The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-09
THE MISSING mUSKET

That Figures IN tue 4Vsheb 3A,ssHs'A
nation Found in a Well-oleveE
Detective Work
The missing musket which belonged
to Quincy cramblett who is charged
with being the assassin Of James Cos
nell, has been found, and Is now in the
hands Of the prosecuting attorney, says
last evenings steubenvllle Herald
Star.
The finding of the gun. or the por-
tons Of 1t which stiIl remain intact,
was the elimination Of as clever a
piece Of detective work as has ever
been done in JEFFERSON county, and
makes an interesting story.
Shortly after the murder Of James
Gosnell, the gun is said to have been
found hidden near the barn at Quincy
cramblett's home. The weapon, 80 the
report goes, fell into the hands Of VIII
liam Miller, a brother-in-law Of ouin-
eey CrambGett. and Milton Hall, also a
relative. It was quickly decided to de-
stroy 1t, and after removing all the
metal parts, the wooden parts are said
to have been burned. All these metal
parts, SO reports say. were then car
Red to a dense woods on Piney Fork,
three miles away from the cramblett
house and buried under different logs
In the woods. Shortly after this an
officer obtained the first authentic clew
to the missing gun, and 1t was not long
until several people were ostensibly
hunting game throughout the woods
IN that vicinity. In reality they were
hunting the missing musket. Those
who had hidden It there are supposed
to have become nervous lest the bar
rel be found, and it was again re-
moved and dropped down a deep well
ON the farm OF Milt Hall, near York.
Miller and Hall were both before the
grand jury Saturday. having been
brought to town by officers during the
mornlng. one came overland in a
buggy and the other by W. & L. 2.
train. 1t IS supposed that they weak
ened and told all they knew, when they
learned 1t was known that they had
possession OF the gun, as Sheriff Por-
ter, Deputies Stone and Moore and
Constable McMasters went at once to
the southern part of the county. A
half hours fishing in the well on Halls
farm. near York, brought the gun bar
rel to the surface, and the other parts
were found buried under different logs
in the woods on Plney Fork. The off,
GERS say there is no doubt about the
parts found belonging to the old army
musket, sold by DR.. Barkhurst to
Quincy Cramblett. The musket had
q piece Of tin fastened about the stock
with brass headed tacks. This piece Of
tin and the brass headed tacks were
also found, and 1t is said that there are
other marks on parts found which
Identify them. The barrel OF the mus
ket is forty-hvs inches long, which. ac-
cordlng to the officers. is an unusual
length. It was bent double when found
The search for the missing musket has
been going on ever since day or two
after James Gosnells murder.
According to the evidence at the pre-
iiminary hearing. when Quincy
cramblett was flrst suspected Of the
crime, his home was searched. but no
musket or shotgun found. Deputy
Moore found bullet, however, in a
pouch hanging on the wall in the
cramblett home. It was about the same
size and weight as those which killed
Gosnell. a bottle half filled with shot
was also noticed on the mantel, and
these led to inquiries which developed
the fact that Cramblett had owned
musket which was missing. When
questioned about 1t, he said 1t had been
taken over to the home Of his brother,
near Bloomfield, some time before Cos
nell was killed. His brother is said TO
have concurred in this statement, but
when asked to produce the gun, he
stated thar he had hidden It in the barn
and some one had stolen 1t. Harvey
and George Thompson and Robert
Nichols, who were working at Quincy
cramblett's home on October q, just
two weeks before Gosnell was killed,
testified that they had seen and ex-
amined the muslet there on that date,
and that 1t then had load in it two
inches long.
1t Is also reported that the officers
have secured considerable other new
evidence In the case, but they are
guarding 1t SO jealousy that none of 1t
has yet leaked out.