The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-09-06
PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
Blind Man Arraigned for Muir
der at Uniontown.

tul VI Cs uCNVI HUN iOA tuO
Killing of Mrs. Minerva Monaghan
Begins-Only Two Jurors Selected
After Long SessiOn-The Prisoner
Made His Plea in a firm yoice-The
Victims Son in Court, But Her
Daughter Absent.
UNIoNTowN, Pa, Sept. William
C. Mccormick was arraigned before
Judge e II. Reppert in Criminal
court to-day Gu the charge of muir
'dering Mrs Minerva Monae han.
The large court room was crowded
with spectators eager to witness the
start of Che famous case, while
crowds unable TO gain an entrance
crowded the Hobbies and peered in
through the windows to catch a
glimpse of what was going on.
Mccormick was brought into
court promptly at 2 p m. by his
brother, Sheriff George A. McCor-
mick. The blind prisoner was given
a seat at the end of the table at
which sat his counsel, A. d. Boyd
and W. C. Mexican. As is his Gus
tom he carried his large cane and
employed it in locating the chairs
and other objects about the table.
He seemed rather nervous at first,
but his attorneys soon talked him
into composure, and when he arose
for the formal plea his step was
firm and his voice never faltered.
His plea of not guilty was made in a
distinct voice, which was heard IN
ali parts 5t the court room.
SELECTING JURY.
Then the court settled down to the
tedious task OF selecting a jury Ex-
Assistant District Attorney Ira E.
Partridge is associated with District
Attorney w. e. Crow in the prosecu-
tion. At the table with them, when
court opened sat Frank Monaghan, of
this place, son of the murdered wOm-
an, and L. G. Coldren and James
Thompson, both of YOUNGSTOWN, her
sons-in-law, Mrs. Gertrude McGogan,
McCoTmick's sweetheart, and the
woman in the case, did not appear in
court to-day. Since the tragedy she
has been living with her sisters, Mrs.
Co1dren and Mrs. Thompson, of
Johnstown. She came to town Sat-
urday to attend the trial.
The work of selecting jurymen prov
ed very irksome task. All jurors
called before the bar were closely cues
toned and the slightest tinge of par
TALLY either way taken advantage of.
After two hoars' hard work the first
juror was accepted, in the person of
Samuel l.. Baker, laborer, of
Brownsville. Before him Is men had
been examined and challenged or stood
aside. At the adjournment of court
this evening one more juror had been
selected, Frank Gabler, also of
Brownsville.
Mccormick is charged with enter
ing the house OF Mrs Minerva Mon
Afghan on the night of June 8, and |
cutting Mrs. Monaghan's throat.
Mccormick had been paying atten-
tions to Mrs. Gertrude McGogan, Mrs. I
Monaghan's daughter, and was with |
her ON the night of the tragedy. The /
pair went home together, but Nc
Cormick left about 10 o'clock, at the
request of Mrs. McGogan, who COM
planned of being i'll.
BLIND MANS CRIME
Mrs. McGogan had an engagement |
with another man, young Richard
Diffenderffer. 1t seems Mccormick |
suspected something wrong in the
woman's behavior, and learned of |
Ditfenderffer' visit. How he learned |
this is yet to be discovered. But he
got the knowledge somewhere, and
about midnight returned to the house,
entering by the front parlor window
and going upstairs, where he found
his sweetheart and his rival in the |
front bed chamber.
Mccormick forcibly broke open the
door and began an assault on Mrs. |
McGogan. A moment later he in
fIicted a death wound on the neck of
Mrs. Monaghan, who came to her
rescue. Mccormick has
been in Jail since the murder, Judge
Mestrezat, before whom the habeas
corpus proceedings were held, having
refused to admit the prisoner to bail.