Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-27
THE OLMSTED FALLS TRAGEDY.
Trial of Alexander Mcconnell for the
Murder OF Rosa COIVIn in OImsted,
March 24fb, 1896.
ICoHrtof Common Pleas, Judge F0ote, pre-
Siding.l
THIRD pAr-AFrERSooS SESSION.

COunsel Tor the otale, 1rOsecutlnS-Ab
torney NJ. S. Castle, Esq, assisted by Mr.. A.
7. Slade; for the defense, Messrs. c. W.
Palmer and R. E. Knight.
It is worthy of remark, as & coincidence,
that the same counsel are engaged in this
case that conducted the trial of DR.. Hughes
except that the prosecutors now were for
the defence then, and rice Versa.
Joha 0deH being recalled, deposeH Saw
pants produced in Canada in possession OF
Mcconnell received them there and kept
them till the Grand Jury were in session,
when / delivered them up to the Prosecu-
ting Attorney they were not washed or wet
while in my possession.
Martin Stanton being duly S1oorf, dep0Seh /:
Live in Cleveland; know the prisoner
got acquainted with him in the prison,
where I had a conversation with him rela-
tive 10 his breaking open a trunk. He
said he broke the trunk open but did not
kin the woman.
Cross-examined Was a prisoner in the
jail; the conversation took place in McCon-
nellis cell; had been in Jail over thirty days.
l introduced the conversation by telling him
if he was guilty he had better acknowledge
it. He said he would not acknowledge any
thing, as his counsel in Canada had told him
to admit nothing.
DR.. II. F. Biqgar being duly sagOrn, de-
pOSeth From Detroit to Prescott is 45l
miles; from Prescott TO Ottawa, 81 miles
Belleville Route IS not more than ten miles
further the fare is about SIS in Canada
money from Detroit to Ottawa.
Cross-examined-There are two means of
conveyance, the Grand Trunk and the Great
Western railroads. The difference between
first and second class fare on both these
routes from Detroit to Ottawa is about 81
At this point the testimony for the State
closed. A list of about twenty witnesses for
the defense was read and most of the names
answered to.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE.
Rebecca Mcconnell being duly sworn de-
poseth-Am q sister of the prisoner; live in
Fitzroy, about a mile from the prisoners
| residence; have lived there seventeen years.
/ remember the day Alexander returned in
| March he arrived on Friday and was ar
rested on the following Tuesday saw him
every day. l did not see him have over
fifty cents in money. Mr.. Morris procured
counsel for him. l sold a COW and his wife
sold q COW, and Nj. George Baird on the 9Th
line loaned me ten dollars to defray the ex-
penses. We paid the coUnse SIS; his wite's
/ COW brought tT,I0s and mine coll l gave
his little child a comforter on Christmas
day: it was black with small checks Icame
here via Detroit, taking the cars at Ottawa;
my ticket all the way through from Ottawa
to Cleveland was $500.
Gross-examined by NJ. S. Castle-Attended
my brothers trial at Ottawa; l gave Davis
SIS to pay counsel for my brother; gave the
comforter to the boy at Christmas, md
never saw it after.
