Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-24
0bln Statesutalr.
IF, ON the Cleveland Plain Dealer of Tue.day.l
Murder and RObbery--A Strange
Law Suft i''-' .-i-

I IF, ON the Cleveland Plain Dealer of Tue.dsy.l
/ Murder and EsObbery--A Strange
Law Suit.
lin the United States court, in session
sat Cleveland, the, case of Chauncey l..
lrfreadweh against Samuel Hester. the
trial of which has just terminated in a
verdict for the plaintiff and damages to
the amount'of $3S. .514 80, is the most
linteresting 2 case that has ever been tried
in the Circuit Court of the United States
for the Northern District of Ohio.
The circumstances attending the par
ties in the case being of an exceedingly
romantic character; the large number of
persons interested in the money to be re-
covered; with the unusual skill of M. r.
Waite, of Toledo; John Whitbeck, for
merly of Norwalk; @, A. Stacy, of Te-
cunseh, Mich, and Chauncey Tread
we'll, the plaintiff, in making up chain
of circumstances and facts. which led the
Jury to the conclusion that the plaintiff
was entitled to recover, will be of inter-
est to all. s.-,s--s--.-..i.- -...'-l 49,
The testimony of the case is this:
T. In the year 1863, William W. Tread
lweH was engaged in the banking bust
4 ness at Hudson, Michigan, his father,
Urias Treadwell, giving him the use Of
his name to strengthen the concern :
! Possessed of large capital, an excellent
business man, temperate and frugal to a
high degree in his tastes and expenses,
and devoted to young wife, to whom
he had become attached at Oberlin at
lschool, possessing the most unbounded
confidence on the part of the communi-
ty in his integrity and business capaci-
ty, he seemed on the high road to happi.
ness and wealth. a4tFS4
About Christmas, 1868, he went with
his wife to visit her father, Samuel Hes
| ter, residing in Huron comfy, Ohio, not
far from Centerville, where they re,
manned until the holidays were over. and
returned to Hudson. e. ie.r 7s1
/ From that time Treadwell's course oi
1 conduct changed entirely. His home
was neglected; he borrowed money from
every person. 1t accumulated from
every quarter, principally from banks in
Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Adrian
and Hillsdale, until january Goth, 1864
when he had in bank from all sources
over $65,000. On the night of the 20th
he left Hudson, taking with him all his
money in black satchel, and taking nc
other baggage. The next morning the
bank clerk endeavored to open the safe,
but found the combinations of the key
changed, and after many efforts sue
ceeded, by accident, in unlocking it
finding it, however, empty Of all none,
and bonds.
After wandering, no one can tel
whittier, perhaps pursued by remorse Of
conscience, until February Sth, he ar
rived in Mansfield, Ohio, and put up a
the North American House-then KEEP
by G. G. Townley-taking an assumed
name, that of G. Clemmer, which he reg
istered on the hotel book. While in til
city he met bosom friend, Mr.. Pal
mer, at whose fathers house he boarded
when in Oberlin. To him he disclosed
that he was in debt, and, showing Pal
mer money he carried in two breast
pockets in his coat, and some he had il
the .satchel, he said: 81 have abou
100000 in my possession, and am goini
to return to Hudson and pay my debts.
On the evening of the 10th of Febu
d uary, Mrs. Treadwell and her father
Samuel Hester, came to Mansfield an
had conversation with Treadwell. Th
next morning Treadwell and his wifi
r. were arrested and their baggag
searched, but no money found. the blacl
sacthel having been taken by Hester t
the depot in an omnibus. But let u
leave Hester with the black satche
and follow Treadwell. On the 18th Z
FEBRUARY he was taken to Michigan an
there tried for obtaining money unde
false pretenses, found guilty and con
victed. .r
The last day Of the trial, Mrs. Tread
well gave him secretly about $780,
On the evening of the first day of July
the day on which he was convicted
Treadwell broke Jail with notoriou
home thief named John Correll. Thi
Correll was confined in the same Gel
with Treadwell, knew he had a larg
an out of money and a gold watch, ant
in fact helped him secrete it in Tread
wells stockings.
They went South from Adrian int
Henry county, Ohio, where, on tn
night of the 4th day of July, 1861
Treadwell was murdered by Correll, i
the woods, nearly two miles from
house, and his money and watch take
from him. $50 saf ai
Not long afterwards, man who ha
been working in the woods happened
pass through them, and trod upon DIR,
twig, which broke with loud snaf
4 startling some crows. Being curious t
know what had attracted them to tina
spot, he went to see, and found Tread
Wells body.
+ Correll disposed of the watch i
Cleveland, Ohio, for $50, where it wa
traced by the then captain of the Cleve
land police. By train of strong Gil
cumstantial evidence, the guilt was fast
]ened upon Correll. who was convicte
in May, 1865, and in the September fol
lowing was executed, after acknowledg
ing his guilt on the scafold.
In the examination connected wit
Correll's trial, it became evident tina
1Samuel Hester was in possession of til
money carried away by Treadwell in tn
black satchel.
But to return to Mansfield. Afte
Treadwell and his wife had been al
rested, Samuel Hester was not see
again until about four o'clock in the al