Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-02
The RAYENNA MURDER
Fuller ParticalRrs--CoDfessfOn Of
uBeery--The Murdered Mans watch
Found.

- U0LC
Found.
The Portage County Democrat, of the LIST
insts gives in detail an account Of the muir
der Of John Rhodenbaugh, near Ravenna,on
the evening ofthe oath uit. The particulars,
as developed at the Coroner's investigation
and before the Justice, are substantially the
same as furnished the LEADER by our cores
pondent 1t seems from the evidence that
deceased had, on the day of his death, been
on quite intimate terms with the young men
joel Berry and Jack Cooper, who committed
the murder, and that the afternoon was
spent in playing cards and drinking in a
saloon in Kent. Deceased became intoxicated
and the other parties got full enough of
business. During the play the subject of
buying a certain grocery came up, and de-
ceased showed his money, some 5000, to the
parties. This, together with a watch worth
$50, were the coveted articles which melted
the murder. So hastily was the robbery
accomplished that the pocket of RIDDEN
baugh's pantaloons, containing his wallet,
was nearly torn out, and his watch wrenched
from his pocket, detaehing and breaking
the guard.
The suspected parties were arrested
about two miles from Ravenna, the morning
after the murder, having spent the night at
Jacob Beery's, uncle of one of the prisoners.
Joel Berry was born in Columbiana county,
and reports himself twenty-four years old.
His mother and numerous relations live in
Rayenna. For the last four months he has
been roughing it IN the canal between this
city and Massillon.
Jack Cooper says his home is in Elkhart,
Erie county, Pa, and that he is thirty-two
years old, and a cooper by trade. He, too,
has been on said canal. He had fallen in
with Berry on his last trip, arriving at Kent
on the 23d ult.
We have already stated that the examin-
alton of the parties was summarily closed
by a partial confession volunteered by Berry,
which charged Cooper with the murder and
robbery. As a justification of the proceed
ure, he says Cooper promised to screen him,
but rs the testimony involved both, he
determined to make the relations clear. He
said Cooper determined on. robbbing deceas-
ed. Cooper cut the club. He DID not get
into the buggy again, but followed on
after Rhodenbaugh and murdered him.
Reaching the railroad crossing Berry turned
to the left and drove west, having about
concluded to leave Cooper to himself and to
proceed to Red Brush by a circuitous
route. Finally, thinking he could still get
Oh the direct route route before Cooper should
come up, he turned the horse about in front
of hes school ouse5mentioned in testimo-
N.Y.. Then, seeing Rhodenbaugh drive across
the railroad he supposed Cooper had given
up the job. On coming up to the scene of
the murder he saw Rhodenbaugh lying upon
the ground, and Cooper was in the act of
tearing out thepocket containing the wallet.
At first he declined to allow Cooper to get
into the carriage, and drove on. Cooper
called, he stopped and took him up after a
brief parley, it which it was promised he
should not be harmed for the crime, robbery
or murder, or either.
They then proceeded to 4" Red Brush"
stopped a very short time at Henry Rhine
hart's, "a brother-in-law of Berry, While
there, they took a lunch, and Cooper bought
a pair ofnew boots of Lyman Berry, (broth-
er of Joel) assigning as a reason that tracks
might be measured. His former boots
Cooper threw into the water "Bulk-head
as they drove on to Ravenna.
Berry further states, that Cooper offered
to share the money with him and to give
him the watch, but he entirely refused to
have anything to do with either. He says
he does. not positively know where the mon
ey and watch were secreted, but when
found, they will be found tied up in a red
handkerchief, at or near the premises of
Jacob Beery.
Since the examination the watch has been
found. 1t was secreted in the hay-mow of
the barn of Jacob Berry, uncle of the con-
fessor. 1t had stopped at 6:3I, and was
wrapped in a piece of newspaper. The
chain was attached to it, lacking only the
hook that was broken off when it was stolen.
The initial letters, 81. R." engraved upon
the outside of the case, had been near
ly obliterated, but are still observable by
the aid of a magnifvins sl~---T TIKI HlUney
had not been found up to the fastest adviees.
The prisoners lie in the Ravenna JUL,
awaiting trial in the February term of the
Court of Common Pleas, to which they were
over.