The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-31
AN APPALLING CRIME.

The Fort Wayne Sentinel reviews the
history of that revolving murder and lynch
ing which took place near there, il Mercer
county, Ohio, In June, 1872. The horrible
tale Is not forgotten, as it has a parallel only
in the case of Georgia Ann Lowering, whose
fiendish murderer, Evans, lately paid the
penalty of his crime.at the dictate of law and
Justice. Ten miles from Celina. in Liberty
township, at the time referred to, lived a
farmer named Seiderley, who had a large
family, one of those who made up his house
hold was his orphan niece, Mary Belle Sc
core. Mary was thirteen years OF age, very
handsome, and great pet with Mr.. Solder
ley, and indeed, it'll all who knew her.
She was possessed of an affectionate and
lovabie disposition and inclined to be very
devout and pious. By reason of this latter
trait in her character, she became a constant
attendant upon the country Sabbath-school,
located about two miles from her uncle's
residence. On Sunday morning the girl at
tended school as usual and started to return
home about noon. Her aunt accompanied
her a part of the way, but stopped at the
house of a relative, about three-quarters of
mile from her sister-in-law's, leaving the
little girl to pursue her way alone. Finally
she came to a small woods, through which
the road ran, and Just as she entered three
men jumped from their hiding place in some
bushes and seized her, One feeble cry for
On the following Sunday, one week after
the crime had been committed, party, who
had been constantly searching for the miss
ing girl, came upon the remains, which had,
| in the interval been partially devoured by
hogs it was difficult to recognize the fea-
lures of the once beautiful girl, so terribly
had they been mutilated by the marks of
the sharp blade of the knife. The sheriff at
once offered 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 assistant came to this city, and while
riding along on Calhoun street, jumped
out of closed carriage at the corner OF
Washington, boldly seized two men, who
were quietly walking along. conveyed them
| to the carriage, and drove rapidly of. These
men were Alexander Mcleod and Andrew
Kimmel, two peddlers in the employ of A.
j. Dillingham;, rag and tinwaIe dealer. They
were said to have been in Celina on the day
of the butchery, and were regarded the
criminals. When they were taken to Celina,
however, Kimmel proved an abb and was
at once released. The general supposition,
however. was that Mcleod and the two Kim
mel brothers 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
governor for troops to aid him in protecting
his prisoners, but the dispatch was sent too
late. Previous to that, messengers had
been sent to the people oftowns and villages
miles distant, inviting all to be present in
Celina on Monday, the 9th of July, to wit
ness free tight rope matinee. The appointed
time found the usually quiet village crowded
to oYerfiowing with excited masses of men,
women AND children. Their minds had been
filled to indignation with
DETAILS OF THE TERRIBLE CRIME,
and as all, or nearly all, had known and
loved poor little Mary Secore, they were
anxious to see what they considered lust
punishment. The people thronged in. They
came on foot, in wagons, and on horseback.
| The women were dressed in their finest ap-
| parel, as if about to attend a holiday celebra-
| ton, and the men brought baskets of food,
| as If going to an old fashioned country pic
| mic. A corps of lynchers had been carefully
| picked and at noon they formed in regular
battalion order, and marched to the Jail, fol.
lowed by a dense mass of male and
female humanity. The sheriff was
easily overpowered and relieved of his
| KEYS. moment more and the prisoners
had been taken from their undergrou nd
| cells, placed in wagon, and driven off I'M
der guard of corps of executioners. Prepa-
| rations were made for the execution of Nc
Leod and the two Kimmels, when a brother
of the murdered girl interferred on 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 Absalom Kiminel, and the
loose ends of the ropes were thrown over the
plank. The committee of five, selected to con-
duct the execution, were then called upon to
carry out their part of the program, but
| they grew falnt-hearted and refused. AT
this juncture party of Iniianians volun-
teered and pulled on the ropes while the
wagon was driven from under the feet of the
dying men. Just before death Kimmsl NUT
tered out an incoherent statement, which
was taken for confession McLeon died
hard. but scarcely a struggle marked Kim
mel's tragical exit from the world But a
strange story comes from Colorado. Thomas
Bradwell Douglas died a few days ago in
Denver Colorado, of consumption, for the
cure of which he had sought the bracng eli
mate of Colorado, but found death instead.
One half-hour before his death, the man
became greatly agitated, and insisted upon
having the attendance of a Catholic comics
sor. The priest was summoned, and left
alone to hear the secrets which the dying
man had carried so long in his bosom. What
transpired between them may be ascer-
tanned from the following paper dictated by
the sufferer to the priest, and furnished by
him to a local paper for publications:
THE CONFESSION
SIN this, my dying hour, and in the fall
hope that by doing so will secure sbsolu-
ton from my sins, 1 make free and full con-
fession of a deed that has weighed upon my
mind like death pail from the day of its
commission. am the guilty wretch who
outraged and murdered the girl Secore, near
Celina, Ohio, in the summer of 1872. Heaven
alone knows what hellish motive prompted
me to Go the deed, but at the time my brain
| was on fire from drink and I was vertically
mad man, past the power to control my
actions. The hanging of the two men
Mcleod and Kimmel, was as vile MUIR
der as was ever perpetrated. was one
of the mob that executed them. / urged
them on to it, for felt it necessary to secure
my own safety. now know and feel that
in acting as did throughout this horrible
affair, committed sins of most grievous
character. hope God will pardon me, and
that the publication of this statement will
relieve the families of the men. Mcleod and
Kimmel, from The stigma of dishonor resting