The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-26

EXCELLENT PLEAS BY BOTH SIDES
ARE FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL
WITNESSES TAXING STAND IN
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Two widely different women appear
rs defendants in the trial of Mrs. Mar
garet Smith Cla;or. from the dcscrIp-
tons given the jury by counsel for the
state AMI defense. Prosecutor Mckee
pictured her as 4 woman jealous with
ont reason. p0SSrSSur of Il temper that
either ruled or ruined Attorney J. Is.
Handlan in his opening statcmcnt TO
the jury pictured Mrs. Clator as 4 mod
est. hard working mother Of live chill
drcn. who had helped hrr husband earn
funds with which To pay OF mortgage
on his home. II" pictured Clatur as
brute who had abused his wife just be-
fore She WAS To GIvr birth To child,
and said Clator struck h"r in The eye
because she gave Il farewell token TO
her brother when the latter entered the
army. Mr. Nandlan even alleged that
Clator tried 10 force Mrs. Clat"r 10 sui
eide. Mr.. McKee, on tho other hand.
said Clator prevented his wife from
suicd;ng Mr. Mckee charges that Mrs.
Clatur both shot and cut her husband.
Mr.. Handlan admits nothing. and docs
not say who did the cutting or tho
shooting. He. says that doctors will t"s-
tify that Mrs. tlator could not use her
loft hand after she cut hor wrist ana
that the rcvulrcr WAS found near her
left hand The razor. he charges. was
found near the razor box. lying close to
John Gators left hand. downstairs. a
divergence Of remarkable width has de-
vclopcd between statements Of state and
defense.
Demands Death Sentence.
In his opening statement Prosecutor
Mckee said:
"Gcntlcmcn Of the jury, at the very
outset Of this cas- ! want TO inform
YOU that if tho evidence and law in this
case warrant such action the state will
demand the highest penalty prescribed
by law.
81 therefore urge YOU to call into &C
tinn your best manhood. 50 that you
may BIZ able to separate and apply the
fncts TO the elements that 70 70 make
up this offrnsc. and that YOU Will be
able Ia administer 4 full measure or
iustic. both tn this defendant and 10 the
people Of West Virginia.
The time Of this offense leads US
back TO February. ~ of this year and
takes us to tho scene you visited this
morning The parties are Mrs. Mar
C:lrct Clator, tho defendant. and her
late husband. John Il. Clator. storckeGp-
or and postmaster of the little town OF
Clatnr
Thirteen years ago John Clalor mar
ricd Margaret Smith. john Clatnr was
an artisan and worked hard. and by MS
=, effort and business ability accumulated
three pieces of property and III" store.
Five children wcr" born To them, three
dying in carly infancy. Twice J"hn
Clator visited Texas when his father
lived there Ono" he stayed wv" months
and again six months. uncr ii" sold his
s,or'. and upon his r"Iurn bought il
back. Ono" again hr went away. ana
his wife operated tn" store for period
Of six months. \ clerk helped in the
store from a. m. 10 i n. M. o'clock.
Defendant p!sapproved Sale.
THE evidence will disclose 10 you that
on the day Of tn" murder Mrs. Clator
had scnt her children from tn" house.
She had learned Il f"w days earlier that
Cla,or had sold his St"r" I" his sister
Emma. RI" little children were s"nL -
tho Eurch homo nearby.
ION the Same morning: y n"iEhhor by
thc nam" of Armstrong went to tho
house and was paid ny Mr. Elat"r Tor
having mad" Nh invoice cf his stock
Mrs C7atnr in tn" presence nf Mt. Arm
strong, in loud and an:;ry words. voiced
hnr disapproval of IN, Salc rf tho store.
Mr.. Armstrong realized the unpleasant
situation that was developing in IN"
homo AMI made his visit rs brief as pos
Sihlc and left
~ little later two little children. Ed
ward and Emma Hur"h v"nt t" the Ga
tor house with I! Cl"t"r child that had
Ii y,Tt la
in the reception hall they found John
Clator lyin; dead in 4 pool If blood
prom upstairs runr the words Of
Mrs. Clatrr: "C'hildrcn. run and toll Mrs.
White that something has happened
oyer Mt .rlarnra. Mrs. Whit" and other
ncirhhor" summoned hy ~" children.
came quickly and witnessed the scnno.
Tncn came IN" father Of John Clatnr.
then deputy Sh"rfr&. At tn" top Of the
stairs they found Mrs. Clator. uncon-
SCi3l:s from wounds.
'rrhc house rs you gentlemen or IN"
jury saw il is in In" sam" condition That
il WIS ifint day except that tn" Kitchen
table was th"N in III" center of tho room
AMI is NOW against n" wall and h"'il"
alleged To have contained poison was re-
moved from tho Kitchen.
Rehearses Dns. Gators story.
ION IN" ncHt5 morning after tho muir
dor. Mrs. CIatnr in tho presence Of Inc
sheriff and several deputies and states
attorneys told h"- story. $40 WAS then
Mt the Ohio Valley General hospital Her
story is that she f:rst d":"rr1incd 10 Kill
hors"l3 believing that her hu=haE1 was
going 70 leave mr. and tna ChildrHn. he
having disposed OF his stn-o :" Innth"r
woman.
"Sno eaid che got .hn razor IN tho
kitchen pantry nrG ar'"r cutting her
SOLE rur!lri upstairs md securing her
revolver shot Mt her husband who was
following hnT.
"Ir I cut him 7 must have done it
nc:cr I shot ht-,!" slla tnlI us.
~ g tho theory Of III state that tho
severance 0r tho aor1a as occurred in
.h'a cnr" Wru:1 knvn rendered Cla;or IN
cnpnhla Of staying IN riG fcet and that
ho col! down s.Hrs In tho crTm7lod up
position IN which 10 was found and died
worry shortly HftH- ho.nr @not. Wn hr
Hove TIM. 10 va" cat after tho mortal
rl!nrhci wound wna inflicted.
"-'hn ;-1c.!"H "" hr!r"a. Is jealousy
nnI revenge: vengeance oC fancicd
wrong
"iriln rfutor Ind visited To1n= twice.
N"Iiircr time hnd hc aiken + drink He
hnt 'ni"rdHG 10 gn REn'n. rirst rn- fnan-
"inI gn!M; second 20 90: away from the
wrr,nn WHO was taG: getting tho upper
nnnG.
"M-.. C!n;nr ;hnuEh; TINT M couldn't
sell tho st"rr w:;ffou: hcr consent. She
hrh Il high ,c:nrrr that !7Ilnp or ruins.
tan C-,6 o,I