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 99

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 99

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

COCHE

DARIUS F. BERGER.

is now assisting his son, Arthur F., now a successful dealer in groceries and provisions, at 262 West Market street, in Akron; the second son, Homer E., now officiating as book- keeper for County Treasurer E. S. Oviatt.

GREEN'S INDUSTRIES .- Agriculture, as before intimated, is the principal industry of Green township, as, from a drive in any direction, its well-kept farms, neat and comfortable residences, mammoth barns, and magnificent horses and cattle, will clearly indicate. In addition to this, the Tritt mill, already spoken of, the Stauffer mill, and sundry other mills for grinding grain and saw- ing lumber, were of infinite service to the early settlers, in their domestic and farming operations. Blacksmiths, wagon-makers, cabinet-makers, shoemakers, harness-makers, tanners, etc., have been maintained in different locations, wool-carding and cloth- dressing also being an early industry of the township. The town- ship is also largely underlaid with coal, hitherto not very extensively worked for want of proper transportation facilities, quite an extensive mine now (1891) being operated by the Lake View Coal Company, near East Liberty, the switch of the Valley Road to their Coventry mine, being extended to this. Iron ore was mined to a limited extent in the days of the Middlebury fur- nace, 60 years ago. The production of lime for building purposes, in different portions of the township, has, at times, been quite extensively carried on, while the manufacture of drain tile, from an excellent quality of clay found on the line of the Valley Rail- way, in the southeast corner of the township, is quite an extensive industry.

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS. - Green has been represented by former "historians" as lacking in educational enterprise and

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

intelligence, one writer saying: "Most of the early settlers were Pennsylvania Dutch, and many of these were very ignorant and superstitious, consequently at an early day the cause of education did not flourish." This statement I believe to be at variance with the facts. True, the early settlers were from Pennsylvania, and most of them of German descent, but that they were especially "ignorant and superstitious" beyond the general ignorance and superstition of their neighbors, and of the time, is undoubtedly an error, if not a downright slander. At all events, during the half century that the writer has been familiar with the people of that township, though simple in their habits of life, and quaint of speech and expression, he has found them fully abreast of the times in point of general intelligence and current events. And certainly, so far as outward appearances, are concerned, the numer- ous school houses of the township -- all commodious brick structures -have always been far in advance of the average school houses of the Reserve townships of the county.

ELECTORAL AND POLITICAL MATTERS .- For several years after its organization, the local and general elections of the township were held at such convenient places as could be secured, but after the village of Greensburg was established, the elections were held there until about the year 1860, since which time, by orders of trustees, they have alternated between that village and East Liberty. The Legislature of 1886, '87, however, divided the town- ship into two separate precincts, with voting places at both villages, a much more convenient arrangement, considering the great distance that many of the voters had to travel, in whichever place the polls might be located under the former plan. Politi- cally, Green is quite largely Democratic, and, though having many earnest and thorough-going Republicans within her bor- ders, has never failed in returning a Democratic majority but twice; first, by scoring a majority of one for John Brough for governor, over Clement L. Vallandigham, in 1863, and by the same majority expressing a preference for General Grant for president, over Horatio Seymour, in 1868.

CRIMINAL CATALOGUE .- Though staid, sober and honest to a degree seldom reached by so large an area of territory, Green has not been entirely exempt from criminal depredations and excitements. Passing by many minor criminal offences, and a number of con- victions for forgery, burglary, grand larceny, horse stealing, etc., we will only notice those of a homicidal nature, in which citizens of the township have been involved.

HORRIBLE DEATH OF MICHAEL MYERS .- One of the earliest sensations of Green township was the death of Michael Myers, who was employed in quarrying lime stone at the lime kiln of John Kepler, near his coal bank at East Liberty. Early on Sunday morning, February 24, 1844, the dead body of Mr. Myers was found lying near the edge of the burning kiln, under such circumstances as to render it probable that he had been foully dealt with; the forepart of one leg, from the knee down to the foot, being burned to a coal, and the foot of the other leg charred to the ankle, while his hands and other portions of his person were also badly burned, and what appeared to be a small punctured wound also being found upon the back part of his head.

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GREEN'S CRIMINAL AFFAIRS.

