Marion County, Ohio - Chapter 12: Miscellaneous, 1883

Chapter 12: Miscellaneous

bene have been twenty-two murders committed within the limits of Marion County, which number is less than the average. But there have not been so many indictments, as several cases afforded no clew to the perpetrators. Some of the most remarkable instances of murder are here related.

Murder Of Mrs. Ulsh

November 8, 1861, the wife of Levi Ulsh, about five miles east of Marion, was shot and killed by an unknown assassin. Mr. Ulsh was East on business, and there were in the house a hired girl and a small girl about nine years old and a hired boy about seventeen years old. About 7 o'clock in the evening, the dog commenced barking, as if some one were prowling around. The hired boy, C. Zeller by name, went'out with a gun and passed around the house, but discovered no one. He went into the house, sat down in a chair with the gun beside him, and after about five minutes' conversation, the assassin out of doors approached and shot through the window at Mrs. Ulsh, killing her. No reason could be assigned for the dastardly act, and no clew was ever obtained as to the identity of this most wicked murderer.

James Lefever

At Green Camp, May 14. 1874, James Lefever killed Frank Johnson with a hammer. The latter was intoxicated, and engaged in a quarrel with Lefever, calling him a liar, etc., to which Lefever responded, * You are a gentleman," and left, going to his blacksmith shop, whither Johnson followed. The two were alone in theshop, and as Lefever afterward claimed, Johnson seized a hammer and made for him. Lefever said to him that he should not be beaten by him as he had been by . Whereupon he pushed Johnson back, out of sight of a couple of men working in an adjoining shop and struck him four blows with a hammer, one of which, upon the head, proved fatal, Johnson dying two hours afterward. Lefever was tried at the May and November terms of court following, C. H. Norris, Prosecu.

tor, assisted by W. Z. Davis, appearing for the State, and J. C. Johnston, H, T. Van Fleet and M. V. Payne appearing for the defense. November 21 the accused was found guiliy of murder in the second degree, and sentenced for life. December 6, 1878, he was pardoned by Gov. Bishop, through the efforts of his attorney, M. V. Payne, who clung to him to the last.

Murder Of John R. Aronhalt

March 11, 1879, was an awful day at Marion. About 5 o'elock in the morning, the fire bell rang, and many citizens rushed into the streets to ascertain the place of the fire; but no fire was to be seen, except that the house of John R. Aronhalt was full of smoke, and a few persons were there fighting an initial fire. Soon after, the dead body of poor Aronhalt was found on a bed, the latter burned so that both it and the body had fallen to the floor. The corpse was drawn out of the smoke, when it was discovered to have been beaten, and the head had a bullet-hole in the right temple. The limbs were partially rigid, showing that he had been dead some time. A revolver was soon afterward discovered under the front steps of the house. Many rumors were iinmediately afloat as to the identity of the murderer and the cause of the crime; but the true history was never ascertained. The deceased had made his will, and was somewhat dissipated in his habits.

Enoch H. Young And Gilman Houseworth

These men were indicted for killing Israel Bensley February 25, 1880, with a knife, at Waldo. B. G. Young was Prosecutor for the State, assisted by W. Z. Davis, and for the defense were Attorneys C. F. Garberson and W. E. Scofield, Sr. Young's trial took place at the June term following. À great deal of evidence was taken, eloquent pleadings were made by all the attorneys, and the jury brought in a verdict of murder in the second degree; whereupon Young was sentenced to hard labor for life. The public feeling at the time seemed to be strongly in favor of hanging, and seven of the jury were in favor of finding guilty in the first degree. The jurymen were Jacob Retterer, foreman, James Powell, David Porter, Henry Knowles, Dennis Pangbourn, Henry Garvin, John W. Malone, William Leeper, John Barringer, John W. Anselman, James D. Lewis, Christian Hoberman. On the day of the murder, Enoch Young and Gilman Houseworth were boon companions, in drinking and carousing around the village of Waldo, They had created considerable disturbance, and about sunset a crewd had cullected. Among the bystanders was Israel Bensley, of Waldo, who interfered in behalf of a lad, and exchanged a few words with Enoch Young. During the melee of that evening, Young received a thrashing from Jim Coleman, whereupon he disappeared in a rage. Some time afterward, while Bensley stood at the post office, leaning on the window-sill, Young rushed suddenly around the corner, and attacked Bensley with a large knife, cutting him to the artery just above the heart. In five minutes Israel Bensley was dead. As Young rushed to the attack, Gilman Houseworth accompanied him. brandishing a large pair of shears. Both were arrested and tried, with the result as stated, in reference to Young, who is now in the State prison at Columbus, while Gilman Houseworth took a change of venue to Hardin County and was finally acquitted. Enoch Young was but twenty-seven years of age when he committed this crime. Israel Bensley, the victim, was an old resident of Waldo, aged forty-nine. His wife was a daughter of ex Sheriff E. K. Corbin. He had won the respect of his neighbors by the brave way in which he had assumed the burdens of life; for, besides a family of five children, from eleven to twenty-one years of age, raised by him, he had cared for his old father and mother in their declining, helpless years.

