USA > Ohio > Logan County > The historical review of Logan County, Ohio > Part 22
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Never in all the history of the found- ing and upbuilding of nations was there a better sub structure put under the char- acter, and a firmer and stronger super- structure builded woon the hardy and courageous manhood of a race than that which found in this wild and unbroken wilderness, the education and opportunity offered by these rude and uncouth school houses, whose very walls were in after times to reflect the strength and patriotism of the children of the Great Northwest.
From these came the men and women who were to bring the wilderness under subjection, and who were to make its . homes and firesides the abiding places of loyalty and patriotism, and whose children were to take their places in the ranks of the greatest armies for the preservation of the liberties their fathers had battle.l so courageously to win, and which the sons were determined to forever maintain.
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wisdom was to confound the wise men. and who "spoke as never man spake."
CHAPTER AVIL
MERDERS IN TOCAN COUNTY: OF MES. HILLLVAN, OF THOS. V. BALLARD. OF EDWARD T. ALLEN. OF SILPHEN GLICK, OF DANIEL MARTIN, OF MILION HOWARD. OF STILLS NOUVELLE. OF A CATHOLIC PHIEST. OF MATHLW HEMPHILL. OF ALIHIE LANG DON, OF WM. BROOKS, OF MATHLW POLLOCK. A DOUBLE MOEDER. TID. WHITMORE CASE, OF CIAS. MARTIN, OF FRED WAGNER. OF GLOBAL W. ROCK- THILI. OF FRANK MULLIN, OF CHRISTIT LA RUE. OF WM. FLYET-LYNCHING OF SLYMOUR NEWLIN. OF W. M. HULL. OF GRANT JACKSON. THE DETECT- IVE MURDER. OF ALLE PRALL. THE AUSTIN MUR- DER, OF AARON BURT.
Every community has its criminal his- tory, an 1 Logan county is no exception to the rule.
I am rot going to exploit the murder- ers, whose deeds of violence have only de- tracted from the general good, and whose records are no encouragement to higher aims and better purposes; but the histo- rian is compelled to deal with facts as he finds them and to make record of the int- cidents which go to make up and complete the whole of the history of the time of which he writes. In this view of the mat- ter only do I make record of the unfortun- ate crimes which blacken the pages of Logan county history, and in great meas- ure reflect upon its law-abiding people.
THE HELLMAN MURDER.
The first murder committed in Logan county was by Andrew Hellman, whose fearful crime has been a stain upon the early history of the county, and which, so far as
the measure of justice is concerned, was never punished by the due processes of law.
Andrew Hellman was a German by birth, and was born at Worms, on the river Rhine. He came to America in 1817, when twenty-five years old. and settled at Balti- more, Maryland. He was a tailor by trade, and pursued his occupation in that city and Washington. He soon afterwards removed to Laydown county. Virginia. He had so far conducted himself as to win the good opinion of his new acquaintances. Upon lis arrival in Virginia he took up his resi- dence with a respected German named George M. Abel, and worked as a farm la- lover for the people in the near neighbor- hood.
Mr. Abel became very much attached to the young German, who was steady, sober. and industrious, and he became a suiter for. the hand of Mr. Abel's daughter. Mary, a handsome and most attractive girl of twen- ty, and in December, 1821. they were mar- ried, with the approval and good wishes of the family. The promise of a happy mar- ried life was soon blasted by the insane and unfounded jealousy of Hellinan. They kept house in London county for about eight years. The brothers of his wife had come to Ohio, and Hellman followed them. first to Carroll county, and later in the year 1836 to Legan county, where his two broth- ers-in-law. General John Abel and George Abel, had preceded him, and he purchased the farm adjoining General Abel's in Me- Arthur township.
Some three years after their arrival in Logan county two of his children were taken suddenly sick and died, and by reason of after developments there was always a suspicion that for some reason Hellman had poisoned them.
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
On the morning of the 28th of Septem- ber. 1839. Mrs. George Abel. his sister-in- law, went to Hellman's house and found Hellman in bed. covered with blood, his head and face tied up. he claiming that two evenings before two robbers, a negro and a white man, had entered his home and had brutally assaulted him.