The ghastly discovery created the most intense excitement, not only in the immediate neighborhood, but in the adjoining townships, and at the county seat, and neighbors and interested parties immediately sought to ascertain the cause of his sudden and horrible "taking off." For some reason or other suspicion was directed against Mr. and Mrs. William Reed and Elijah Bowers, and warrants were sworn out for their apprehension. The prelim- inary examination was had before Justice Jacob Brown, of Akron, assisted by Justices Joseph D. Baird, of Springfield, and Henry ·Converse, of Akron, and Mayor Harvey H. Johnson. The examina- tion resulted in the commitment of both of the men, on the charge of murder, Mrs. Reed being discharged. Notwithstanding the large array of magisterial wisdom before whom the examination was had, and their judgment, from the testimony adduced, that Reed and Bowers were probably guilty of the murder of Myers, no record what- ever of the case can be found in the Court of Common Pleas, nor do the newspapers of the day again allude to the affair. The recollec- tion of the writer is that Prosecuting Attorney George Kirkum, Esq., ·on a fuller investigation of the case, concluded that the death of Myers was either suicidal or accidental, and that Reed and Bowers were entirely innocent of any complicity in the sad affair, and simply dropped the matter without bringing it to the attention of grand jury, or having the transcript filed in the Court of Common Pleas.

THE STRIPE-COOPER TRAGEDY .- In 1862, Mr. John Stripe and Henry Cooper were operating contiguous coal mines, in the south- eastern portion of Green township, Mr. Stripe's mine being in charge of his son, Isaac, then about 19 years old. Between Isaac and Cooper business jealousies had arisen, eliciting, as was alleged, threats of personal chastisement against Cooper by young Stripe, with perhaps counter threats on the part of Cooper. With this feeling of enmity existing between the two men, on the even- ing of November 10, 1862, in passing from his mine to his home, Cooper approached Stripe, saying, as is alleged, that he wished to have a talk with him, but, as Stripe maintained, in a menacing manner, with a stone in his hand, as if to assault him. Whichever version was the true one, Stripe having a long-handled shovel in his hands, struck Cooper two severe blows upon the head and face, felling him to the ground. Stripe then ran to his coal bank, saying to one William Dickerhoof, in his employ, as the latter stated at the coroner's inquest, that he had hit Cooper with a shovel, and wanted a pick or something to make it sure. But when Stripe, accompanied by Dickerhoof, came to the place where Cooper had fallen, he was not there, having so far recovered as to get up and and walk to his home, distant about 40 rods.

After informing his family what had happened, Mr. Cooper was immediately taken with vomiting, and though attended by skillful physicians, rapidly grew worse until his death, which occurred November 19. A little son of Cooper, who had been working with his father in the mine, and who had passed on home while his father stopped to talk with Stripe, while washing himself upon the door step, also saw the blows struck and his father fall.

As it became apparent that Cooper was likely to die from his injuries, the excitement in the vicinity became very great, and on the 17th day of November, an affidavit was filed by Thomas

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Highton, before Justice Alexander Johnston, charging Stripe with assault with intent to murder, Justice Johnston, on preliminary hearing, holding him to bail in the sum of $500, to answer to the Court of Common Pleas on the above charge, his father, John Stripe, going upon his bond.

The coroner's inquest found that Cooper died from the effects of the blows inflicted by Stripe, and the grand jury indicted him for murder in the second degree, the traverse jury on final trial, at. the February term, 1863, finding him guilty of manslaughter, Judge Canfield sentencing him to 15 months' imprisonment in the penitentiary. He was taken to the penitentiary March 10, 1863, and released April 14, 1864-a discount for good conduct of one month and 26 days.

Since his restoration to liberty Mr. Stripe-never addicted to excessive indulgence in intoxicating liquors-has been a sober, industrious and reputable citizen of Green township, having been for several years the proprietor of quite an extensive tile manufac- tory on the eastern border of the township, and contiguous to the Valley Railway.

THE SEMLER-KEPLER HOMICIDE .- On the 1st day of May, 1852, Godfrey Semler was married to Sarah Jane Kepler, daughter of Andrew J. Kepler, of East Liberty. Living for a year or two near Canal Fulton, in Stark county, Mr. and Mrs. Semler returned to East Liberty and engaged in hotel keeping. This occupation served ' to augment the hitherto somewhat tippling habits of Semler, and he rapidly fell into dissipation and consequent domestic infelici- ties, being at times so grossly abusive of his wife as to compel her, with her children, to seek the protection of her parents and other friends in the neighborhood, her life at such times often being threatened by her inebriated husband.

