Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-03-05
Affair at Pontiac.

MIR. EDITOR Wrlte 10 inform you OF o
very mysterious affair which has just occnr-
red here. An old gentleman came here
about the middle of last month from Cat
taragus county, N. Y. with patent ma
chine for extracting stumps Of trees. He
had been here but few days, when some
fellows came here, who said they were shoe
makers and appeared very anxious to be in
the old mans company, which they sue
ceeded in doing, and managed to keep him
drunk, and get him gambling and contriv-
ed to swindle him out of good deal of
money. When the old man came to Michi-
gan he had some kind of q disease which
these fellows finding out they told him if
he would go with them to Detroit, they
knew of Doctor who could cure him.
When he, accordingly, went with them,
instead of getting him a Physician, they
gave him some stuff, which made him very
sick, and extorted $50 from him. Then
they told him they could get him Doctor
from Buffalo; who would very soon cure
him, to this he assented and came back to
Pontiac. There very soon came man
who said he was son of DR.. Hamilton of
Buffalo, and commenced attending to the
old man whose name was Cline. He
gradually lost his appetite and grew worse
until last Saturday, when the Doctor told
him he was getting better, and gave him
some stuff out of small bottle, and told
him that would cure him, and asked him
for some money, as he was going to Owos-
co. He gave him $40 and asked him to
leave the stuff. This he refused to do, say
ing he wanted it shortly. Mr.. Cling grew
stupifed and did not know what he was
about, when the Doctor came and asked
for more money, and he gave him his pocket
book, which the Doctor emptied, and threw
it under the bed and then left. 1t was
soon discovered by the landlord and Others
at the Railroad Hotel, where he was staying
that he was very sick and they were greatly
surprised that the Doctor should have gone
and left him so. On Sunday he was much
worse and appeared to be dying, when {
Doctor was called IN, when it appeared
evident that he was poisoned. On Monday
be was considerable better, when Mr.. II
Waldo the Justice of the Peace was called
in and took his deposition. On Tuesday
Cline appeared to be dying, but he linger
ed on till o'clock and died-The case was
Immediately put into the hands of the au
thorities, and officers have been dispatched
after the Doctor, and shoemakers. Their,
is post mottem examination to be helc
on the body to-day, Wednesday. l vii
send you further particulars. J.C.
The mans full name-thus foully dea
with-is Joseph S. Cline and he came from
Franklinville Cattaragus County, N. Y,
The shoemakers went by the name Of
Samuel Pettis and John Jarvis. The lat.
ter left Pontiac, Jan. 29th and the former
within week after The man was known
to have at least $4,000 in money when ht
went to Pontiac.
Ofcourse the son of D. Hamilton of Buff
falo was bogus one. We believe he has
no son at all, and know that he has none
who is grown up and physician. Drs
Paddock, Lauderdale and Wilson made a
post mortem examination of the brain and
stomach and the Coroner's jury rendered a
verdict that the death of the deceased was
accelerated or produced by narcotics or
some other poisonous medicines, &C."
We shall be oblighd to our correspon-
dent for still further information in regard
to this mysterious affair.-Detroa Iri
buue