When asked as to his wife, he claimed to know nothing. Mrs. Abel went into an adjoining room and found the body of Mrs. Hellman in a pool of blood. mangled and beaten beyond description.
She quickly gave the alarm, and the neighbors gathered, and the coroner sum- moned a jury to hold an inquiry.
General John Abel. the brother of Mrs. Hellman, upon the beginning of the hear- ing. boldly charged Hellman with being the murderer of his wife, and a physician being present he was examined, the blood and stains being washed from his face he was found to be unhurt, and was at once arrest- ed. charged with the awful crime.
He was committed to the jail of the county. charged with murder and indicted for murder in the first degree.
He employed as his attorneys Sampson Mason of Springfield and Hiram McCart- ney. He made choice to be tried by the Su- preme Court, as under the old state consti- tution he had a right to do. There not be- ing time to try his case at the first term of this court, it was continued until the next term of the court, which met but once a year.
He was confined in the old log jail at Bellefontaine, and being a tailor, there ap- plied his trade for some time, until fourteen months after the murder. on the 13th day of November. 1810. he escaped. The horse of one of his attorneys. IFiram McCartney,
was found near East Liberty, at the home of a German named Conrad Harpole, and some suspicion was cast upon McCartney by reason of his escape.
It is more than likely that this suspicion was without foundation, and that Hellman simply helped himself to McCartney's horse without obtaining the consent of its owner.
He went back to Baltimore, and thence to Pennsylvania, finally returning to Bal- timore.
As the distances were great, and there being little or no communication between the east and west at that carly day, without telegraphs or railways, Hellman was com- paratively safe when he reached the distant city of Baltimore.
Ile assumed the name of Adam Horn and following his trade of a tailor, opened a shop. On August 17. 1842, he married Malinda Hinkle, and after living with her until the 22d of March. 1843, murdered her and cut her body to pieces and buried it in the gulley in the orchard on his place.
Ile was arrested, tried, convicted and executed for this murder on the 12th of January, 1844.
Before his execution he made full con- fession of the murder of his wife in Logan county.
Thus ended the career of a must bru- tal and cowardly murderer, and the first murderer of Logan county.
MURDER OF THOS. A. BALLARD.
In the year 1843, Thomas A. Ballard, and a man named Ford. both of whom had been drinking. got into a controversy in Perry township, and in the night that followed. Ford drew a knife and stabbed Ballard. Ballard died within a few hours and Ford fled the country. Nothing was
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ever done with Ford and he never re- playing cards and did not retire until a turned.
After some considerable protest upon the part of the cemetery directors Ballard was buried in the northwest corner of the cemetery at East Liberty, and a board fence was put around his grave.
THE MURDER OF EDWARD T. ALLEN.
I have designated this case a murder for I shall show conclusively that the at- tempt to make it appear that Edward T. Allen committed suicide was only a part of the plan of the desperate and scheming crew who first robbed him of his life and then attempted to rob him of his good name and his property. Edward T. Allen was a prosperous merchant of West Mid- dleburg. One morning in November. 1852, he started from his home in Middle- burg to go to Cincinnati to purchase goods. He drove over the road leading from Middleburg to West Liberty and from that point towards Urbana. He was in the company of Benjamin Dillion, a man who kept a hotel on the corder op- posite Allen's store in West Middleburg. On the way they stopped at the house of John A. Corwin, a lawyer, who lived in a house on the corner of the Governor Vance farm just north of Urbana. From this house they went to Urbana in com- pany with Corwin and put up at the hotel kept by a Mrs. Blanchard. This was on Wednesday afternoon. They remained at this hotel all of Wednesday night. and Corwin, Allen and Dillion occupied the sime room of the hotel. and according to the statements of one of the attendants slept together. It was understood by those in the hotel that they were engaged in
very late hour.
On Thursday morning they came down and went to Corwin's office, where by an arrangement Allen transferred all of his property to Dillion, in consideration of notes for Sto.500.00. The notes and pa- pers were drawn by Corwin, and the deeds to all of Allen's property were executed and delivered to Dillion. The property this transferred amounted to more than $40,000.00.
In return for these Allen received the three notes of Dillion for two thousand dol- lars each. at three, four and five years, and two notes for $1.000.00 each at eighteen months and three years, and one note for $1500.00. all without interest. and without security, and non-transferable.
