The Republican., 1925-12-31
PRESTON COUNTY YOUTHS
WILL MAKE NO STATEMENT
Concerning Death of Andrew
Matthews For Which they are
Held in Oakland Jail

Joseph Lawson and Homer Rode
HEAVIER, both of whom are residents
of Grant District, Preston county, w.
Va, and who are held in Oakland Jail
pending trial for the death of Andrew
Matthews, youth of %, also of Pres
ton county, as the result of giving
him drink Of poisoned whiskey at a
point near Friendsville, Garrett coun-
ty, on Friday, December 18th, which
caused the death of Matthews a short
time afterward, have made no state
ment of the occurrence to anyone un-
less it was to their attorney.
Details of the death of Matthews.
brought out at the coroner's inquest
which was conducted by Prosecuting
Attorney Fortney and former Sheriff
Hartman at the Matthews home on
the day following young Matthews
death as CLEANED from the records in
the matter are as follows:
Matthews, with another youth, Paul
Lininger, both of Grant District, Pres
/
Friendsville, Garrett county, on Fri
day, December 18th,. Both were driv-
| ing teams of horses hitched to lumber
wagons. On their way back to the
saw mill from Friendsville, which is
the nearest railway point, they over
took Lawson and Rhodeheaver, who
were in a Ford coupe which had be-
come stalled in a muddy place in the
road. The two youth, Matthews and
Lininger, unhitched one pair of their
horses from the wagon and pulled the
automobile out of the mud, after
| which it was alleged at the inquest
Lawson gave the young men a drink
Of moonshine liquor out of jug. The
! car then proceeded ahead of the two
/ teams but again came to grief in an
/ other muddy place on the road. The
| two youths again overlook the car
and pulled it back into the road a
second time. Rodeheaver, it is alleged,
gave each Of the boys a drink from
bottle he had in his possession and
| then drove off with his companion.
| Young Matthews went back to his
team and started to drive on but fell
from the wagon after going a short
distance. Lininger went to his assis-
tance and placed him upon his wagon
and drove toward home. Just after
crossing the West Virginia State line
the Matthews youth died, two hours
having elapsed after he had taken
the first drink from the jug alleged to
have been given him by Lawson.
The Lininger youth, it is said, held
Matthews in his arms during the ride
toward the home of the latter. Upon
reaching the Lininger home, a little
sister of Lininger appeared in the
farm yard and called to her father
who went out to the wagon Mr.. Lin
niger took the body of Matthews from
| the vehicle and tried to revive him.
but failed in his efforts. Realizing that
the boy was dead, he turned his at
tention to his own son, who by that
time had dismounted from the wagon,
but had stumbled and fell inside a
granary. He helped him into the
house and forced him to drink a
quart or more of hot coffee, which is
believed to have saved the boy from
the same fate which overlook his COM
panion, Matthews.
The coroner's inquest was conduct
ed by the West Virginia authorities,
at the conclusion of which the jury
rendered a verdict that young Mat
thews' death was caused by drinking
moonshine liquor administered by Ro-
deheaver and Lawson. Their arrest
followed within a few hours there
after and they were brought to Oak
land last Tuesday where they are be-
ing held for trial
The affair created much excitement
in the section of Preston county where
the parties concerned resided due to
the prominence of the families of all
| the men.