The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1905-03-22
Trial Of Grover cremeans.

1
One of the most interesting
murder cases ever tried in the
county began last Wednesday
when the case of the State agains
Grover Cremeans was called L
will be remembered that on the
18th of last June, John Smith, {
resident of Hannah district, wa,
shot by some one from ambush
The murder was known to have
been for money, many claiming
that John Smith was well fixed
and carried his money on his per.
son. Grover Cremeans had been
at w h. Rowsey's. which was
near the scene of. the killing, about
one hour before, and had travelled
along the road past the place
where the dead body was found.
1t was afterwards learned that we'll
Taylor was with him hunting on
that day, but no one had seen him
near that locality. This furnished
a clew which resulted in the ar
rest of both parties A short time
after they had been placed in the
Mason County jail. Will Taylor
made statement claiming that
Grover Cremeans had committed
the murder, drd exonerated him
self of having anything to & 18th
the murder. He went before the
grand jury which not only indiot-
ed Grover Cremeans but himself
as we'll Upon the trial which end
ed on Saturday evening. and which
resulted in verdict of murder in
the second degree, Grover Gre
means claimed that Will Taylor
committed the murder. The evil
dence of one accused of crime was
against another accused of the
same crime.
We refrained from making any
expression as to the guilt or inno-
oense of either party at the time of
the killing. No one is ever able
to tell what evidence will be pro-
duced upon.a trial, and often such
expressions are calculated to do
great mischief to one accused of
crime.
The fact that Mrs. Elizabeth
Cremeans, the mother of the de
PENDANT, had once been indicted
and tried for murder surely caused
public sentiment to be against the
prisoner upon his trial. While
the jury acquitted her after being
out but few minutes, and while
the very fact that her husbsnd had
his revolver grasped in his hand SO
tightly that it could not have been
30 held had it been placed in his
hand after the fatal shot had been
fred, which showed the conclusive
evidence of Mrs Cremeans' 1nno-
oense, yet that was not known to
everyone, and hence the cause of
public sentiment being against the
son.
1t was claimed by the defense
that Cremeans had no motive to
commit the crime while Taylor
did have. The defendant has a
farm of II acres in Hannah dis
trict, always had money about him,
owned some stock and quite good
deal in notes and outstanding ao-
counts. He was able to show a
most admirable reputation for be.
ing peaoeable and law abiding
citizen, and the State made no ef-
fort to show that he did not have
a good reputation. On the other
hand Will Taylor owned no Prop
erty except the rifle gun which he
had induced Cremeans to buy
for him about week before. He
was without clothes and shoee, had
no credit and was at home where
ever his hat was off He had
made threats against John Smith
time and again, claiming he would
kill him and get his money SO he
could play poker, His reputation
was very shady. He had been in
the Columbus Jail for trying to
kill an officer, he had escaped from
the officers when arrested for dis
turbingI religious worship, he had
been in the Huntington Jail for
some other offense, and admitted
stealing corn from widow.