Corwin afterwards stated that there was a verbal agreement that Dillion was to pay Allen's debts to be deducted from these notes.
Allen's property, when inventoried. amounted to $40.750.00, and his debts to $6.300.00. all for goods which he had but recently purchased in the eastern cities.
That same day the parties started to Cincinnati, accompanied by Corwin for the purpose of discounting Dillion's non- negotiable notes to Allen. so that Dillion might use the proceeds in the payment of Allen's debts. Upon arriving at Spring- field. Corwin. as he claimed, had an op- . portunity to talk with Allen. and for the first time discovered him to be mentally unbalanced, and for some reason they re- turned to Urbana.
That same night of Thursday, they again remained at Mrs. Blanchard's Hotel, occupying a room together as before.
The following morning. Friday. Cor-
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win came down from the room, left the hotel and went to his home in the country. Shortly afterwards Dillon came down stairs and engaged a private room for Allen, who he said would remain for some days. Dillon then went to West Middle- burg, intending to return that same even- ing.
When Dillon arrived at West Middle burg the friends of Allen, greatly alarmed at his disappearance and his failure to re- turn with Dillon, made inquiry of Dillon as to his whereabouts. To these inquiries Dillon refused to make answer. They finally closed the doors and told Dillon that he should not leave the room alive if he did not at once di-close Allen's where- abouts. He then informed them that Allen was at Mrs. Blanchard's hotel in Urbana. Four of these parties, including Doctor Adams and the two brothers-in- law of Allen, and Thomas Axtell, drove at once to Urbana. arriving at four o'clock on Saturday morning, and found that Al- len had left the hotel Friday the day be- fore, about noon. It afterwards appeared that Allen had gone to the house of John A. Corwin and so far as could be dis- covered had remained at this house on the night of Friday. At this time there were at this house. Corwin. Allen, Lester Ware. and a man named William Dickey, a lacky of Dillon's, whom Dillon had sent from Middleburg to Corwin immediately upon discovering the extent of the feeling and excitement at Middleburg concerning the disappearance of Allen.
Thomas Axtell and David Wilkins went to Corwin's house and found Corwin there with William Dickey, and learned from them that Allen had been there the day before. Friday, and had started for West
Middleburg on foot. Not satisfied with these statements, the parties began a sys- tematic search for Allen and finally found his body in a small grove, or brush. just north of Urbana, and across Dugan Creek. hanging to a small tree suspended with his own handkerchief around his neck and his horse andl buggy near by.
There had been a heavy rain during the night and all traces of foot-prints had been washed out. the buggy was covered with mud and so was the clothing of Allen, while Dugan creek was swollen with the food.
Dillon. upon his arrival at West Mid- alleburg, proceeded to take possession of the store, books, notes and property of Allen under what purported to be an as- signment and sale of this property to Dillon by Allen, and dated but a day or two before. These papers, assignments and sales were all in the handwriting of John A. Corwin. Dillen claimed to have purchased the same or to have taken them upon an indebtedness due from Allen to him. and with a verbal agree- ment to pay Allen's obligations to the par- ties of whom he had purchased goods. As Allen's assets amounted to more than $40,000.00 and his debts to but little more than $6.000.00. it was not clear why such an assignment and contract should be made. especially as there was no indebted- ness from Allen to Dillon. When the in- debtedness was incurred from Allen to Dillon, or for what it was made. Dillon was never able to fully declare.
No sooner had Dillon taken possession of the store and property of Allen, than the indignant and outraged citizens pro- tested against such proceedings, and call- ed upon Dillon to show his authority and
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declare upon what indebtedness or what payments he had secured the right to take possession of Allen's property. A pub- lic meeting was held at which several hun- dred citizens expressed their indignation. and proceedings were commenced by Allen's administrator to set the whole transaction aside. So earnest and out- spoken were these people and so deter- mined to see that even-handed justice was done that Dillon. frightened by the un- expected storm which had broken over his head. and advised by his attorneys, suddenly released all claim to the property and fled the town.
That it was a piece of trickery. frand and chicanery has never from that day to this been questioned.
