Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc., Part 124

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Akron > Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc. > Part 124

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A BROTHER'S DESPERATION .- These constant culpatory ani- madversions could not well pass unheard and unheeded by Wilson Shannon Roof, the only brother of the young lady implicated. Young Roof, with the exception of one year, from August, 1864, served in the army, had been employed by Mr. Milton C. Purdy, in his pottery, for some eight or nine years, and had been as steady and faithful as the general run of boys and young men similarly employed. Being, however, of a rather impulsive and excitable turn of mind, the stories in circulation regarding the chastity of his mother and sister, became very irritating to him, and he had several talks with Moore about "settling" with the slanderers, he {Wilson) not knowing, up to this time, anything about the condi- tional marriage engagement between Moore and his sister, or of the fact that Moore was furnishing the money for her schooling at Hudson.

Thus matters stood at the time of Mrs. Moore's return from the West, early in November; the young man's anger against the

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

supposed defamers of his sister, including Mrs. Musson, Mrs. Moore and several others, both men as well as women, became daily intensified, so much so that about two weeks .after Mrs. Moore's return from the West, he threw up his job with Mr. Purdy, saying to Mr. P. that he had no ill-will against him, but "would have revenge on the slanderers of his sister." About this time, also, he bought a navy revolver, and seemed to be shaping matters to leave the place.

A FEARFUL TRAGEDY .- Things were in this condition on Mon- day morning, November 26, 1866. Mr. Musson, unconscious of impending calamity, had gone to work at the shop. Mrs. Musson had gone cheerfully about her household duties, and was in the kitchen doing up her weekly washing, accompanied by her little 41/2-year-old boy, only. About 10 o'clock in the forenoon of that' day, Roof was seen by several of the neighbors going to the house of Mr. Musson, which stands some eight or ten rods back from the street, though little dreaming of the fearful errand on which he was bound. A moment after he had entered the house, two dis- tinct reports of a pistol and a piercing scream from that direction, at once drew several of the neighbors to the spot, who found Mrs. Musson upon the floor of the porch, bleeding copiously from a pistol shot wound; the ball having entered her right side between the third and fourth ribs, passing through the breast and lungs, and coming out between the fifth and sixth ribs upon the other side. It was also found that a ball had been lodged in the window sill of the room in which Mrs. Musson had been at work, and the general theory was that the first shot, fired while she was bending over the wash tub, had missed her and entered the window sill as stated, while the fatal shot was fired as she rushed to the porch door upon the north side of the house, and screamed. This theory was strengthened by the statement of the little boy that "the man shot his mamma two times," though the physicians, who made the post mortem examination, were of the opinion that but one shot had been fired.

CONSTERNATION OF THE PEOPLE .- Mrs. Musson, though seen- ingly conscious when the first neighbors arrived, was unable to speak and in a very few minutes expired. As a matter of course, the utmost consternation was manifested by the people of the vil- lage, and the entire surrounding country, as the news of the assas- sination spread. Such was the excitement that nearly an hour elapsed before anything was done towards tracking the murderer, and securing his arrest, Mr. M. C. Purdy offered a reward of $200 for his capture, Messrs. John R. and William Buchtel, brothers of the murdered woman, afterward assuming the same, with the addition of $300 thereto, making an aggregate reward of $500. Messengers were sent to Akron and other points to notify friends, and head him off by telegraph. In his flight across the fields, he met Mr. Michael Mishler, Jr., to whom he stated that he had com- mitted a murder, and that if it hadn't been for the screaming of the boy he would have "cleaned out the street." A mile or so further on, substantially the same statement was made to two other young men, but both they and Mr. Mishler thought that he was joking.

TRACKING THE MURDERER-CAPTURE, ETC .- The natural inter- est of the people of the vicinity, together with the large reward

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TRACKING THE MURDERER.

