Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-07-27

~ @--" @-@SSLeAS AeeSAOA "a Ia
Latta, the victim of the recent Frank
fort tragedy, contributes the following
communication to the press of the |
city for publication:
ga True STATEMENT OF THE HELFRITCH
LATTA AFFAIR.
Some person or persons have fur
nished the newspapers of Chillicothe |
a very erroneous report of the circum-
stances which led to and eliminated |
in the death of my son, Melvin NJ.
Latta- 1t appears very much like an
effort to 'orestall public opinion-and
cast all the blame upon the suffering
party and hus prejudice his case. |
do not reflect upon the editors of the
papers in Chilhcothe, and doubt not
they were honest in giving the version
as furnished to them, and that they
will be equally willing to receive and
publish this statement and thus enable
the public to form an unbiased judg
ment in this case So far as the suffer
er is concerned it matters little. His
condition can not bc made worse
But we who survive owe duty to the
community, viz : TO prevent, as much
as we possibly can, the recurrence of
such catastrophe. Misrepresentation
never tends to this, and 1st: elf the
unfortunate victim possessed such an
ngOVernable temper as to cause those
who knew him to regard him as a dan
gerous character, would it not have
been well known in the community in
which he was born and brought p
Was ho ever known to attack or strive
to iDjure or MAIN any of his fellows
If so, have been kept in perfect ig
norance of it. When sober he was
kind and affectionate and would weep
at the suffering Of even animals; when
othertCise, he was loud and bois-
trous, as drunken men are apt to be-
His conduct on the occasion on which
: his life was taken, is good index to
his character when drinking. When
: first refused, he went out peaceably,
but when he returned, the rabble at
tempted to eject him by force, but
. some said keep him in, we'll fix him
here, and he was drawn back. Did he
lift a land to smite his tormentors p
If so, the testimony given did not re-
veal the fact. But after he was out
and upon another mans premises and
the cry was raised, t'Kill him, Mike,
kill him :" he raised not an offensive
t hand, but shielded himself by keeping
close to his pursuer to prevent him
from striking the fatal blow I'd. The
whisky was not refused, as is alleged,
because they thought he had already
too much, but because he had pre-
viously drank and had not paid for it.
DR.. E. j. Galbraith saw and conversed
with him half an hour before, and says
, no stranger would have discovered
2 that he had been drinking; and their
own testimony is that he only drank a
part of the glass he snatched and
t threw the remainder on the floor. The
5 truth appears to be that his life was
sought and taken because he had vast.
: ed whisky which they could have sold
G for ten cents Which showed the
character of a dangerous man-the de
: stroyer or his victim The weapon
was also represented as ''being a green
c hickory club or a cane,' whereas il
! was a thoroughly seasoned hickory
: club, q feet in length, by 4 inches in
h circumference, the bark left on, and
e as infiexiblo as a bar of iron of the
: same size. Again, it is said he went
: to Dr. Galbraith's Office and from
q there to his home. They left him where
t he fell until he got up and staggered
D to the door of barber shop, where
}, quivering in every nerve, he sat down
n in the door. He was removed from
: thence to q hard bench where he lay
until Mr.. Isaac Claypool discovered
It and assisted him to DIR. Galbraith' &
Office. Col w. A. Gage kindly re
/, moved him from thence to his home
e a mile distant,) and when he arrived
f (this being the first notice had Of it,
S he had no power to stand or help him
: self. After carrying him to his bed ht
: recognized and feebly spoke to his
0 mother and asked me if / thought hi
was dying. He then called upon his
n God for a few seconds, and never
i spoke again, but fell into a profound
e coma which continued uninterruptedl1
) till the end came.
b On that fatal Fourth I withheld from
/, him the means of purchasing tha
0 which SO greatly whisky
n But these men gave him just enough
t, to kindle his desire for more Hi!
Y desires We're intensified by their refu
f? sal to give him more. What make!
" lHC SdoC H1OAG Iu0IttuCHOIy Is lIldG III
made such an effort to break the chair
which had bound him.
Il From May to July he had not dranl
= a drop; he had again become industri
II Gus and thoughtful, never having dul
) ing this time gone to Frankfort or am
e place where he would be tempted
J But Satan's agents were not willing
y their victim should so easily escape
l. The drunkard's drink was brought tC
II him and he fell into their snare H,
i again reformed and I was obliged t.
d leave home to visit Iowa on business
# while the friends had full control o
l. him. For some weeks before he diet
e he had drank little if any until hi
(. birthday, the 4th of July, 1871. Jus
l. "a years old on the day he fell to ris
y no more. If he had fallen in defens
i of his country, which he so faithful,
:. served at the tender age of Is, coult
IS have cheerfully given him up. But t,
d fall by the monster enemy of our coun
) try and our race, and Its cruel agent
II the liquor vender-is more than ! an
d able to bear in patience, much less t
v have them throw the blame upon th
: victim of their avarice and malice b.
/ misrepresentation.
IF These are the facts as adduced at th
f, Corone-s inquest and from eye witness
d es. WM LATTA'' -