By what means these papers were se- cured has remained a mystery ; they were witnessed by the members of this com pany whose signatures were affixed and whose attestation was but a part of the systematic attempt to rob the family of Allen of their property.
What was done the night Allen was decoyed into Corwin's house between West Liberty anl Urbana, may never be fully known, but enough is known to make it fully appear that these gamblers and robbers were there for the especial purpose of plucking Allen and getting into possession of his property by some systematic plan, devised before hand and duly carried into execution.
How Allen came to his death has in some measures remained a question for inquiry, but it is equally certain that he was dead and that his body was cold and lifeless before it was taken to the tree from which it was found suspended. An examination by physicians of the body
disclosed the fact that Allen was dead before the body was hanged to the tree, and that there had been no circulation at the time the body was hung to the tree, and that death had unquestionably preceded the suspension, and the discolorations which would necessarily have followed death by strangulation were not present.
His clothing was covered with mud as though he had been down in the mind or had been splashed by the swift running of his buggy. The limb to which he was banged was but a short stub from the tree, and it would have been impossible for any man to have so suspended himself with his own handkerchief.
Edward Allen had no cause for suicide. unless the cause was given him and the means provided by those with whom he was associated. during his so-journ in Urbana.
The speedy surrender of Dillon to all title to property, which he had claimed was his, and which had been paid for by him, was an evidence that the conspirators had reckoned without counting the full cost of their attempted conspiracy, and that they had obtained it by trickery or fraud.
The character of these men at once put their claims within the field of sus- picion, ard their attempt to take posses- sion of property which had been secured by murder. cheating and robbery was justly resented and repudiated by the peo- ple who had known Edward Allen and were familiar with his character and busi- ness methods.
One of our most distinguished lawyers some years after had a conversation with Honorable Frank Wright, who was a brother-in-law of Corwin, and who resided in Urbana, and in this conversation
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Wright, in speaking of this unfortunate affair, said that there had always been a mystery in his mind about the matter and that the night before Allen's body was found John A. Corwin had come to his house, wet through and through, as though he had waded across a creck.
It will be remembered that it was in a small grove, or brush, just north of Urbana and on the other side of Dugan Creek where Allen's body was found sus- pended to the limb of a small tree, and that to return to town any one passing from that point to Urbana would have had to have waded Dugan creek.
This story which was told only long after Corwin's death may have turned upon the transaction a calcium light of truth.
If, as has been suspicioned by some, the death of Allen was accidental, and was produced by an over-dose of some nar- cotic which had been given him, and was only intended to benumb the senses and becloud the brain, so that he might be taken advantage of. and thus be cheated of his property and robbed of his own. then the murder was no less a murder and the men who perpetrated it were guilty of the crime which should have been pun- ished by death.
One thing is certain-Edward Allen never hanged himself to the tree in the woods with the handkerchief which was found suspending him. It was an utter impossibility to have done such a thing. He was taken to the woods after death, and not one man, but several. assisted in placing him in a position to cast the suspicion of suicide upon hm, and to let it be understood that he had taken his own life, instead of its Leing by others.
Another important circumstance in connection with this matter was the fact that the money with which Allen started to Cincinnati was not found upon his per- son. If his death was caused by suicide and he alone went to the woods and com- mitted the deed there should have been found upen his person the sum of money with which he started from his home in Middleburg and with which he intended to make his purchases in the city.
The men who were present that night profited nothing by this infamous proceed- ing so far as financial gain was concerned. unless they secured the money with which Allen had intended to make purchases of goods in the city, but they lost the good opinion and received the condemnation of every class of people who became familiar with this unquestioned crime.
Another circumstance closely connected with this crime, and which sheds light upon it and its perpetrators, was the fact that Allen and Dillon had had dealings together in Middleburg, and Dillon was indebted to Allen in a considerable sum, witnessed by the notes of Dillon to Allen. These notes were never found, and the indebtedness of Dillon to Allen disappeared with Allen's death.
One most probable theory of this mur- der and one which is justified by all the circumstances of the case, and which is based upon facts which are hard to put away, is that Allen went to the home of Corwin on Friday, as Corwin himself has stated, and that instead of going forward to his home in Middleburg remained at Corwin's house that Friday afternoon and Friday night. No one ever saw Allen. after Corwin says he had come to his house on Friday, until he was found hang-
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ing in the brush beyond Dugan creek, tin- less it was Corwin and his friends.