THE FATAL IMBROGLIO .- On Thursday, August 10, 1871, Semler visited Akron, accompanied by one of his little girls, whose picture he had had taken during the day, as usual returning home considera- bly intoxicated. Showing the picture to his wife, and asking how she liked it, she replied that it was a very good picture, only the hands looked rather too large for such a child. At this Semler became very greatly exasperated; accused his wife of making fun of, and ridiculing her own child, hurling at her the grossest abuse and threats until a late hour of the night and until finally overcome by drunken slumber.

On finding, towards morning, that he was at length sound asleep, Mrs. Semler quietly awoke her three children-two girls and one little boy-and dressing herself and them left the house, but instead of this time going to the home of her own parents, as she had so often done before, walked nearly four miles to the home of Semler's parents, near Greensburg, to solicit their intercession in securing better treatment from her husband.

Failing to secure the sympathy and co-operation of father and mother Semler, in behalf of herself and children, that she had anticipated, towards evening, Friday, August 11, they started back again on foot towards East Liberty, but getting a timely ride, a part of the distance, in a farmer's wagon. While thus riding, they were met by Semler, carrying a gun, who, threatening to shoot her, twice snapped the gun at her, but which, by reason of not being loaded, or owing to a defect in the lock, failed to go off.

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THE SEMLER-KEMLER HOMICIDE.

Arriving at her father's house, but hesitating about obtruding . her domestic troubles further upon her parents, who as she sup- posed had retired for the night, she seated herself with her chil- dren upon the porch. The little ones, being weary and restless, soon attracted the attention of the old people by their cries and moans, and were at once taken into the house and provided with lodgings for the night. About 10 o'clock, while Mrs. Semler and her parents were talking the matter over, Semler, who had not been inside of the house for three or four years, knocked at the door, and was invited in by his father-in-law. Semler'demanded that his wife should go home with him, which she declined to do, as the children had gone to bed, but promised to do so early in the morning.

Seeming satisfied with this promise, Semler left the house, and the two women went to bed, the old gentleman remaining up, or reclining upon the settee in the kitchen. After a time Semler returned, and being again admitted to the house by Kepler, again demanded that his wife should at once go home with him. Kepler .replying that she was probably asleep, urged him to go away, promising that she should go early in the morning. Instead of complying with Mr. Kepler's request, Semler forced himself into the bed room in search of his wife. In the meantime, being alarmed at his return, Mrs. Semler had taken refuge under the bed. Not finding her in the bed, by the aid of the lantern he had with him, he soon discovered her hiding place, and pulling her out, raised her to her feet, and began choking her with such severity that she soon sank to the floor. At this point the old gentleman, seizing a cane-gun which was standing behind the door, ordered Semler to leave the room, which he did.

The party then sat down in the kitchen to talk the matter over, the old gentleman in the meantime standing the cane-gun in one corner of the kitchen. Semler again demanded of his wife that she should at once go home with him, but she declined to do so, saying that he had snapped his gun twice at her that evening, to which he replied, "Oh, that was all in fun!"

Seeming, at length, to acquiesce in the promise of Mrs. Semler and her parents that she would return to him in the morn- ing, Semler invited his father-in-law to go up town with him and get a drink of beer. The old gentleman declined on account of being too tired, whereupon Semler proposed to bring some beer to the house, if he would drink with him, to which Kepler assented. On Semler's return, while the two men were drinking the beer, the entire family were discussing the family troubles. At length, under the inspiration of his fresh potations, Semler renewed his demand that his wife should go home with him, which she refused to do, again reminding him of his attempt to shoot her earlier in the evening.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE .- Finding himself again repulsed, Semler, setting his lantern down near the door, started towards his wife, as if to forcibly drag her home with him. Divining his inten- tion she took refuge behind the settee upon which her father was sitting. As Semler seized hold of his wife the old gentleman inter- posed, and being rather the stronger of the two, a terrible hand-to- hand struggle ensued, both falling to the floor. In the struggle, Semler, as was alleged, managed to get hold of the cane-gun in

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question, which he discharged at the old gentleman while in a recumbent position, in such a manner that the slug shaped bullet plowed through the fleshy portion of the left leg, and entered the abdomen about two inches below the lower point of the breast bone, lacerating the liver and other internal organs, from the- effects of which the old gentleman died on the night of August 16, 1871. Semler also received a wound in his arm, in the melee, and his version of the affair was that while he and Kepler were strug- gling on the floor, the old lady discharged the cane-gun at him, the- ball of which, after passing through his arm, also wounded the old gentleman.