Tuesday, October 4, 1881, a little after 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Orrin De Pue, of Marion, shot and instantly killed Francis M. Foster, of the livery firm of Foster & Le Fevre. The deed was committed in the store of Timothy Kelly, on the west side of Main street, by the first alley south of the railways. Mr. Kelly, E. Furgason and others seized the murderer, who did not attempt to escape. An excited crowd soon gathered; a portion at the jail, a portion to follow the prisoner to jail and the rest to the house of mourning. "They cried out * Hang him," and it was with considerable difficulty and shrewd management that the officers saved the life of the prisoner from the hands of an infuriated mob.

The prisoner went through the ordeal pale but otherwise cool. On reaching the jail, he announced that "that crowd hadn't sand enough to hang hira to a Jamp-post," and manifested a carelessness as to his fate. He said he might just as well die now as on a gibbet, and made other remarks of equal daring. He was probably a native of an adjoining county, but had passed his life in Marion. At the time he committed the atrocity, he was a resident of Stumptown, with a wife and one.child. He was a plasterer by trade, and had, until a short time previously, been steady in his habits.

On Wednesday night following, the murderer hanged himself with his bed-sheet in his cell. Not having room to fall very far, his death must have been protracted and painful. Other prisoners heard choking sounds for some time. No cause has been assigned for the murder, except a feud between Mr. Foster and a brother of De Pue.

Briefer Mention

In 1869 or 1870, a man named McIntosh was found lying across the railroad track with the lower part of his abdomen cut through. The verdict of the Coroner's jury was that the man had been murdered, and that the perpetrators of the crime had thrown the dead body upon the railroad, track to make the public believe that he had been killed by being run over by an engine, and thus elude suspicion. One or two similar cases occurred near Caledonia some years ago. Eli Fink, for example, was found upon the railroad track with his head cut off. He had been in a saloon during a quarrel. The engineer claimed that he saw, as his train approached, two women near the point on the track where the dead body was found. Newton Milliser was poisoned to death with arsenic July 22, 1879. An individual was tried for the murder but cleared, and no further clew has been . found to the identity of the criminal. James Taylor killed Clayton Randall at Waldo with a billiard cae August 26, 1879. He was tried and convicted of murder at the November term of court following, and on the 28th of that month sentenced to nine years' imprisonment.

About 1857, a woman named Nancy Holly, from another county, was put to death by a dose of strychnine prescribed by a criminal of 'the same county, her death taking place in Marion.

The Jail Report

confined there for many years past. It is as fellows: Total number confined during the -year, 30 males and 1 female. Charged with felony, 9; misdemeanors, 18; sentenced, 3; average duration of sentence, 84 days; held for trial, 24; insane, 2; epileptic, 2; under sixteen years of age, 3; cost of keeping, $741.95; average cost per day, 95 cents. The report for 1882, however, gives figures materially below the above.

Cholera

While this dreadful scourge has visited many parts of the United States several times, the only time it has ever attacked the people of Marion County was in the hot season of 1854. About July 20, it broke out in the village of Maricn, and it departed during the first week of September, after snatching away sixty-five citizens, including, probably, a half-dozen in the country. A number of those attacked. recovered. It was introduced by a case arriving here from Crestline by train. After about ten deaths had taken place, during the first week, many of the people fled away in terror, which, it was thought, was a good thing, as it took away the 1naterial upon which the insatiate monster was about to feed, and but very few, if any, of those who fled were attacked. Allbusiness was suspended, and the streets were as desolate as those of Baalbec. 'Every night there seemed to bea damp, heavy mist prevailing. A goodly number of those who remained exhibited great heroism in caring for the sick and disposing of the dead. Among these benefactors may be mentioned John D. and George W. Brown, James Havens and wife, Joseph Ayers and others.

Worthless Apprentices

It seems that the law in this State once required absconding indentured apprentices to be advertised for, although the masters did not desire their return; for in the early newspapers of Marion there frequently appeared an advertisement headed, " Six cents Reward " for the return of , and "no charges paid;" "One cent Reward;" "One cent Reward and a Gill of Buttermilk;" "One cent Reward anda Cow's Tail," etc., and "no thanks returned!"

Star Fall

. November 13, 1833, occurred the wonderful meteoric shower, when some people gathered together in groups to pray. T. M. Sloan, a pious Christian, asked for a little more time; R. King got into a corn-crib to beg God for mercy. Many thought the last day had come.