It is more than probable that these people who were playing a great game of robbery and fleeting a man whose mind they themselves declared to be unbalanced had for the purpose of accomplishing their aims administered some drug with a view to rendering their victim helpless a d sub- ject to their aims and purpo es, and that they had administered an over dose from which Allen had failed to recover and death had resulted therefrom.
It would further appear. frem all the circumstances, that finding their victim helpless and unconscious they had at- tempted to revive him by driving him about in the buggy, in the mud and rain, until the buggy was covered with mud and Allen's clothing was also covered with it. and at last finding that life had departed. in a desperate attempt to conceal the crime, had conceived the idea of suicide and had bung Allen's body upon the stump of a tree, suspended with his own handkerchief.
This theory is strengthened by the story of Honorable Frank Wright, the brother-in-law of Corwin, who says that Corwin came to his house in Urbana, late Friday night or early Saturday morning. the day Allen's body was found. and that he was as wet and muddy as though he had waded through a creek ; Dugan creek was swollen from the rains and Corwin must cross it to reach Wright's house in Urbana-from the point where Allen's body was found.
What was Corwin doing away from his home on such a night, and why did he go to Wright's instead of going to his own home?
Another fact worthy of especial men- tion is that Dillon had sent Dicky, his lackey, from Middleburg to Urbana to to see Corwin, and that Dickey, according to: Corwin's own statement, was at Cor- win's house that Friday night. Dillon afterwards left Middleburg and kept hotel in West Liberty and when this man Dicky was taken sick unto death Dillon and Cor- win were present, and remained with him until his eyes were closed and his lips were closed in death.
Why this solicitude about Dicky, if it was not for the fear of conscience stricken guilt which was driving these men in desperation to guard the secret which they feared Dickey might in his dying mo- ments reveal ?
There was never quite a sufficiency of evidence to bring these people to justice in the courts of law, although condemned alnost without exception by the common judgment of the community, but there is a higher court to which the murderers of Edward T. Allen have gone to answer for their crime. and from whose findings and judgments there is no appeal.
Corwin was a judge upon the supreme bench of Ohio but the stigma of this drove him into private life and he resigned from the bench.
Another one of these conspirators was cut to pieces in a drunken brawl in a hotel in St. Louis. Benjamin Dillon left the country to escape the accusing and con- demning suspicions of his fellow citizens and fell from a gang plank at Des Moines and was drowned in the river.
John A. Corwin. after a metoric flight became a common drunkard and fell from the high estate which he had at one time occupied, and was dashed to earth as the
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burned and blackened mass of stone and iron is thrown from the dashing meteor which shines with brilliancy for a moment and then goes out forever.
THE MURDER OF STEPHEN GLICK.
In 1854 Stephen Glick lived in Bloom- field township, and the elder brother of Glick and one Morgan MeClarin were waiting upon a young lady in the neigh- borhood and there was a jealous rivalry between them.
One day in July, 1854, the Glick broth ers were cradling wheat in a field and MeClarin came by with a gun. The Glick brothers were resting upon the fence near the road, and after some little wordy controversy between them Me- Clarin pulled up his gin and shot at the elder Glick, but missed and killed the younger brother, Stephen.
MeClarin was arrestedl but for some reason the case never came to trial.
THE DANIEL MARTIN MURDER.
Sometime in the year 1854 at the town of Logansville. Daniel Martin and Thomas and John Ellis got into a quarrel. The whole matter was imply a drunken brawl. and in the fight that ensued Martin was knocked down and kicked by the Ellis brothers until he was dead.
The two brothers were indicted. Thomas fled the country, but John was arrested and tried and sent to the peni- tentiary for manslaughter.
Afterwards Thomas returned, was ar- rested, tried and sent to the penitentiary for a like sentence. They served their terms and returned to Logansville.
MURDER OF MILTON HOWARD.
In the year 1865 Captain James Hall. of Rushsylvania, killed Milton Howard. Hall was an Irishman by birth and had been the captain of a vessel of the Eng- lish service before coming to the United States.
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