The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-01-06
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I
trsted at Deerfeld, in :, ..eu-
Monday night of last week. We taEs7
following, in reference to the awful affair
from the Lebanon S'qr: !
Inst Monday night mnst terrible trag-
edy was enacted at the residence of Mr.
John W. Roo>a, three and half miles
from Lebanon, on the road leading to
Deer6eld. Some person unknown entered
the house during the night, and murdered
Jesse Cozzens, a hired man, aged about 81
, years, who was employed on Mr.. Roosa's
farm, Alice Bell ROosa, aged about II
years, and Harry RoOsa, aged about 2
years. Mrs. Roosa received ten blolrs
from q hatchet on aud about the head and
was doubtless left for dead, but it is prob
able that she will recover. Frances Roosa,
aged about seven years also received ten
blows, and at the date of this writing It is
not expected that she will recover. Jean
nette RoOsa, aged six years, was the only
one in the house who escaped uninjured.
Mrs. Roosa states that she was Wakened
in the night, and she thinks the early part
Of the night, BY man moving about In
her bedroom with lighted lamp, in one
hand and hatchet in the other. Hccame
to the bed where she was lying with little
Harry, and struck her a blow on the head
with the hatchet, which rendered her un-
conscious. Jeanette Rosa states that
she was wakened by the struggle between
her sister Alice and the murderer, that af-
ter be struck Alice the first time he said
he had been mad at her father, aud want
ed to kill him. That he then said if Al
ice did not give him FIVE dollars he would
kill her. That Alice begged him not to
kill her and she would give him any thing |
be wanted. Then the murderer dragged |
Alice out into the dining room and Jean
nette heard no more.
After the murderer had completed his
work, he returned from the dining room t0 /
the bed room occupied by Alice and jean !
nette and passed out through the window.
As he was crawling through the window
Jeanette raised herself up in the bed,
and the murderer looking around told her
if she did not lie down he would kill her.
She then laid down, and heard the mur-
derer pass through the gate.
Both Mrs Roosa and Jeanette say
the man had a reddish moustaebe, dark
eyes and hair, thin face, and that he was
Of medium size The description tallies
almost exactly with that of a strange man
who was in Lebanon on Monday with a
woman, both claiming to be from Mary
land and protesting to be on their way to
Dayton. Jeanette says that the murder
er was WI hOut coat or hat, and that she
saw his track at the bridge where the pri~
vate roadway from Mr.. Roosa's house
joins the Deerfeld turnpike. This cir
cumstanee, and the other statements of
Jeanette given above seem to imply that
the murderer was no stranger, but some
one aetuated by fendish malice against
Mr., ROosa and his family.
When the murderer left the house be
placed the lamp, still burning, on the floor
In Jeannette's room, and left the hatcher,
covered with blood and bair,-:Or the
blows had all been aimed at and moss of
them delivered upon the heads Of his VIC
ims,-On the floor near the window
Jeanette says the lamp smoked so that
the chimney became black and everything
became dark, when she got up and lit an
other lamp.-That also smoked, and she
lit a candle. As soon as it became light
she ran over to Mr.. A. L. Scots and told
what had happened. He notified Mr. Jes-
Sc Bcadle, aud they went to Mr.. RoOsa's
house.
Upon entering the houge an awful sight
met their view. In one corner of the room
sitting ia a chair with his head resting
against the wall, was jesse Cozzens, dead
Behind the stove lay Alice, dead, and up
Oh the floor lay Frances with five or six
cuts upon The head, still alive and moan
log but in all probability mOrtally wound
ed. The dead we're horribly cut and
mangled, and great pools Of blood we're
upon the floor. The walls and he furni-
ture were smeared with blood, and there
were evidences of a terrible struggle.
There was blood also in JeaDnette's ROOM
Passing into Mrs Roosa's room they found
her with cuts upon both sides of her face,
all over her head, and one broad cash up
on her arm. The pillow and the bed
clothing were soaked in blood. She was
able to speak, and said some man had been
there numbering them all. Then, first of
all, and true to the maternal instinct, she
asked them 10 see if her babe was alive.
She could not tell, but it had been still
long time, she said. They found the child
dead. Tie Ratchet had been buried in its
brain. The rooms where tie murders had
been committed, looked like Slaughter
pens. So horrible a scene was never be-
fore witnessed in the county Of Warren.
By this time the news began to spread,
the neighbors hOcked to the house and
rBFs Drake and ScOville we're sent for.
Mrs. R0Osa was found to be severely, but
it is hoped not moTtally wounded. Fran
ces' skull was broken and the brains were
oozing out at the back of her head. 1t
will be almost a miracle if she RECEIVERS.
Coroner White being notified FASTENED
to the scene Of the murders, empanneled
a jury, and reduced to writing the testi.
mony which we have embodied in the ac-
count given above. What adds to the
horror Of this appalling tragedy is the fact
shat but week or two since Mr.. John W.
Roosa, the head of the household, became
insane and was removed to the asylum at
Dayton. As his insanity was exceeding
ly violent in its form, it was at first feared
he had escaped from the asylum, returned
home and in his rawlings committed the
dreadful deed, and then wandered off,
But a dispatch from Dayton announced
that he was safe at the asylum, and there
was no longer any doubt that series Of
murders almost too horrible to relate had
been committed,
There was 90 evidence Of robbery, In
deed the murderer did not appear TO have
entered any rooms Of the house except
those where bis victims slept.
The widest excitement prevails. James
NJ. Roosa, uocle Of the murdered child
reu, offers a reward Of Eve thousand dol
lars for the arrest Of the murderer.
We have thus given an account Of a
crime uRparalled in the history Of our
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