Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-11-24
Terrible Tragedy in Porter
County, Indiana.
rom thc lndianapoIis JournaI.
Valparaiso, Ind, Nov IA.

From the indianapolis Journal.
Valparaiso, Ind, Nov IA.
A terrible tragedy was committed
last Saturday evening, about five
miles from this city, at the farm
house of Mr.. Charles St. John, an
old and respected resident of this
county, who was shot through the
head, and almost instantly killed, by
q rifle bullet fired through the win
dow by a young man named George
Lopher. The circumstances con-
nected with the murder are substan-
TALLY as follows: Some time in
April last young Lophcr took q job
of cleaning a piece of land for Mr..
st. John. and continued to work for
his employer till about two weeks
since, when 4 settlement of their ac-
counts was had, which appears to
have been unsatisfactory to young
Lopher, who remarked, soon after
ward, "that he had good mind to
split the old fellows head open"
On Friday last the young man
went to the house of his uncle, Mr..
Rosencranz, living few miles south
of Valparaiso, with whom he has a
younger brother and sister living,
and borrowed his uncle's rifle, say
ing he was going hunting. He re-
mained over night with the family,
and in the morning came with them
to this city. He was seen on the
streets several times during the day,
and appeared to be perfectly sober.
Before leaving town he bought q
quantity of strychnine at Bryant &
iomcroy's drug store, and, securing
passage in the wagon of a neigh
bor, reached the farm of st. John
in the early dusk of the evening,
having first left his gun at the house
of Mr.. Mandlin, about eighty rods
distant. He inquired for Mr.. st.
John. and was tod that he was at
the barn doing chores. Young Lo-
pher went out 10 find him, AMI they
both soon afterward returned in
company. The young man seemed
to be out of humor, but sat down
with tue family and took supper.
At the conclusion of the meal Lo :
pher inquired of Mr.. st. John if he
had read the account of the child
lately born with two heads.
Mr. ST. John replied that he had
not. Tie young man then took out
a paper, and throwing it on the ia
bic, said gruiily, you'll find it in
there" Mr.. st. John drew the
lamp to him, opened the paper and
began to read. A little daughter set
beside him anxious to hear some
thing Of the strange child which
George had spoken OF. Lcpher
then stepped out of the house, and
running up to Mandlin's said, hur-
riedly, he wanted his gun. He was
told where he would find it. As
soon as he had gained possession OF
his rifle he started out, and few
moments afterward the neighbors
were startled with the report of the
gun, followed soon afterwards with
the screams of Mrs. St. John and
the family. 1t appears that the as
sassin had shot the man through the
window, the ball entering the left
temple, carrying away both eyes,
and mangling him in most horri-
bic manner. The alarm was speed
lily given, and q number started in
pursuit OF the murderer. His pur
suers gained upon him so rapidly
that Lopher felt that escape was
hopeless, and so, hastily reloading
his rifle, he laid down and placing
the muzz,e to his right temple,
grasped the end of the barrel tightly
with his left hand, with his right
touched the trigger, and in an in
slant sent himself into eternity,
cheating the galiows Of a victim.
The murdered man was about
sixty years old, and highly re
srccted citizen of this county. Lo
pher was not yet twenty one, and
though somewhat wild and reckless,
was meyer considered capable of
committing so terrible q crime, al
most as atrocious in Magnitude as
the celebrated Page murder, com
mitted in this county in 1868. No
sufficient reasons have yet been as
signed for the murder.