West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-05-10
JAMES c. BLANEY SHOT
To Death By Noah ]. CreSS Last
Saturday at ROhr.
CRESS CANE TO TOWN NEXT DAY
And Gave Himself mp 10 the Authori-
ties and Was Lodged In the King
wood jail 10 Await TrIaI-A Sad
Occurrence.


Another murder took place last
Saturday evening about 1890 O'Clock
out at Rohr, a small town in this
county about half way between
Masontown and Cheat river, near
the Monongalia county line.
The fight to the death took place
in the blacksmith shop of Noah ].
Cress, commonly called "Node"
Cress, and was between him and
James Clsud Blaney, a young man
about 81 years of age, who lived
across the street from Cress, and
who worked for the Decker's Valley
Lumber Company. He came home
that evening from work and at once
went TO the store and postoffice TO
get a daily paper, as he told his
wife. 1t seems that Cress was
drinking that day and had some
trouble with his wife when a neigh
Dor woman named Taylor called to
| the men over at the store TO come
and interfere. Cress then abused
the Taylor woman for meddling
and, going into the house, got his
Smith * Wesson revolver and put
IT in his pocket and went to the
shop.
Then Blaney came over TO the
shop. One report is that Cress
sent for him ; another that Blaney
hearing his abuse Of the woman,
remarked that he would not stand
that and went to the shop to tackle
Cress about it, and, as there had
been hard feelings between them
for some time, it did not take long
to start a row.
Cress say that Blaney took himby
the throat and was choking him,
and that he first shot over his shout
der to scare him, and. failing in
this, shot to kill. The first shot
took effect in Blaney's stomach,
causing him to tail to his knees.
The next shot missed him and the
third cut through the top of his ear,
passing through his head, killing
him instantly. Cress emptied the
revolver before he stopped, firing
all five shots.
He then walked away and went
over to his residence and reloaded
the revolver, 80 caliber.
1t seerus that there were several
bystanders in the front of the shop
when the shooting began, but at the
first shot stampeded out of there
like flock of sheep, and but one
party, Dell EVERY, witnessed the
shooting, and he and w. ]. Ser
geant were the only witnesses ex-
amined by the Coroner's Jury.
George w. Shaffer, a constable
of that section, had passed through
Rohr a few minutes before the
shooting. Immediately after the
killing Orval Shaffer started after
the officer Of the law, overlook him
and reported the murder. The
Constable returned and saw Cress
standing near his place and ordered
him TO throw up his hands and con-
slider himself under arrest. Cress
paid no attention to Shaffer, but
turned and walked away. AS the
officer was unarmed, he went into
George w. Rohr's store, borrowed
shot gun and went after Cress to
arrest him. The premises were
searched, but he could not be
found. One report is 10 the effect
that he was hiding under the floor !;
another that he was lying in a fence
corner not far away. As it was
dark, he could not be found and
was not placed under arrest at all
till after he was lodged in the iarl
here when the constable came in
aud served the warrant on him,
which was entirely unnecessary then.
George w. Scott, the Justice out
there, was notified and at once i'm
panelled a Coroner's Jury, and after
examining the body and two wit.
nesses and brought in a verdict that
James {. Blsney had come to his
death by pistol in the hands Of
Noah J. Cress, all Of which is adj
mitled by the latter.
About two o'clock the next morn
ing Cress came in and told his wife
he was going to Kingwood TO give
himself up. He then went to
neighbours, in company with S. A..
Shafcr his brother in-law, started
for Kingwood about three O'Clock
in the morning, long before day
light. They arrived here, hunted
up the officers Of the law and Cress
asked to be locked up.
The prisoner is 81 years Of age
and has a wife and four children.
HIS wife vas a Robinson from