offered, at once secured an active search, and a most vigilant watch for the fugitive all over the country. When last seen, upon the day of the murder, he was some two miles and a half from the scene of the tragedy, though traced some distance further, and into and through a large swamp near the edge of the township of . Rootstown, when the track was lost. On Tuesday, Dr. J. C. Fer- guson and several others again got upon the track, and traced him for some distance, the fugitive by this time having taken a south- easterly direction: but becoming confused by the conflicting stories of people who claimed to have seen him, again lost the track and returned home. On Wednesday, Sheriff James Burli- son, visiting Mogadore, became satisfied that the doctor had been upon the right track, and with a small posse, guided by the doc- tor, started out on horseback. This party again struck the trail early in the afternoon, and tracked him into a swamp, around which a picket guard was established during the night. In the darkness, however, he eluded the pickets, and it was found the next morning that he was making his way slowly, in a zig-zag course, towards Alliance. Sheriff Burlison and his party were rapidly gaining on him, and would undoubtedly have soon secured the prize, but for the fact that Mr. James Roath, a farmer, living near the line between Portage and Stark counties, seeing a man pass his house that he thought answered the description which he had read of the murderer, followed after him, and overtook him in the township of Lexington, Stark county. On being questioned by Mr. Roath, Roof stated that he was from Medina and was going to Alliance, but on being requested to raise his hat, Roof at once succumbed, and delivered to Mr. Roath his revolver, fully loaded, together with a large bowie-knife, ammunition, etc. Mr. Roath took his prisoner, who was extremely foot-sore, and very nearly exhausted, to his house, where he was given food and other proper attentions, and later in the day, assisted by a neighbor by the name of William Wiles, he was taken to Lima station, and thence, the same evening, to Ravenna, and placed in jail.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION .- The following Saturday the pris- oner was brought before Justice Andrew Jackson, of Ravenna, for examination. Prosecuting Attorney H. H. Willard, of Ravenna, and J. J. Hall, Esq., of Akron, representing the State and Alphonso Hart and C. A. Reed, Esqs., appearing for the defense. A full examination was had, and the defendant was remanded to jail, to await the action of the Grand Jury, Coroner Luther H. Parmelee, of Kent, having, on the evening of the murder, held an inquest upon the body, a post mortem examination being had by Drs. Neeper and Ferguson, of Mogadore; the coroner's jury finding that the deceased came to her death from a pistol ball fired by the hand of Wilson Shannon Roof. Mrs. Musson was 36 years of age at the time of her death.

ARREST OF MR. MILTON MOORE .- The feeling against Mr. Milton Moore had been very strong from the start, but became greatly intensified from the repeated utterances of Roof that Moore had instigated him to seek revenge upon Mrs. Musson and others who had circulated slanderous stories about his mother and sister, and their relations with Moore. These utterances were so outspoken, and the circumstances surrounding, and pertaining to, the homi- cide, so inculpating that the authorities of Portage county deemed

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it advisable to investigate the question as to Moore's complicity in the dreadful affair. Roof, and a number of other witnesses were- therefore brought before the Grand Jury, by Prosecuting Attorney Willard, at the March term of the Court of Common Pleas for 1867, resulting in an indictment against Roof for wilful and premedi- tated murder, and against Moore as an accomplice. Moore was .. thereupon arrested by Sheriff Henry C. Jennings, on the 11th day of March, 1867, and committed to the jail of Portage county, but, in consequence of repairs that were being made on that institu- tion, he was, within a few days, transferred to the jail of Summit county.

RELEASED ON $50,000 BAIL-TRIAL, ETC .- The trial of Moore was set for the 27th day of May, 1868, Judge George M. Tuttle, on appli- cation of Moore's attorneys, having admitted him to bail in the sum of $50,000, the bail bond being signed by a number of weaithy gentlemen of both Portage and Summit counties. On the day appointed, the trial was begun before Judge Tuttle. The State was represented by Prosecuting Attorney Willard, assisted by A. J. Dyer, George Bliss, John McSweeney and Michael Stuart, and the accused was defended by Ezra B. Taylor, Samuel W. McClure and John J. Hall. The trial lasted five days and was very closely contested upon both sides, the court room being densely packed with intensely interested spectators from both Portage and Sum- mit counties.

ROOF TESTIFIES AGAINST MOORE .- On the witness stand Roof related a number of interviews between Moore and himself in regard to the scandalous talk in question, the last interview being at his mother's house on the Saturday preceding the murder. Of this interview, and the commission of the fatal act Roof testified as follows:

"This interview lasted three quarters of an hour. I told Moore I had a great work to settle these slanders, and wanted him to say who the slan- derers were ; and I wanted money, for I intended to do something that I would have to leave. I did not want to tell him just what or how I proposed to do ; wanted his advice and assistance as I had no money at my command. He repeated his charges against Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Musson. I asked Moore if he did not think I had better give them the devil. He said 'I think you had.' I asked him if,I had not better go and thrash his wife. He said 'No, everybody would think I had sent you.' The names of Mrs. Moore; Mrs. Musson, James F. Hope, William Hill and William Russell were mentioned in this conversation. In reply to my question, he said I had better go to his house when he was away. Can't say which said go to Musson's first, then to. Moore's then to town among the men in the shops. Think I told him I was going armed to the teeth. Think he said : 'That's right ; make a clean sweep; do it up right.' When I asked, he said. 'Go to my house when I am away ; tomorrow I shall be at home; Monday I shall go to Akron.' I told Moore there would be nothing short of several assaults, and I would liave to leave and must have money. I told him I should go to White Hall, Ill., but never intended to go there; told him I should write for money ; don't remember what he replied."

