Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-28

Rhodenbaugh.
JOIN R~uoDESBAUGE's MURDER.
Upon the night of the Path of October
1855, John ~Rhodenbaugh wss murdered on
the road from Ravenna to Hudson, within
q nile of his own house, and only : few
rods from the house of Joseph leighton.
During the day Mr.. Rodenbaugh fell in
with Cooper and Berry at Kent, drank free
lv with them, and showed them his money.
On his way home he was killed by a single
blow from a club in the hands of Cooper,
and robbed of $500 in money and a watch.
The pocket containing the money was
torn out and the watch wrenched from its
place SO violently that the guard was
broken. The murder was discovered e few
moments alter and suspicion fastened at
once on Cooper and Berry. They were ar
rested near Ravenna, making no attempt at
escape or resistance, fully determined TO
play a bold game.
During the trial, however, circumstantial
evidence was so strongly against them, that
Berry at last made the statement hat Jack
Cooper killed Rhodenbaugh. a separate
trial was granted them and Berry, though
clearly an accompliee of Cooper in the
crime. was convicted of aiding and sbettiDs
a murder in the second degree and was sen
fenced to the Penitentiary for life.
TIE TRIAL OF COOPER
The trial was before Judge Glidden and
was conducted with the utmost fairness and
impartiality. Messrs. Taylor, Horton and
Conant conducted the defense with great
zeal and ability, and Messrs. Willard and
Hart on the part Of the State did their IN
pleasant duties faithfully and well.
The evidence against the accused was 60
clear and positive, that the defense made
10 question as to the identity Of the muir
derer, but eombatted only the charge OF the
State as to the question of intent, premedi-
tation and deIiberation.
\ brief extract from the remarks Of Judge
Glidden before p~rOuouncing the sentence
gives the paints proved by the evidence:
In my experience I have never known a
charge sought to be established mainly by
circumstantial evidence in which the
charge has been so clearly and directly
proven, beyond, as it seems to me, thepos-
sibility Of a mistake. You have been
shown to have been in the company Of the
deceased. John Rhodenbaugh, during the
afternoon preceding his death there was
exhibited by him, in your presence, the
one which undoubtedly prompted you
| TO the commission of the crime; you have
been traced, with your accomplice, in COM
pany with The deceased, from pointtO point,
as if watching his movements and guard
ing him from escape; you followed your
victim upon his return 70 his home; you
were sesn within a mile Of, and 50 traced
10 the immediate vicinity of the spot where
the murder was committed and then, by
a blow from a club cut BY your own hand,
you struck him TO the earth, causing his
instant death. But a short distance from
the scene, and a s ort time after the muir
der was committed, the name of John Rho
denbaugh Is heard spoken from the car
riage in which you made your flight; you
are found, a short time after this, changing
your boots, and exhibiting the fruits ofyour
crime, and at the same time declaring that
you had knocked q man down, and was
afraid you had taken his life; you IRE
swiftly followed to the house where you
passed the night, and there seen winding
the watch you had taken from the person
of the deceased, and counting 4 roll Of
money, the further evidence of your guilt !;
and upon the next morning you are seen at
the barn wherein the watch of RhodeBbaugh
was afterwards found.
The shocking details brought out in the
testimony during the trial mark this as
e cold-blooded, p~remeditated murder, Tor
money alone. The plans and preparations
were deliberately made, and the execution
Of them showed the boldness and cunning
of Z villain trained and hardened by long
career of crime.
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
During his confinement in the jail, Coop
er has made three attempts to escape. The
FIRST time, in conjunction with Berry, he
~overpowered the turnkey who brought his
dinner, thrust him into Bery's cell, and
locked him in, and then passed the inner
door of the jail, which had been loft IN
locked, AMI tried to break down the outer
one. Meantime he had pulled off his shack
les which he had before locsened for the
purpose. The outer door aroved too strong
for him an alarm soon brought assistance,
and, despairing of escape, he waited anoth-
er opportunity, which came Dec. 3lst.
This time the prisoners had all been
locked in their cells as usual, and late in
the evening the Sheriff entered the jail
alone to renew the fire. Cooper and Berry
had worked back the bolts of their doors
and were concealed behind the stairway
leading to the upper tier of cells, Cooper
had taken off one of his shackles, and had
placed the chain about his waist SO as to
walk freely. As soon as the Sheriff vas
engaged with the fire he passed the inner
door, only to find the outer one locked fast
against him. The Sheriff seeing him, shut
and held together the inner door, and raised
the alarm. Berry then came out and at
tackled the Sheriff, but as before, the outer
door proved to strong for them.
Last Sunday, Cooper made another at
tempt to escape on account eff which was
published on Thursday. 1t was by far the
most deperate and brought cut the violent
and utterly reckless nsture of the man.
THE oHLoRoFoRM EXPERIMENT.
On Wednesday there was evidence Of new
plots to escape and sheriff Jennings deter
mined to pinion the arms of the prisoner.
But Cooper, hearing of the plan, tore up his
bunk, barricaded his door, prepared a heavy
club from some broken article of furniture
and threatened death to any man who
should attempt to enter his cell. The pro-
digious strength of the mar, his violence
and perfect reeklessness, had been proved
by the experience of Sunday.
No one could hope to enter the cell and
CONF out alive. At this juncture DR.. D. R.
Jennings proposed a plan for suduing him,
as novel as it was ingenious and perfect in
its operation. Drs. Reyes and Graham hav-
ing been called in,Cooper was informed that
unless he submitted, he would be subjected
to chloroform. At this he became more and
more violent, raving like a mailman and
defying them and their doctor stuff"
The chloroform was thrown into the cell
by two syringes holding ore pound each.
The clothing was saturated with the liquid
and in three minutes and a half he was
limp and helpless on the floor. The door
was opened, and his arms pinioned securely.
Within eighteen minutes of the time the
experient began, he wa fully restored to
consciousness.
his CONDUCT.
CooDer during the trial and since his zen-