Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-26
THE 0IMSTED FALLS TRAGEDY.
Trial of Alexander Mcconnell Chargi
ed with the Murder of Rosa COtVin,
at OImSfed, March 9th, 1850.
Court Of Common Pleas, Judge FoOte pre-
Siding.l
crroND DAY.

ot~fNg'l
SECOND Day.
The Court met at PIP. N. and the testi-
mony of the witnesses for the prosecution
resumed.
Mary Egler sworn-Am 10 years of age
lived in 0lmsted, Cuyaboga county, in
last, a little more than one-fourth of
q mile from Crawford's and about the same
distance from Colvin's; knew Mr.. and.Mrs.
Colvin heard of the murder of Mrs. Colvin
on Sunday ;Esaw Mcconnell once, on Sat
urday the day before / heard of the muir
der; saw Mrs. Colvin and Mcconnell
together about IL o'clock Saturday going
the woods near Colvin's shantY
they were two or three rods beyond the
house on the side towards the woods; saw
them from a window on the side Of the
house next the woods; Mcconnell was first
and Mrs. Colvin was about a rod behind
him l had never seen him before McCon-
nell had on a black Overcoat and had q
satchel in his hand and a bundle under his
arm; did not see him stop Mrs. COlyin
had on a plaid dress. Here witness was
shown the dress which was recognized by
witness as the one worn by Mrs. COlvln
when she saw her. Witness could not iden-
tify the satchel.)
Saw Mrs. Colvin go towards olmsted
about s o'clock in the morning, alone.
DISCRIMINATION house was close by
the lane down which Mrs. COlvin and Nc
Connell walked did not see their faces;
did not know,him then did not know him
when ! saw him in Canada; think it was
about eleven o'clock when they went back
road was muddy by a thaw; no snow on
the ground at that time.
Robert Mathews sworn-My home is in
d - L-a- 1s-.I- "a parAo fUwR
years first heard OF the murder of Mrs.
Colvin on Monday; saw COlyin and Miller
on Saturday before; saw Colyin and Miller
together at NOok's tavern at 10 or IL o'clock;
spent about an hour with them had dinner
at Mr.. Lynch's, about a fourth of a mile
from the tavern saw these men again be-
tween one and two o'clock at Nook's tavern
saw them about half an hour when they
went away, Colvin saying he was going to
look for a house did not see them again
that day saw Mcconnell the day before at
Colvin's shanty.
Thomas Belway sworn-Liye in Cleye-
land lived in Berea on the 24th of March.
1 first heard of the murder of Mrs. Colvin
on Monday. Saw COlyin and Miller in Be
rea on She Saturday before. Say ColVin
alone between ten and eleven o'clock after
noon saw both together. Saw them again
/ ABOUT i've OtlOGk- 1ucy NCIG 4OahAlE
Thomas Curtins going towards the depot.
Did net see them after that.
Francis A. CheYalier sworn-Live in Be
rea ; drive an omnibus there was driving
an omnibus in Berea on Saturday saw
COlYin and Miller saw them together about
one o'clock at NOOk's tavern saw them
again at j:l5p m, going towards the depot
they said they were going home.
Thomas Pollard sworn-Live at Olmsted
Falls / Am a s~tOrekeeper first heard Of
the murder of Rosa COiVln at about IL a.
m. on Sunday; saw Colvin on Saturday be-
tween 9 and IL a. m he was in my store /;
he remained about five minutes did not
see him after he left think he went towards
the depot.
Aseph W. Sabin sworn-Reside in Ohm
sted Falls work at stone quarry lived in
0lmstei on the 24th of March heard of the
murder on Sunday did not see Colyin or
Miller on Saturday vas present When the
body of Mrs. COlyin was uncovered, about
) p. m. OF Monday Mr. Underhill, Squire
Kendall, John Wright, Joseph Arnold, Les
ter Bradford, Luther Banning and others
were present.
The wood was tGo feet long, coarsely split
and the pile looked as fit had been pushed
over there was about a cord Of wood some
large pieces not split were placed on the
feet and limbs body was fully dressed,
blanket also was over the body Witness
identified the dress and blanket as those on
the body > think there was about three
inches of snow on Sunday thers were nc
tracks in the snow; there was no snow IN
der the body but there was some ice the
body lay on the ice and ground there was
no snow on the blanket or clothes made
examination of the spot where the head
lay; two holes five or six inches deep
were melted by blood where the head lay
body was taken to Olmsted on q board from
the petition. BOARD identified by witness
Cross examined-There were four engaged
on Sunday in searching for the body; ground
froze IN places where the sun had not shcne;
the wood pile originally was about two or
three feet from a log ground was covered
with snow at 5 P. m. on Saturday at Ohm
stsd.
C.. Z. Underhill sworn-It was Monday
when FIRST heard Of the murder of Mrs.
Colvin; was present at the finding Of the
body was there before any of the wood
was removed; pile Of wood was about two
feet from a large log and it had the appear
anse of being pushed over towards the tree;
wood was pitched in over the body each
way the rest was arranged to look as if
pushed over; a large log lay at the feet,
WITNESS recognized the dress and blanket
as those which were found over the BODY
The body laid on the ice, the limbs were
half sunk into the ice; clothos we're drawn
up on the left side, leaving the lower part OF
the body bare except as covered by the
blanket; there were holes melted in the ice
where the head lay, one of which I placed
Wy fore finger, in the other / could not get
my little finger into; hands and face were
bloody. The witness identified a dress as
one which he found under the snow about
three inches deep, about twenty feet south
east from the bouse,(
Cross examined.-The wood was meehan-
ically placed on the body and ! think it
must have been done by daylight. wit
ness identified an axe as the one which he
found and examined in COlvin's house.)
Think that a person might ave used tho
axe without noticing the blood there was
blood on the leaf of the table and on the
back of the rocking chair; great number Of
spatters of blood on the ceiling and the
partition between the rooms and the door
leading to the back room on the partition
in the back room there were bloody finger
marks. Large pools of blood were found
under the floor there were marks of a
bloody hand on the window sash in the
south room it was near the broken win
dow.
Luther Barnum, swOrn-Reside at Ohm
stead first heard of the murder OF Rosa
Colvin Sunday afternoon went to the
scene of the murder on Monday morning;
a largo number of men went with me |
was near the spot when the bOdywas found;
was present whom the first wood was re-
moved from the body four sticks had been
moved when l got there the head of the
woman was exposed; pile appeared to have
been placed on the body, though hurriedly;
a largo stick of wood was near the feet; l
helped to remove the wood there was
about three inches of snow on Monday,
most OF which fell on Saturday it was
thawing some when we found the body;
there was no snow on the body; there was
no snow except hat which seemed to have
fallen from the wood the body was frozen
to the ground small holes melted into the
ice where the head lay. To the left of the
outside door were the marks of two hands
three and a half 20 four feet high.
Cross-examined-Saw CoIyin on Saturday
forenoon going towards Berea, about ten a.
m; saw Colvin and Miller coming from
Berea about six p. m; 40 snow under the
dress when it was found.
William Busby sworn.-Reside q mile
from Olmstead Falls first heard of the
murder Of Rosa COlyin on Sunday night
went to the place where the body was found
on Monday morning; ! was at homo on
the Saturday before; saw William COlyin
on the road that night; l was walking on
the track and met Colvin and Miller very
nearly opposite mp place it was raining
or sleeting when l met them. Stopped a
few moments; went home between nine and