In regard to the killing of Mrs. Musson, Roof testified:

"I was at the Corners early. Moore came north and turned the corner,. going west. He looked strongly at me; I nodded and winked, and tried to hold my coat away that he could see the butt of the pistol which hung in my belt. I waited at the corners as I did in accordance with an understanding made with Moore on the night of our last interview. When Moore had gone past, I knew his wife was alone. I went to Musson's and rapped. Mrs. Musson opened the door. Drawing the revolver I asked her if she knew what she had been saying about my sister-I had come to see-

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MR. MOORE'S STATEMENT.

about it. She threw up her hands and said, 'Oh, don't ;- my God!' In cock- ing the pistol my thumb slipped off, discharging the pistol ; the ball entered the breast, I thought; she screamed and struck at me; I knocked her on the head with the butt of my revolver; I pushed her around; she staggered against the window; I went out on the porch and removed a shingle that was in the window and shot her again."

The witness was subjected to long and severe cross examina- tion, but generally maintained about the same statement. A . number of other witnesses were examined on the part of the State, both in regard to the killing of Mrs. Musson, and the actions of Moore and Hattie Roof, among the rest Mrs. Roof, the mother of Hattie and Wilson, who testified to the intimacy of Moore and her daughter; their marriage engagement; their visit to Cleveland; the furnishing of money by Moore to fix Hattie up for school; of Moore's promise, after the murder, to help the family after Wil- son's trial; and of conversations between Moore and Wilson, in regard to the slanders before the commission of the murder.

THE STORY OF MR. MOORE .- The testimony for the State hav- ing closed at 10 o'clock A. M., on the third day of the trial, the defense called and had sworn forty-four witnesses, the defendant also going upon the stand and testifying in his own behalf. After a number of witnesses had testified to various declarations of Roof at the time of his capture and afterwards, that he alone had committed the murder, and that no one was in complicity with him, and also to Moore's general peaceable character, Moore him- self testified, giving a history of his acquaintance with the Roof family, of his assisting them several years before, while the hus- band and father was in California; of several talks with Wilson about the slanders that were being circulated against Hattie, and, on his threatening to kick Henry Saxe, of his advising him not to do so, or anything that would get him into trouble; though at Mrs. Roof's Saturday evening before the murder, did not see Wilson; admitted seeing Wilson at the corners Monday morning as he was going to Akron, but paid no attention to him; never saw Wilson after Thursday until Monday morning; denied all Wilson's talk about cleaning out the town, or threatening anyone except Henry Saxe, etc.

On cross-examination Moore admitted his conditional marriage engagement with Hattie Roof; said his wife went West with the understanding that she would never come back, and that he would get a bill of divorce from her; had told Hattie that it would take three years to get a bill, and agreed to marry her if his wife did not come back, and he got a bill; her coming back was unexpected; admitted visiting Cleveland with Hattie and registering her name at hotel as Louisa Wilson; frequently talked with Mrs. Roof about the engagement; never told Wilson about it; couldn't say that he sent Hattie to school at Hudson; but if her mother would send her he would give as much money to the lame girl (Hannah) as she spent on Hattie; gave money to Mrs. Roof to buy clothes for Hattie; lived with his wife after she came back; told Hattie the game was up and the engagement broken; were engaged from July, nearly five months; during this time secret was confined to Mrs. Roof and themselves; to all appearances Wilson never got into the secret; the boy knew nothing of it to the best of his knowledge; engagement made in his (Moore's) sitting room; on Thursday before the murder called at Mrs. Roof's; the old lady

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called her son down; he first said he was going away; did not know where, and wanted to deed his property-the house-to Hannah; said before going he would see some of the folks who had slandered the family; said to Wilson his sister had done nothing wrong, let the matter drop; and throughout, both in the direct and cross-examination, denied holding out any inducements, or giving any encouragement whatever, to Roof, to inflict punishment, or seek revenge, upon any person or persons whatsoever.

