The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-11-20

There is an effort being made to manu-
facture case in favor of Sherrick, who
killed Straus. All sorts of lies are being
told and published. To set the matter
right before the public we publish the
testimony before the Coroner, given by
Alfred Hartley, the only disinterested
witness who saw the affair:
Il was down in Straus' field to work
on Tuesday, November 4, 1873, and Straus
told me to go down into the field and pull
weeds off the potato vines, and he would
go down to Tom Rowland's and get q
shovel plow and hoe, and just as l got
into the potato patch (Which was James
Sherrick' 81 then came Sherrick and his
tMo boys, Bart and James. Each of the
three (Sherrick and his two sons) had
hoe. Sherrick said to me that he in
tended to have the potatoes dug and di-
vide them with Straus. About that time
] heard the report of gun or pistol, and
| started to the house, Straus' house,
which was about 200 yards from the po-
tato patch. And when | got to the house
Mr.. Straus' house) ! saw ammunition
laying on the bench-caps, powder and
shot, and Straus came out of the house
with a pistol in his hand l saw him put
cap on pistol, and ramming same against
the house with a ramrod inside of pistol
Then Mr.. Stratus went on to the potato
patch, and just as he got to the edge of
the potato patch Slraus spoke to Sher-
rick, and Sherrick spoke back to Straus,
and l do not know what either said to
the other. The next thing that l saw
was that Straus walked up to Sherricl<
and stuck his fist under his nose The
next thing that l saw was that they
clinched (think Sherrick got hold OF
Straus first), Sherrick either throwing or
knocking Straus down, and alter Sher-
rick got him (Straus) down. l saw him
strike him several time-3 or 4 times,
with his fist. l mean that saw Sher-
rick strike Straus or four times with
his fist. The next thing l saw was-I
saw Bart, (son of Sherrick) STOPPING
down over them, and my impression was
that Bart was trying to get the pistol out
of the hands of Straus, and after that
saw Sherrick strike Straus a half dozen
times with his fist. The next thing !
saw was Sherrick reach to his son James
for a hoe, and Sherrick got it, and | saw
Sherrick strike Straus 3 times with the
hoe which he got from his son jaime,
Sherrick. Straus was PROSTATE on tn,
ground, and Sherrick was on his knee
over him at the time he struck Strau
the three times with the hoe
81 told Mr.. Straus that Sherrick wa
in the potato patch, and diggingp gpotatoes
and thereupon Mr.. Straus said that if h
. did not Bet out that he would shoot him
| And then Mr.. Straus took his pistol am
| loaded it Gas / supposedly and went to tn
potato patch, when the trouble hav
described took place
about half hour before the diff
Guilty took place between Sherrick an
t Straus / heard Sherrick say that h,
t would dig the potatoes if He'll froz
e over
e when Straus left me to go to the pt
/ tato patch where Sherrick was, he had
2 pistol in his hand; bit before he came
lSherrick, and ,0hen about 40 yards from She
!, rick, I sac Straus put his pistol in his pock
e (pantaioons) and I do not remember of seei1
D pistol after that time.
ALFRED HARTLEY.