T,vooo H-nrrf,rI haTnz lu1- cvvorn ID
~poseth-Four brothers Of US live with our
father Robert Crawford in 0lmsted; we were
all interested in the %chopping; Mcconnell
and Colvin worked for my brother Robert
my brother and myself went to COlvin's on
Sunday morning about nine o'clock or a lit
tie after: we both went in. THE evidence
of this witness correspondent with the same
as given for the State, showing nothing fur
ther of importance except as below
Miller said to me that he wanted Colvin
to go to my fathers the night before and
report the disorder of the house; he further
said they had beenu up nearly all night; and
had no light the night previous; Colvin said
Joe Miller observed the broken partition
the night before; Miller wanted Colvin TO
go to my fathers and report the robbery OF
the house; Colvin said the creek was high
and he would get his feet wet; the night
was dark; saw the blood on the partition
and asked what it was; saw the blood on
the window and asked Colvin what 1t was;
Miller and COlvin both replied at once that
the Canadian in going out-or coming IN, |
can't say whieh-through the window hat
cut his hand and made the blOod-stalns
there were three axes back OF the
door-One near the ladder; the hrst
blood was discovered on the partition IN
the front room Colvin told US to come into
| fha hocE r,oyD opd ba wou11 show uS moro
blood stains Colvin pointed out the stains
on the wall paper. Up to this time none OF
the party had been in the back room the
blood in the back room was all around the
room except near the bed; there was a large
spot of blood on the floor in front of the
back room door, as if where a body had
lain l went past ColYin's house on Satur-
day night about six o'clock the house was
dark; returned about ten o'clock it was
lighted up 1t was showing when | went to
the barn four men were %chopping from 50
to 100 rods southwest of Colvin's shanty
they usually passed by the shantY in going
TO and returning from meals COlvin's rep
utatiOn for truth was as good as that Of the
average of men.
Sarah Litchfeld, being duly sworn, de-
poseth-I lived in the Colvin family about
six weeks, commencing three weeks before
Christmas. There were COlVin, his wife,
Robert Mathews, myself and Thomas Bell
way in the family; remember COlvin's tell
ing his wife that she must make up and
pay q certain debt herself; he gave her
1880 to buy cotton cloth; when she return
ed there was $3.50 charged on the pass
book he said he gave her money enough
to pay for the cloth and asked why she did
not do so; she said there must be some mis-
take in the charging on the pass-bookj Col
win said he did not believe she paid for the
cloth, snd if so she must make up the mon
ey and pay it herself she asked me to lend
her Sl.50; I borrowed 81 from AR. Smith
Fitch and gave it to her; she went and set
tied the debt and returned me so cents. 1t
was at Mr.. Pollard's store; this was about
the middle of January; l paid the money
back TO Mr.. Fitch l never got the money
from Mrs. Colvin she wanted me TO take
a dress and give her $1.50 more | agreed
to do so, but when she was killed the dress
went too; she asked me for the money the
same day that Colvin said she should pay
the amount; on Saturday she took her
pass-book and went away when she re-
turned she gave me so cents COlvin swung
his fist over his wife's head and said she
m u either pay the money or confess that
she spent it for some other purpose than
buying the cloth. Questions were asked
to show that Mrs. Colvin was a passionate
woman, bat they were objected to by the
State, Objection sustained by the COurt.)
I have visited at Colvin's since I left; was
there about a week before the murder. Ut
was sought by the defense to show that
there had been ill-feeling between Mr.. and
Mrs. COlvin, and that he had frequently
threatened and abused her. Objected to by
the State. Objection oYerruled by the
Court l saw Colvin strike Mrs. Colvin
between New Years and Christmas; pulled
her over the floor by the hair of her head
slapped her made her nose bleed and hurt
her right ear l never heard him make any
particular threats except that when he was
angry no woman must cross him, for he did
not care what he did. Ut was sought TO
show that Mrs. Colyin had frequently fled
from Colvin's violence. Objected to BY the
State. Objection oYerruled by the Court
I never knew her flee from his violence.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Castle.-Have
lived in Olmsted about three years; one
and a half years before that IL Columbia;
came there from Iowa; my husband was
shot in the army; was doing homework for
Mr.. Fitch's people while in Colvin's house:
Colvin moved there there weeks before
Christmas; Colvin went away on Christmas
and when be return-d Mrs. Colvin was
angry and staid so for two or three days; If
was on Wednesday after when Colvin was
abusing his wife; she attempted 20 strike
him with q rolling-pin but did not do it.
she dared him to strike; it was Mrs. Colvin
who raised the ~rolling-pin; he had no roll
ing pin, l never saw him strike her but
once after that; it was on Sunday after: he
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