and
replied, I'm most killed, then took
my wrists and pat my hands up to
her face. | felt it was all wet. Sh,
said you are hurt, and said, i want
to kiss my baby the little boy, who
was making some noise nearby. She
let loose of me, and said, Mother is
killed. l said, Nobody is hurt, she
only tainted, and asked where she
was. She took hold of me; and ]
took her into the bath room to
sprinkle her face. She said, Go for
somebody | said would go fol
Henry Cowell.
HIS OWN FACE BLEEDING.
81 got my cane and went to the
head Of the stairs, where we sat down
and tried to put on my shoes,
went down to the door, which was
open, and went to Cowell's residence.
He came to the window and told him
to come down at once. He came
down, made a remark about me being
killed or bloody l told him that we
had fracas up at Monaghan's, that
"Gert" wanted him. l then went
home with CoweIl. ! told him as
soon as he found out how the old wom-
man was to come and let me know.
My face and nose were bleeding, my
arm was cut and / had cut on the
side and one on the shoulder. then
washed"
Mccormick related the visit of Cor
oner Taylor and Constables Fee and
Murphy TO his house soon after the
murder. They told him Mrs. Mona
CHAN was dead, but he could scarcely
believe it, as he did not know she was
hurt and thought that she had only
tainted. Prior to their visit Deputy
Sheriff Charles Mccormick visited him
and placed him under arrest, but at
defendants request the officer went
out to ascertain the truth of Mrs.
Monaghan's death.
On cross examination Mccormick
admitted that he was twice married
and divorced from both his wives but
denied that his intimacy with Mrs.
McGogan began before his divorce
from his second wife. His relations
with Mrs. McGogan began when she
was only Is years of age and continu-
ed till the murder of Mrs. Monaghan.
He denied that he ever had any trou-
bic with Mrs. Monaghan, though he
admitted there was slight GOODNESS
between them last winter when he
learned from Mrs. McGogan that her
mother was trying to separate them.
Later Attorney Partridge forced from
Mccormick the admission that he had
consulted County Detective McBeth
about prosecuting Mrs. Monaghan for
keeping disreputable house but in
explanation Mccormick said he did so
at Mrs. McGogan's request in the
hope Of frightening Mrs Monaghan
into abandoning her unlawful manner
of life.
SHOWING A MOTIVE.
Mccormick further admitted that
when he burst open the door to Mrs.
McGogan's room he was very angry.
but he contended that he had no in
tention of harming anyone, and mere