The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-23

The quiet little town Of Mt. Pleasant.
o., was crowded yesterday. People
came from every direction to attend
the preliminary hearing Of Quincy
cramblett, the young farmer. charged
with the murder Of James Gosnell. The
hearing was held in Union hall and the
place was packed to suffocation, people
hanging 10 a ledge outside the second
story windows, wherp they could hear
the testimony Of the various witnesses.
Squire Humphreyvllle raped for or
der at 1885 p. m. and Prosecuting At
torney A. c. Lewis opened by stating
that a mistake had been made in the
affidavit and that Cramblett stood
charged with shooting to kill. An afh-
davit charging him with murder in the
first degree was substituted and Cram
blett pleaded not guilty to that. While
hearing the charge read he stood with
his hands behind his back. his serious
countenance not betraying any emo
lions, and he answered In a cool, Arm
manner.
II the theory of the prosecution is
correct. the story Of the case is one OF
wild. passionate insane love, ending in
desperation, crime and hlackest de-
spair. 1t is story of young man
whose whole being Is fred by the flame
Of passion. but who is held aloof until
the fire burns into his brain and he is
willing to sacrifice liberty. reputation
and IL necessary life. in order to gain
an end.
1t is a story of lover who has gone
mad. who seeing the girl he loves held
back from him by force. seeing her sep
arated from him by the will Of one
man, her father. resolves to put that
man out Of the way forever. The pros
ecutlon is forging quite chain of cir
cumstantial evidence about him. on
the other hand the defense is fighting
every inch. backed by popular opinion.
which Is inclined to doubt whether
Cramblett fired the fatal shot. The
prosecution failed to show any bad
feeling between Cramblett and Gosnell,
but on the other hand the defense
proved that Jeff Rainbow, neIghbor,
and Gosnell were bitter enemies, the
feeling breaking out at times and they
are attempting to shift suspicion to
Rainbow.
The trial was attended by a large
number Of the fair sex. drawn there to
see Cramblett, who was always popular
with women. and they stuck the trial
through. though 1t is a wonder score
did not faint in the crush of people.
Cramblett is defended by ex-Prosecu-
ting Attorney E. E. Erskine, of steu-
benvllle.
The Wife's Testimony.
Mrs. Mary Gosnell. widow of the de-
ceased man, was first on the stand. She
showed by her troubled face the ordeal
she has been passing through and
when several times the crowd broke
into laughter at some question concern
ing the love affair Of her daughter. she
spoke up and asked that levlty be
sIlenced, as it was too serious for her.
She described how her husband was
shot and the exciting movements fol-
lowing which has been published here
tofore. She heard no noise outside
either before or after the shooting, and
even the dog did not bark. but he does
not bother persons who come around
except only by spells. She says JEFF
Rainbow was the first man to appear
after the shooting, and they sent him
for neIghbors and also for Cramblett,
and when Cramblett came her daughter
Cora, fell into his arms and wept She
says Cramblett had been coming to the
house to see the girls, but he had not
been keeping company with them, all
though her husband suspected he was
in love with the youngest daughter, and
told his wife he did not want Cramb-
lett to be Cora's husband. but her hus-
band never told cramblett that, neither
did She tell the young man.
Mrs. Cramblett never talked to her
daughter about 1t either, though she
told her she thought Cramblett
green"
She said Cramblett always behaved
when he came to the house, sitting in
the same room with the family and
that though at times her husband, who
was grabbed by spells, acted grumpy
when Cramblett would first come, he
would get over It and invite him back.
One time her husband said he expected
he would have to hoist Cramblett out
some time. She says after Cramblett
came at their request the night OF the
murder. he stayed around until the
funeral was over and did the chores
and went to Long Run to get things
TO bury her husband In. She said Rain
bow and her husband had been on bad
terms for years. since a pocketbook
had been missed out of the Gosnell
house. A few weeks before the murder
her husband caught RaInbows children
In the kitchen, and one Of them was
looking in the cupboard, and he ordered
them out. One child said they were
looking for a turkey, and Gosnell told
them the turkey was not there. She
said she had told everything she knew
about the murder and was holding
nothing back, and she never said she
ought not to tell all she knew about the
murder.
Daughter on the Stand.
Cora GosnelI. the youngest daughter
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