BOTH SEMLER AND MRS. KEPLER ARRESTED .- The shape of the wound upon the person of Mr. Kepler, led the examining physicians, Drs. O. E. Brownell and C. A. Perdue, to conclude that he had been stabbed with some slim, sharp instrument in the hands of Semler, and both Mrs. Kepler and Semler were taken into custody, the former for shooting Semler, and the latter for stabbing Kepler. A preliminary examination, in Semler's case, was had before- Justice William D. Sweeten, of Greensburg, who held Semler to bail, in the sum of $1,800, on the charge of stabbing with intent to. wound, John and Michael Semler going upon his bond as sure- ties. It transpiring, during the examination, that, after being wounded by Semler, while lying upon the floor, Kepler had prob- ably struggled to his feet and seizing his loaded rifle standing in another corner of the kitchen, had fired at Semler as he was leaving the room, thus accounting for the wound in Semler's arm, the old lady was not proceeded against.

A NEW PHASE OF THE AFFAIR .- Mr. Kepler dying from his- injuries, August 16, 1871, a post-mortem examination by Dr. Thomas McEbright, revealed the fact that the wound in the abdomen of the deceased was caused by a bullet, instead of a stab, and Prosecuting Attorney Jacob A. Kohler, Esq., filed an affidavit before Justice William M. Cunningham, of Akron, charging Semler with murder in the second degree, on which charge he was held to bail in the sum of $3,000, in default of which Semler was com- mitted to jail, the proper bond being filed before Probate Judge U. L. Marvin, September 2, 1871, with Michael and John Semler as. sureties.

INDICTMENT, TRIAL, ETC .- At the November term, 1871, of the. Court of Common Pleas for Summit county, the grand jury indicted Semler for murder in the second degree, to which, on the advice of his attorneys, General A. C. Voris and Hon. Henry Mckinney,. he entered a plea of not guilty, and was duly put upon his trial before Judge Samuel W. McClure, and a jury. The trial lasted sev- eral days, and was closely contested at every point, Prosecutor Kohler being ably assisted by his law partner, Hon. Sidney Edger- ton, on behalf of the State, and Messrs. Voris and Mckinney defending with their usual vigor and ability.

The charge of Judge McClure was an able exposition of the law governing homicides and the rules of applying evidence in cases of that character, the jury, after a brief consultation return- ing, through their foreman, George W. Weeks, Esq., a verdict of guilty of manslaughter.

Motion for new trial being overruled by Judge McClure, the defendant was sentenced to the State Penitentiary for a period of

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GREEN TOWNSHIP IN WAR.

five years, whither he was conveyed by Sheriff August Curtiss, on the 19th day of December, 1872, his age being at that time 32 years.

PARDONED .BY GOVERNOR ALLEN .- It afterwards appearing, from the revised recollections of the two women of the badly mud- dled events of the fatal evening, that in the struggle between the two men, the cane-gun in question was probably accidentally dis- charged, and that Semler was entirely innocent of even the milder form of homicide for which he had been convicted, Prosecutor Kohler and others interested themselves in his behalf, and he was pardoned by Governor William Allen on the 27th day of March, 1874, after faithful service to the State of two years, four months and eight days.

SUBSEQUENT HISTORY .- Satisfied that she could never again live happily with her husband, even should he not return to his cups, on leaving the prison, Mrs. Semler applied for and was granted a divorce, at the January term, 1872, with the restoration of her maiden name, custody of children, control of property, etc., and on the 31st day of December, 1874, she was married to Freder- ick Gindling, of Green township, with whom she is now living happily in the state of Michigan.

And as to Semler, himself, instead of profiting by his bitter experience, and reforming his habits, while not regarded as especially vicious, the opinion entertained of him by those who know him best may be summed up in the single but expressive word-"worthless."

GREEN'S MILITARY RECORD.

It is presumable that among the large number of sturdy and patriotic immigrants from Pennsylvania, who settled in Green township, there were a number of the battle-scarred survivors of the Revolutionary War, but unfortunately their names have not been preserved in the local traditions of the township.

Its inhabitants were so sparse, at the breaking out of the War of 1812, that but few recruits were furnished by Green for the defense of the frontier, and not all of those, even, have been handed down. John Kepler, being unable to go himself secured young John Dixon as his substitute, providing him with the necessary equipage, consisting principally of a gun, knapsack, and blanket. Andrew Kepler personally entered the service, and also Peter Buchtel, who died of disease at Sandusky; William Triplet, on reporting for duty at Canton, being rejected by the examining surgeon, because of his enfeebled appearance from a severe attack of fever and ague, from which he was suffering. .

