The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-22
THE SECOND
CRA.NBLE En- i
TRIAL OPENS.
To-day at steubenville, and is E1-
citing Fully as Much Interest
as the First One.
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION
By Cramblett to q Methodist Pro-
testant Minister Will Figure In
the New Testimony.
The second trial Of quincy cramblett,

The second trial Of Quincy cramblett,
charged with the murder OF James a.
Gosnell, OF Jefferson county. Ohio, Will
begin to-day ut steubenville. Judge ].
A. Mansfield presiding. The attends
ance will be large and the interest in
tense. and as there are two hundred
witnesses the trial will occupy the en-
tire week. Considerable difficulty will
be experienced in securing Jury. The
state will be represented by Prosecut-
Ing Attorney A. c. Lewis and Hon. John
NJ. Cook. who has Just been nominated
for circuit Judge in the seventh district.
Cramblett Is being defended by ex-
Prosecuting Attorney Z. E. Ersklne
and ex-city Solicitor DIo Rogers. All
are prominent members Of the bar,
able and resourceful in criminal and
civil trials.
There have been features and incl
dents connected with the case that have
not had any parallel In the annals Of
murder cases. To begin with the
murder was most foul one, the MUIR
dered man being seated In the kitchen
OF his farmhouse home, on the evening
Of November !. 1899, reading his county
weekly. when he was shot by some one
from the outside, his body being rid
died with slugs, causing his Instant
death. Neighbors were summoned by
the family and one OF the first persons
asked for by Cora GosnelI, the young
est daughter, was the accused, Quincy
Cramblett, who was her lover, and he
came and did all the crrands and chores
and sat UP all night beside the body OF
the murdered man.
At the first II ial he was convicted Of
murder in the first degree. with rec
ommendation Of mercy. All who were
put on the stand. ministers of the Cos
pei, and farmers, and even the Gosncll
family, gave Cramblett the best Of
characters.
The verdict was q universal surprise
and was very unpopular, and the jury
men were berated by their fellow citi-
zens. Several ministers preached
against 1t, holding that Cramblett had
not been given the benefit of reason
able doubt. and that facts pointed
strongly toward others who had
grudges against Gosnel, as being
guilty. The female portion OF the com
munlty were almost unit In denunci-
alton OF the verdict. Cramblctt's moth
er has periods of temporary insanity,
and after she was recovered from one
of these she made affidavit that her
son was at home all night the date OF
the>murder. The states attorneys did
not attempt to disprove the invalid
mothers testimony, but simply referred
to the fact that IL 1t were true the
father, John Cramblett. had neglected
to go on the stand to support It. The
feeling over the matter was kept up
until Judge Mansfield granted Cram
blett new trial.
One OF the witnesses summoned this
time Is Rev. ]. T. Black. q Methodist
Protestant minister. to whom 1t is said
Cramblett made q confession during
one Of the Mt. Pleasant examinations.
saying to him: IT did 1t and God
knows I did," Rev. Black was not a
witness at the first trial, this testimony
not being known OF them. The defense
claims there Is nothing In the alleged
confession. The defense also scores
hard on the manner In which the shoot
Ing was done. The assassin, as Iudlce-
ted by shoe prints. shot with the gun
to his right shoulder. while the accused
always '.cross-fred."
There are many facts pointing to the
commission of the crime by others, and
the attorneys for the defense will lay
before the jury the Incident at Mar
tins Ferry the morning after the MUIR
der. of man who rode into the town
and stated to several that he killed
Gosnell. This was before anybody In
the town was aware of the murder and
little attention was paid to the man,
who crossed the river into West vir-
GINA and was never seen nfterward.
-e