The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-07-18
.CR|SS MEADE ON
TRIAL FOR HOLDING
Up EVERSON BUS
Tried to Secure Continuance
on Absence of Penna.
Lawyer.
JURORS ARE DISMISSED
Criminal Court Will End
With Trial of Meade
Case.

When Attorney L. c. Musgrave rep
resenting the defendant made a motion
for the continuance of the case against
Cr1ss Meade charged with holding up
benjamin Skinner, motorman on the
k1lam- m-Everson gasoline line, in GRIM
mai court this moring, Prosecuting
Attorney Walter Haggerty offered a
serious objection and il was not until
after lengthy discussion of the case
that Judge Lowe overruled the motion
and asked for the trial of the case.
The following jurors were then
drawn: Fred E. Conway. E. l.. Arm.
strong, p. 7. Kelley. Ed. Fleming, j.
&. Hawkins, A. NJ. Rownd, j. C. Han
ey, Joe Carpenter Elem Hamilton. 3,
F. King. E. l.. Morris, John d. Coon,
Following the selection of the Jury,
Judge Lowe dismissed all other fur
res for the term of court, stating that
the trial of the Criss Meade case will
dispose of all the pressing cases. All
witnesses excepting the ones In the
Criss Meade case were also dismissed
for the term. Judge Lowe took a few
minutes to thank the jurors for their
services.
Following the motion for a contin-
uance OF the trial Criss Meade was nut
on the witness stand. He said that he
had asked a continuance because his
chief attorney Mr. Patterson of I'm.
fontown. Ua.. was not present. He
stated that he had also employed At.
torney l.. c. Musgrave of this city but
that he had never talked the case oy-
er with Mr. Musgrave and that Attor-
ney Musgrave did not know what his
defense would be. e-l.,.
He told That he had made an effort
to have Attorney Patterson in Fair
mont for the trial and produced a tel
egram which he had received from
Patterson stating that he would be
here.
Not until yesterday afternoon at 3
O'Clock did Attorney Musgrave learn
that Patterson would not be here and
then prepared for a motion to contin-
ue the trial.
Deputy Sheriff John Glover was
then put on the witness stand and
told about going to uniontown to get
Meade. Meade had told him that he
did not know what he was arrested
for.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Charles Miller was called to the wit
ness stand and said that yesterday
afternoon he called District Attorney
Miller and the clerk of the court at
Un.ontown and learned that no court
was in session and that today the
court house would eve be locked up
for a patriotic demonstration to be
held in Uniontown. This evidence
was introduced upon the introduction
of the telegram from Attorney Patter.
son stating that he could not be here
because of the trial of another case.
Attorney Musgrave and Prosecutor
Hageerty each argued their side OF
the case. the former contending that
the law provides that after defend
ant has made an honest effort to Sc
cure an attorney and that his attorney
fails to appear, that this is sufficient
grounds for a continuance. Prose-
cutting Attorney Haggerty contended
that Meade's attorney who knew most
about his case was in the court room
and that a continuance was not justi.
fed.
The motion for a continuance was
over-ruled and at 1880 o'clock this af-
ternoon the trial of the case began.
The defendant has the following wit
nesses: Maude Wood, Joe Wilson, Fred
Stubbs, Jack Bruce and Eliza Levelle.
Benjamin Skinner the motorman
who We, held up was the first witness
to be called when court convened this
afternoon. Skinner recognized Meade
as being the man who held him up.
Harrison Manley was the next wit
ress and testified that he identified
Meade as being the colored man who
was one the car alone with Skinner
when he and a man by the name of
Vandergrift got off the car.
Carl McElfresh was called to the
witness stand and he. too, identified
Meade as being the negro who went
to Kilarm with him the morning Of
the robbery.
Robert Vandergrift testified that he
recognized Meade as being the man
who was on the gasoline car that
morning with Harrison Manley. Skin
ner and himself and the same man
who remained on the car when he and
Manley got off
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