The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-05-21
THE DEATH OF YOUNG CHAIN.

THE DEATH OF YOUNG CHAIN.
There has been considerable ex
citement during the past week il
regard to the death of this youne
man which took place at the resi-
dence of his father last Sabbath. Ii
company with the Prosecuting Attor
ney and Ezra Brown, Esq, we visited
the young man few days before biz
death. This visit was made by the
Prosecuting Attorney for the purposs
of taking his deposition, that in case
lof his death, Shich was likely tc
result, the ends Of justice might be
furthered, and not at the request ol
any one, as we hear has since beer
asserted. The young man did no
appear willing to make any state
ment at that time, nor at any other
Below we give the evidence before
and the finding of the Coroner'i
jury .r. ravT
The State of Ohio, Ffndldy soionship,
Hancock county, ss. =.
An inquest by the undersigned, jury
being duly empanneled. and sworn,
was held on the 18th day of May, A.
D. 1869, at the residence of Levi
Chain, in said township, over the dead
body of Jeremiah Chain, who was
supposed to have come to his death
by violence. The under signed, p.
G. Tritch, Coroner in and for said
county, then and there being present
and acting as said Coroner Aforesaid,
the following is the testimony of the
witnesses then and there examined
before said Coroner and jury, and
which was then and there reduced TO
writing, in pursuance of the statute in
such ease made and provided ,
James Gtdin.-I am going on IL
years of age; my brothers name is
Jeremiah Chain; he died yesterday at
30 minutes 10 O'Clock z. II it was
in tnat room; in Hancock county,
State of Ohio; l was present at the
time of the affray; my father was at
the table, about or o'clock in the
evening; it was not dark ysg he said
he was quarreling up town, or at least
he had fight; after Jerry had start
ed to town he commenced calling my
mother names; my mother told me TO
go and call him back; he was carrying
on so that she could not stand il, /
hallooed for him and Jerry to come
back; he did not know that anything
was gong on; he told him (the accus-
sd), to go to town with him, he should
not stay here; nay father was lying on
the bed with knife in his hand; as
soon as Jerry came in, he got up in
this way (here witness showed the po
sition); Jerry told him he had to go|
along to town, that he eonld not stay
lere any longer, and be said he would
not dc it, as this was his, and he was
going to stay here; Jerry went up to
he bed and told him he should 90 up
TO town with him; Jerry went up to
catch hold of him; l don't know
he hit him or not; they fell
across on to the bed; Jerry was on
top, and they laid a couple of min
ltes before Jerry haliooed for them to |
axe the knife out of his hand; /
umped on the bed aud snatched the
blade of the knife; mother got hold
If his (the sccused's) wrist; and / got
he knife out of his hand; Jerry hal
coed that he the accusedl had his
humb in his mouth; l shut up the
lnife and gave it TO my mother, and
he tried to pry his teeth open with
t; she then gave me the knife, and
got hold of his nose and choked him
'ff; he let go of his thumb, and she
nd Jerry went to the kitchen and
orch; she get basin full of water,
nd after taking his shirt off, washed
i'm off Father went up to the bu
eau and took something, and then
vent out to the kitchen and got the
and went out of the
house, and got out of the gate and
vent and picked up hickory pole
Bill Chain went out to watch him, and
the accused Levi Chain told him
hat if he went up to him he would
mock his brains ont; then he went
across the commons and [ and Henry
Flater and Charlie Kinxie followed
lim to see where he would go; that is
III we seen of him till the Constable
;atched him; Jerry did not strike
lim; he might have struck him with
lis open hand; was present and saw
III that happened; my mother and the
,aby and my brother Mack were
William was not present.
When the Constable arrested father,
le had a club in his hand; the knife
hat father had-was Barlow knife; 4
William has it. Here the knife was
reduced and identified as the one
hat Levi Chain had and used. fsaw
ather, with his clenched hand strike
Jerry in this manner; here he Illus
rated the manner of the striking he
truck him about the body. We
ound the butcher-knife where father
umped the fence. Father was lying
IN the bed with the knife in bis right
and; he held Jerry with his left arm
nd struck him with his right; we
ook the knife cut of his hand imme,
lately after he did the striking. Jer-
y halloOed to take the knifa out of
is hand at the time of the striking;
erry did not strike him or choke
i'm; Jerry pulled off his coat when
e first went in.~ feR III |
Findloy, o., Nay II, 1869.