In corroboration of Moore's statement the lame sister of Roof ' (Hannah) testified she did not know that Moore was at their house on the Saturday night before the murder, but that on his visit there the Thursday previous, though sitting in another room, she did hear her brother Wilson threaten to kick Saxe, and heard Moore tell him not to do anything that would bring himself or the family into trouble.

ARGUMENTS-CHARGE-VERDICT .- On the fourth day of the trial, at 3:20 P. M., both parties rested, and the court adjourned for the day. On Friday morning, May 31st, at 8 o'clock, the argu- ments commenced. Prosecuting Attorney Willard opening for the State, followed by Ezra B. Taylor and S. W. McClure for the defense, and concluded by John McSweeney for the prosecution, all being fine efforts.

The arguments closed at 6:30 P. M., and Judge Tuttle proceeded immediately to charge the jury. Retiring to their room at half past seven, the jury at eight o'clock in the evening summoned the court to receive their verdict, which was that the defendant Milton Moore, was not guilty of the offense as charged in the indictment, and though the evidence and all of the attendant circumstances of the case, showed great indiscretion on the part of Mr. Moore, very few, if any, questioned the righteousness of the verdict, for those at all acquainted with him, and with his peculiar temperament and traits of character, would hardly believe him capable of inflict- ing personal vengeance or injury, on any human being, however great the provocation, either by his own hand, or by proxy.

ROOF PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE .- At the conclusion of the above long and exciting trial, Roof, through his counsel, tendered a plea of guilty of murder in the Second degree, which Prosecuting Attorney Willard accepted, feeling, possibly, that the developments in the case just tried had created a general feeling of commiseration and sympathy for the accused, or else, remembering the surprise of himself and the public at the verdict of the jury in the case of Beery, a few months before, that he might be let off scot-free. Judge Tuttle thereupon immediately sentenced the self-confessed slayer of Harriet Musson-Wilson Shannon Roof- to imprisonment during his natural life in the penitentiary of the State of Ohio, to which institution he was con- veyed by Sheriff Jennings, on the 7th day of June, 1867.

PARDON OF ROOF-SUBSEQUENT LIFE, ETC .- Young Roof ac- cepted his fate without a murmur, thoroughly regretful for his fearful crime, and conducted himself, after his incarceration, in such a manner as to secure the good-will and sympathy of his keepers and the officers of the prison, who, a few years later, joined his friends in asking Governor Young for his pardon, which was granted on the 9th day of January, 1878, just nine years even months and two days after his arrival at the penitentiary.

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SPRINGFIELD IN PUBLIC OFFICE.

Since his liberation he has almost continuously resided in Mogadore industriously working, for the most of the time at his trade, for Myers & Hall, potters, of that village, and the sole dependence of his widowed mother and crippled sister, Hannah; his father, who had rejoined his family soon after the occurrences above narrated, dying of consumption in 1876, the mother dying December 21, 1889, of paralysis. The two younger sisters are hap- pily married-Hattie being the faithful wife of an industrious and prosperous mechanic in this city and the mother of several children; and Lottie, the equally faithful wife of a former Akron mechanic, now residing in Colorado.

MR. MOORE'S LATER LIFE .- Of course, the transactions herein above narrated, attached a certain degree of odium to the reputa- tion of Mr. Moore, not only affecting his social standing, but his pecuniary status, also; while his family relations continued to grow more and more inharmonious from year to year, culminating in final separation from his wife in 1878. The large expense incurred in his defense with other losses and sacrifices incident to his domestic and business troubles, resulted in utter financial prostration for several years, though the writer has gladly learned, through a friend well informed upon the subject, that he is at present engaged in an enterprise that bids fair, should his life be spared, to place him upon his financial feet again within a very few years.

SPRINGFIELD'S CIVIL ROSTER.

Without reverting to whatever of civil honors may have fallen to Springfield under the earlier rule of Trumbull and Portage counties, it will be seen that she has played quite a conspicuous part in the official affairs of Summit county, in spite of the fact that she has never, in a single instance, at a general election, cast a majority vote for the political party through whom the offices have been bestowed.

HENRY G. WEAVER, an intelligent and prosperous farmer, of Springfield, was elected in October, 1840, as Summit county's first representative to the State Legislature, serving one year.

HENRY G. WEAVER, was elected county commissioner, in 1845, and re-elected in 1848, holding the position six years.

