The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-10-24
JUDGE LYNCH'S FIRST CASE.

In the autumn Of 1889, relates the
Historical Record, the settlement in
Ohio, at Columbia, contained less than
4 score of log cabins. Most of them
we're near the bunk Of the Ohio. a
short distance below the mouth of the
Little Miami. The most prominent
of the settlers were General John S
GanO, Rev. Stephen GanO, William
Goforth, John Rely, Francis Dunleyy
afterwards President Judge), Jacob
White, Ephraim KIbby, Luke Foster
afterwards Judge) Rev. John Smith
afterwards United States Senator J
John Brown, James Finn, Thomas
Hubbell, Colonel Oliver Spencer, Ms
Or Benjamin Stiles, Hezekiah Stiles,
James Seward, Thomas C. Wade, Ben
jamin Shoemaker, Evan Shelby, Allen
Woodruff, Joseph and Benjamin Cox
One of the most useful men in this
new colonyin the wilderness was Peter
Sken Smith. A shrewd and ski'fjii
artisan, he only amongst them nj
could repair and keep in order the
only hand mill in the settlement, used
almost constantly for grinding their
Indian corn. This be did by soltening
the steel, fling it sharp, and then
hardening it. \ trader from Redstone
Old Fort (neE Wiliiamsport), on the
Monougahela, arrived with a small
Kentucky boat laden wi h -four ard
other produce, of which the pioneers
in their new settlement we're much III
need. So welcome was his arrival
that they len: him willing aid to Cur
nv up his dozen barrels of -four aud
pile them between two trees, that they
might be sa'e from the perils Of the
river. Next morning iJ was found
that the barrels hsd mysteTiOusly
disappeared during the night, much
20 the surprise Of the trader aud in
iIgnation OF the villagers. They speed
ily assembled together, and were not
long in coming TO a conclusion thai
one OF their O1a members had
stolen the -four. IL was immediately
determined mem con that ? genera
search should BE- aads, some Of the
principal CT 'izen3 proposing that thei'
own domiciIes should be examined
irst. This wes speedily done bu,
not until the fourteenth hOu-e va,
searched was the lost bIrrei found i
the cabin of Peter 5 Smith, whr
proved it to be the Achln CT The ,il
lage. They INTERESTINGLY arrested
him. He submitted with a bad grace
When informed they would proceed
TO try him tor the felony. with prOyOk
ing saHgJroid he demanded their var
rant, well knowing that irCrn want o.
civil organization there eou'd be none
Having no leader with supreme au
thority, like Joshua Of old, they form
ed themselves into Lynch law courI
and after fair trial, found him guilty
Of the larcency and sentenced hin
% forty stripes s.vs one, according
10 Hebrew law, and that he make
restitution Of the stolen flour TO tn
DKner. Smith now dared them to IN
hlct so ignominious a punishment wi-h
out authority OF law. They procured
A stout cord, with esch end OF which
thew tied his thumbs, and then carry
! ing the line over q heavy thorn bush
proceeded to execute the sentence o.
their own court with good VII! I; each
Of the thirteen giving him three strlPe>
xi,h a hickory wIthe- With this de,
trading Punishment all boidnes5 anG
daring torsook hin. He repaired -
his cabin, but was never Afterwards
.een in the settlement II was snP,
oo,ed he found his way to the Falls oi
r., Ohio and there enlisted IN the
Tnited States Army. This statement
- made on the authority OF one OF the
most respectable members OF that
pumitiye cour:-the late Judge Foster
T. has been revised by the venerable
Msior Daniel GsnO, native OF the
very place where 1t occurred, now in
! his eightieth year