Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-05-29
F. a T Al BL % w
Killing of Jerome KoOntz by
Robert Bass.

jerome Koontz, aged about % years, who
lived with Silas Compton, of Wayne
Township, came to Washington, and while
here became intoxicated sufficiently to at
tract the attention of Deputy Marshal, H.
E. Lydy, who went to him on Main street
near Pat Dempsey's saloon, and ordered
him to get on his horse and leave town.
Koontz mounted his horse as ordered, and
rode off toward the Railroad at a rapid
gait, applying an insulting epithet to the
officer as he went. Lydy followed after
him, throwing some stones at him. Koontz
rode south as far as the creek, evidently
intending to leave town, but on reaching
the creek, he was unable to make his horse
cross it, and was obliged to turn back. As
he rode back, a number of persons. includ-
,ing officers Stewart, Iydy and Bloomer,
were in pursuit of and endeavoring to stop
him, and number of stones, clubs, &C.,
were thrown at him, none of them striking
him, however, until he reached the Rail-
road track, when a colored man named
Robert Bass, threw a base ball club at
him, striking him a fearful blow in the
forehead, knocking him from his horse and
infiicting a wound which caused his death.
DIR. Coffman was called to see him, and
pronounced the wound fatal on first exam
Engine house, however, and everything
was done for him that could be done, but
he was past the reach of medical aid, and
died on Monday morning at 615 o'clock,
having been unconscious from the time he
was struck until his death.
Coroner Updegrove empannelled jury,
and an inquest was held on the body. We
give below the principal evidence and
the verdict of the jury:
Silas Compton testified: Live. in Wayne
township, miles from Washington. De-
ceased, jerome Koontz, has lived with me
since October 1871, working as farm hand.
He was D years of age. Had no bad ha bits
except getting boosey occasionally. Was not
quarrelsome. Left my house Saturday about
noon to go to Washington. Had not been
drinking when he left. Was well when he
left, and his general health was good.
Philip L. Nitterhouse testified: Saw de-
ceased about Saturday in a crowd between
Dempsey's saloon and Dahl's corner. Crowd
separated except deceased and man named
Smith. After the crowd separated Smith and
deceased crossed the street and got their hor-
ses, which were hitched in front of Joe Stein
haTt's dwelling. Walked across the street lead
ing their horses and talking together. Mr..
Albert Stlmson passed in a carriage and came
near running against deceased horse. While
standing in the street he seemed to be intoxi-
Gated, but did not notice him stagger as he
led his horse across the road Mr.. Lydy, Dep
uty Marshal, came to him after Mr. Stimson
passed. Can't say what Mr.. Lydy said to him.
| Deceased's conduct was not disOrderly when
| Lydy went to him. A moment after Lydy
went to him, I saw deceased pass my business
house, riding at a rapid gait and heard him
| say, "d-d son ofa b-h.'' Supposed he was
talking to the Deputy Marshal. Lydy then
commenced throwing stOnes at deceased, and
\ followed him in run. Did not see Lydy hit
| either the man or horse. Deceased rode South
to the creek, but not being able to cross it,
turned and rode back. As he camasicatoE he
passed a crowd on the East side of the street.
A great many stones, CLUBS. de-, were throw n
4 at him from the crowd. Did not hear Lvdy
! cal esos-asslsJanee. When deceased got North
as far as the railroad, l saw club strike de.
ceased in the face. and he fell backwards from
his horse. Don't know what kind of a club il
was, nor W no threw it, Helped pick the maj
up, and found his skull cracked about l % in
ches In diameter. LydY came up and ordered
a physician sent for. Said he intended then
to throw. az the horse, and not at the man.
DR.. II. G. Coffman testified: Was called. fo
at612 o'cloek by party who said man kat
| been killed at the depot. Went to see him, ant
found his skull badly fractured; he was breath
ing heavily, showing greet compression = anC
| concluded the wound was fatal. Had hin
removed to the Engine House, and DR.. Saxtor
and myself attended him. In order to dresi
the wound, made the '.Y" incision, o-ex
pose the fracture more thoroughly, and re
moved four pieces of the skull | found tn
internal table of the skull pressing the brain
and proceeded to raise it, and gave it an or
binary dressing;as l did not consider it pos
sible to save his life. I considered the iicI
sufficient to kill any bullock in Fnyette conn
ty. Attended the case until 81 o'clock. v hei
he died. Patient never spoke from the tim
he was struck until he died. The post NOR
TEN revealed much more extensive fractur
than anticipated from external appearances
extending from above the right temnle longi
tudinallY nearly half way around the brain
We found considerable effusion of blood on tn
brain and in the brain proper, with slight lac
Grafton of the brain proper. The wound un
doubtedly caused the death of deceased
There was 5ruise on the left side of tn
head near the eye, such as would have bee
received by man falling from horse Their
was DO injury on the left side sufficient t
cause death.
DR.. c. A. Foster testified: Was called {
thepost mortem examination of deceased. Tb
/ bruises
the limbs below the knees; al the left unIe
and back part l found scalp wound over th
parietal bone; another contusion oxer the lef
eye, near the corner; an extensive contusio
over the right eye; the scalp was lacerated t
the bone in semi circle, and another incisio
; from that, extending back over the right par
fetal bone; another incision down nearly to tn
right ear, all having been sewed up. Just be
, low the first semi-circle, a confusion l. inc
in diameter extending down to the skull. Afte
removing the scalp, found considerable echy
mosis between the scalp arc the bone, a CON
minuted fracture of the lower and righ
border of the frontsl bone, and also a commi
nuted fracture of the anterior portion of tn
, right parietal bone; in circular form. an
abont two inches in diameter, which was con
siderably depressed; from this was a longitu
/ dinal fracture, extending through the Who'll
length of the right pArietal bone to the occi
petal bone; also another hssure, extendIn
2syn into the right parietal bone. On re
Sag the calvarium dura mata, found con
able blood between the bones a1d dun
No laceration of the dura mata; on r,
alle Adura mata a large clot of bloc
directly bensath the confusion AN
. anterior .ope Of the cerebrun
DO wound was tt
called
rance WI
w the skull
the rigl
ensiderab1
roken fin
pdine.sss.