HENRY PURDY, then an enterprising manufacturer of stone- ware, at the center of Springfield, was elected county recorder in October, 1852, and re-elected October, 1855, for six years faithfully and courteously serving his constituents in that important office; since which time Mr. Purdy has filled the office of mayor of the village and city of Akron, four years, and has held the office of justice of the peace for Portage township, with an interregnum of a single term only, since June 1, 1868, until his resignation about three years ago. Portrait and biography on page 56.

DOCTOR MENDAL JEWETT, then living in Mogadore, was in October, 1855, elected representative to the State Legislature, for two years making a very useful member of that body, indeed. Portrait and biography on page 264.

JOHN S. GILCREST, in October, 1856, was elected county com- missioner, and re-elected in 1859, giving to that responsible posi- tion six years of good and faithful service.

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

MILLS B. PURDY, a native of Springfield, but for the past thirty-five years a resident of Akron, served as city clerk of Akron six consecutive years-1868 to 1873, inclusive.

JAMES ALEXANDER LANTZ, also of Springfield origin, who as a member of the gallant 67th Regiment, O. V. I., lost an arm in the service of his country, was elected county recorder in October, 1864, and re-elected in 1867, making a first-class officer for six con- secutive years.

JACOB MISHLER, of Springfield, was elected county surveyor in October, 1873, and after having qualified as such resigned the position before entering upon its duties.

KING J. ELLET, born in Springfield, December 27, 1831, and one of the solid men of the township, was elected county commis- sioner in October, 1883, and re-elected in 1886, his six years' incum- bency being in every way efficient and satisfactory to his constituents. Mr. Ellet afterwards for a time being one of the trustees for the Summit County Children's Home.

JOSEPH MOORE, a long time resident of Springfield, but since 1868 a citizen of Akron, besides serving as the assessor for his ward, and as city school enumerator for many years past, has officiated as a county infirmary director, since 1887, being now president of the board.

HON. THOMAS WRIGHT, a resident of Springfield for over half a century, and one of its most intelligent and prosperous farmers, was elected as one of Summit county's representatives to the State Legislature, on the Republican ticket, in November, 1889, ably serving his constituents in that body through the sessions of 1889, '90 and 1890, '91.

SPRINGFIELD'S PRESENT OFFICIAL STATUS (1891),

TRUSTEES, Jacob Krumroy, Jacob Mumaw, and William McClelland; clerk, O. J. Swinehart; treasurer, Thomas J. Gilcrest; justices of the peace, James A. Stetler and Benjamin W. Bixter; constables, John Powers and William Boam; postmasters, Krumroy, H. L. Wagoner; Thomastown, Conrad Huber; Brittain, John Brittain; North Springfield, Ira Machimer; Mogadore, Henry Gates.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

STOW TOWNSHIP-HISTORICAL AND INCIDENTAL-FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION ON THE WESTERN RESERVE-" STOW CASTLE"-A PIONEER "MIRACLE"-EARLY SETTLERS, ORGANIZATION, ETC. - TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HYDRAULIC-TERRIBLE AND FATAL TORNADO-FOUR MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY INSTANTLY KILLED-INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES-INDIANS, BEARS, RATTLESNAKES, ETC .- VITAL STATISTICS-EDUCATION, MORALITY, RELIGION, ETC .- STOW'S HONORABLE WAR RECORD-TERRIBLE EPISODE OF THE REBELLION-TWO CITIZENS SHOT TO DEATH BY AN INFURIATED NEIGHBOR-EXCITEMENT OF THE PEOPLE-WOUNDING AND CAPTURE OF THE HOMICIDE-INDICTMENT, TRIAL AND CONVICTION-LIFE SENTENCE- PARDON, SUBSEQUENT LIFE, DEATH, ETC .- SOMETHING ABOUT THE MEN KILLED AND THEIR FAMILIES-STOW'S CIVIL RECORD, ETC.

STOW'S BEGINNING.

IN the distribution of the lands of the Connecticut Land Com- pany, by draft, as elsewhere explained, Township 3, Range 10, fell to Joshua Stow, of Middletown, Connecticut-hence the name. Mr. Stow, whose portrait taken from an original painting in pos- session of relatives in Middletown, Connecticut, is herewith given, was a member of the first exploring party, sent out by the company, in 1796, consisting of forty-five men, two women and one child. This party, making the journey princi- pally by water, in small portable boats, via Lakes Ontario and Erie, and contiguous rivers, landed at the ............ mouth of Conneaut river, in the extreme northeastern part of the State, on the morning of the fourth day of July, 1796.

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Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228