Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-11-20
VERDICT or GUILTY
FOR BURNING HOTEL
Sentenced Five Years In State Prison
Was Decision By Judge KittIe.

i Tuesday forenoon the jury at
Elkins, Randolph county, brought
lin a virdict Of Guilty" in the
case of w. H. Price, following a
trial which lasted two d avs.
Price was the accused accessory
of N. ]. Hall in the burning of
the Grand View Hotel at Gladly,
/ March "a, 1912.
The state was represented by
Prosecuting Attorney H. G..
Kump, assisted by A. H.. Gun
ningham. Earl l.. Maxwell, w.
t. George and James Coberly
conducted the defense. Imme-
diately following the jury's YER
dict Price was sentenced by
Judge Kittle to a term of five
years in the state penitentiary at
Moundsville. Motion for new
trial was overruled.
Court then adjourned.
The jury which tried Price was
Jas follows. Dan Stalnaker, VIM.
Shaffer, r. w. MCGEE, Fred Zum-
bach, Stonewall l.. Thompson,
Loman Phillips, ]. C. Walden, w.
w. McIlwee, Andy Lovenstein,
/ Isaac Bodkin, S. A. Hardman,
and Alba C. Kelley.
Hall determined to atone to the
offended law by confessing his
guilt and tn e whole circum-
stances attending the burning of
the hotel, and when Fire Mar
shall w. P. Fisher visited him in
his home in Marietta some weeks
ago Hall told the whole story and
voluntarily came to this state for
trial. He said he was induced
to burn the building by w. H.
Price, the owner, who solicited
him numerous times to set fire to
it, telling him that it was his
property and he would be doing
no harm to burn it; that Price
was persistent in his insistance
upon Hall firing the building.
Hall says that Price after the re-
oval Of the guests from the no.
tel prepared the kindling wood
and oiled it and designated the
night and the hour of the night
upon which he, Hall, was to APP
ply the match. Hall fired the
building about IL O'Clock at night
and following instructions wait
ed until the fire was well under
Roadway and after there was no
hope of saving the structure be-
fore he gave the alarm, and that
the building was consumed. The
prisoner said that his inward
conscience had so chastised and
worried him that he trembled at
seeing every stranger who came
near him. During his recital of
his life's history and Of his crime
the pectators in the court room
were visibly affected. His words
sent conviction to the hearers
that he ives telling the truth.
This is the outcome Of the
character of Price. He was con-
sidered a bad man by the free
thinking people who knew him
and it has only been through in
fluences of some of his friends
that he hasn't been caught befores
He can congratulate himself
on having the short sentence of
only five years for such a heinous
crime. While it is regretted that
Belington and Barbour county
should be the home of a lawless
character such as Price, yet one
/ by one the city and county are
getting rid of their outlaws,
and soon. very soon Belington
and Barbour county shall have
regained the old-time mora |
standing and law-abiding citizen
ship once enjoyed.
Much sympathy is being ex-
pressed by everyone for the fam
lily of Price, but the law must be
lived up to and justice melted out
regardless Of sympathy and mer-
cy, so it is hoped that this incident
will be a lesson, not to be for got
ten, for all who have a desire to
traasgress the law.
Hall has been sentenced for
one year,