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Gregg v. State, 3 W. Va. 705 (1869): indictment and occupied courthouse basement

2 entries connected to this source. Citations retain the recorded dates, pages, and research qualifications.

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March 7, 1869 · Kingwood

Preston County Courthouse is destroyed by fire

Fire destroyed the Preston County courthouse in Kingwood in the early morning of March 7, 1869. Nearly all courthouse records accumulated since the county's formation in 1818 were lost; the County Clerk reports that a few books survived. The destruction left lasting gaps in the records of land, estates, and families. The subsequent arson indictment against Elihu Gregg also described occupied living quarters in the courthouse basement, where Peter Voltz and his family resided. Court proceedings moved to Preston Academy while the county replaced the courthouse. Gregg's trials and appeal later that year are covered in a separate entry.

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July–October 1869 · Kingwood

Elihu Gregg is tried at Preston Academy; an appeal leads to a second trial

Following the courthouse fire, Elihu Gregg's arson case was heard at Preston Academy in Kingwood. Indicted on July 12, he was found guilty on July 19 and sentenced to hang. William G. Brown Sr. led the prosecution while prosecuting attorney Charles Hooton was ill. In August, the Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the judgment after finding that defense evidence had been improperly excluded. A second trial produced another guilty verdict, and on October 21 Gregg was again sentenced to death, with execution set for January 28, 1870. The proceedings connect the loss of Preston County's records with the Academy's temporary use as a courthouse and Brown's legal career.

Research status: Verified

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