The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-04-09

mlSub O0 bUppObCuS Juo ulsCONCIy O1 buC
body caused perfect simeon of horror and
indignation TO sweep through the country.
The sheriff at once offered 3 reward Of
$500 for the arrest Of the perpetrators Of
the dastardly crime. Two brothers, Jacob
and Absalom Kimmel, were arrested on
suspicion. and locked up in the county
jail. On the next Friday, the sheriff and
an assistant came to this city, and while
riding along Calhoun street, jumped out of
a closed carriage at the corner of Wash
ington, boldly seized two men, who were
quietly walking along, conveyed them TO
the carriage, and drove raoidly of These
men were Alexander Mcleod and Andre
Kimmel, two peddlers in the employ Of A.
J Dillingham;. rag and tinwsre dealer.
They were said TO have been in Celina
on the dsy of the butchery, and were re
garded as the criminals. When they were
taken to Celina, however, Kimmel proved
an aLLbl and was at once released. q.
The general supposition. however, was
that Mcleod and the Two Rimmel broth
ers previously taken into custody were the
guilty parties, and the public mind became
very much excited, and the attitude of the
people was decidedly threatening. The
sheriff, therefore, telegraphed to the Gov
ernor for troops to ald him IN protecting
his prisoners, but the dispatch vas sent
too late. Previous to that messengers
had been sent to the people Of towns and
villages miles distant, inviting them eli to
be present in Celina on Monday, the 9Th
of July, to witness ~ is-.is.Z 3t
-.--AFR FREE TIeET EePE MArIzEE.
The appointed time found the usually
quiet village crowded to oVerhoWinQ with
excited masses of men, women and chill
dren. Their minds had been filed TO in
dignation with details Of the terrible crime,
and as all, or nearly all, had known and
loved poor little Mary SecoIe, they were
anxious to see what they considered lust
punishment. They did not stop to cen
slider that perhaps the men they had
doomed to death were innocent, but rushed
nadly ahead, as all mobs do
The people thronged in. They came on
foot, IN wagons, and on horseback. The
women were dressed in their finest apparel,
as if about 10 attend holiday celebration,
and the men brought baskets Of food, as II
gong to an old fashioned country picnic.
A corps Of lynchers had been carefully
picked, and at noon they formed in regu-
lar battalion order and marched to the jail
followed by dense mass of male and fe-
male humanity. The sheriff had taken up
his position in the second story Of the jail,
and, like hero, he refused to admit the
INFATUATED MOB.
His unfinching nerve, however. only
seemed to render them more desperate;
axes were brought into requisition and the
doors quickly battered down. The sheriff
was easily overpowered and relieved Of his
keys. A moment more and the prisoners
had been taken from their underground
cells, placed in wagon and driven of un-
der guard Of q corps Of executiontrs.
The ringleaders of the mob at first deci-
ded to kill their victims on the spot where
the child had been murdered, but her uu-
Gle claimed that the ground was hallowed
by her blood and should not be defled by
that of her murderers so the mob went on
to spot short distance from the house
in which the mother5 a ounger sister, and
brothers of the Kimmels lived.
GALLows WAS CONSTRUCTED
by placing one end Of horizontally in
clined plank In the forks of a tree, and
supporting the other by brace of splice
cross pieces, and under this plank the wag-
on was driven.
Preparations were made for the execution
of Mcleod and the two Kimmels, when a
brother of the murdered girl inteTfered in
behalf Of Jacob. saying that he was not
fully satisfied Of his guilt. Jacob was
therefore released but nooses were adjusted
around the necks of Mcleod and A6salom
Klmmel, and the loose ends of the ropes
were thrown over the plank. The com
mittee Of five, selected to conduct the exc
cution, were then called upon to carry ont
their part Of the programme, but they
grew faint-hearted and refused At this
jancture party Of Indianians volunteered
and pulled on the ropes while the wagon
was driven from under the feet Of the dy-
ing men.
Just before death Kimmel muttered out
an lncoherent statement, which was taken
for confession. Mcleod died hard, bat
scarcely struggle marked Kimmers trEg
ical exit from the world. 11i-7-7l- m.
AT er the bodies had been cut down q
wordy war ensued between the physicians
who were contendIng for The bodies as sub
j@cts f dissection. Finally c., mpromIss
was effected. McLeOd's body being given
over 10 The tender mercies Of the Cellna
saw bOrss. while Kimmel's was taken pos.
session of by the doctors of Fort Recovery.
since these terrible events no crime OF coa-
sequence has been com mitted IN Mercer
county. --aE-r ,-si
srRtEar sro,Jrr, i1al ,,r