In the Mexican War of 1846-8, the patriotism of Green did not "enthuse," for though generally in full sympathy with the political party then in power, her people did not apparently approve of the measures by which that war was brought about.

But in the War of the Rebellion, notwithstanding the adverse feeling and action of a large proportion of their political partisans, Green was found to be eminently true to the Union cause. Up to July, 1862, she had furnished 62 volunteers. In the subsequent calls of that and the succeeding year, Green promptly responded; and, when in the Spring of 1864, Governor Brough tendered to Mr. Lincoln the Ohio National Guard to man the forts surrounding

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Washington, thereby releasing several thousand veterans to follow the fortunes of the victorious Grant, Captain D. F. Berger's large company turned out to a man, all of whom, except the very few rejected for positive disability, were duly mustered into service at Camp Taylor, in Cleveland, May 16, 1864, as a part of the 164th Regiment, O. N. G. After a faithful service of 100 days, in the heat of an almost tropical Summer, the company was mustered out at the same place August 27, 1874.

In the last draft of the war, in October 1864, prizes were drawn by several of the good citizens of Green, Captain Berger, who had just been mustered out of service as above, included. Such of these drafts as were not rejected for disability by the examining surgeons, either responded in person or by substitute; the total number of soldiers (including the 100 day men) furnished by Green township for the suppression of the rebellion, as reported to the writer by Captain Berger, and compiled from assessors' returns for 1865, being 176, as follows:

Joseph F. Anderson, Daniel J. Angstadt, Jerome Ansbach, John L. Bender, Emanuel Buck, John Bussard, Henry Brumbaugh, Otho H. Beard, John Burkett, Elias Bickel, Darius F. Berger, John Burkhardt, Peter Corl (killed in battle), Daniel Cobb, Cornelius Cobb, Elias Cramer, Benjamin Chisnell, James Collar, Benjamin Corl, Gerge Denious (died in service), William Dickerhoof, William B. Dice, John F. Dickerhoof, George W. Dice (killed in battle), Amos Daily, George Dissinger, Henry D. Evans (killed in battle), George Foust (killed in battle), Daniel S. Foust, Hiram Foust, Joel Frank (killed in battle), Jacob Foster (died in service), Suel Foster, Jonathan Foster, John Fry, Levi Fasnacht, George H. Fasnacht, Henry Fees, James Fees, Elias Foster, Jacob Gardner (killed in battle), William Garmon, Harrison Garmon, Jeremiah J. Garmon, Jacob Garmon, Alexander Grable, Jacob Grable, Jerome Grable, Andrew Greenho, Frederick Gindling, William Guise (died in ser- vice), Hiram Haring, John Hugh, Elias Harrington, William F. Harrington (died in service), Milo Hunsberger (died in service), William Hartong (killed in battle), Lewis Hartong, Levi Hartong, James Howard, Isaiah Hunsberger, James Hayes (killed in battle), David Houser (killed in battle), Simon Humbert (killed in battle). Wellington Isbell, Rufus M. Jones, Henry Jarrett, Beneville Kinzy, Jonas Kahler, John P. Kepler, David Kline,. Martin Kline, Alchia A. Koontz, Jonathan B. Kreighbaum, William Kramer, William Klinefelter, William Kline, Martin Kahler, Isaac Kinzy, Emanuel Kinzy, George Kleckner, John Lamberson, Daniel Lamberson (killed in. battle), Noah N. Leohner, Jacob Lepard, George W. Lepard, Henry Linebaugh, Jacob Long, Obed Long, Ishmael Long, John L. Louby, Michael Lutz, Benjamin F. Mander- bach, William C. McBride, D. O. Mottinger, Samuel Mottinger, Daniel J. Mottinger, John C. Musty, P. H. Musty, Rodney McPike, Joseph R. Mell, Jerome J. Musser, Isaac S. Miller, Henry Mander- bach, M. E. McBride, Peter Nicholas, Isaac Powles, Nicholas Pontious, Simon Peters, Frederick Pippus, Isaac Pontious, Fred- erick Remley (killed in battle), Christian F. Remley (killed in battle). Hiram Ream, Andrew J. Ream, Samuel Ream, Simon Ream, Lewis Ream, George Rininger, Samuel Rininger, Jehu Rininger, William H. Rininger, G. W. Rhodes, Samuel Raber, Manum Royer, John Stevens (died in service), Samuel Steese,

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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