The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-05
BLOOD FOR BLOOD.
AN OHIO CRIMINAL.


DERs FOR WHICH HE WAS CONVICTED
STORY or THE BLOODY DEEDS-HIs EXPIA-
TON OF TIE CRIME.
The telegraph has told in an item of the
execution of John Goodman at Ottawa, o.,
on Wednesday last. The correspondent of
the Cincinnati Enquirer, writing from that
place, gives the following sketch of the
criminals life, and the deed for which be
was executed: Goodman, the condemned
man, made his confession. He was born In
Franklin county, about four miles south
east Of Columbus, in 1S45 When he was
but four years old his parents moved to
Putnam county, in the neighborhood where
Columbus Grove now stands, where his IA
ther bought farm and settled. He worked
on the farm, getting his education as most
farmers boys do, In the winter months OF
the year, until he wSs OF age. Soon after
that he married a Miss Funk, who had
lived with old Mr.. and Mrs. Hay
wood for several years "a sort
of foster child, though she was never
adopted by them. Af.er marrying
her he tried farming for q year or two, but
didn't get along. Then be went back to his
fathers house and stayed there while, but
that didn't suit him because of the work.
Then he went to Columbus Grove. He tried
various makeshifts to get out of actual work
and make living. He tried to sell fruit
he got an agency for washing
machine, but that didn't bring in any
money to speak of, and as the ex
penses of living began 10 press him, with no
money coming in, he became morose and
dissatisfied. He nad some misunderstand-
ings, too, with bis wife, and she upbraided
him for being a lazy, do-nothing fellow.
Then he threatened to "cut her wind OFF, if
she ever talked to him that way again, and
on this Stb of April, the black Friday of his
aek1
this time he had never shown any of the in
troductory vices that lead to
crime. He set at defiance all your theories
In this respect. He didn't drink, he didn't
gamble, he didn't swear, he didn't steal or
lie or cheat, but he was simply a lazy,
trifiing, do-noshing hulk of fellow, with
out energy enough to make living for his
wife and child. He was simply cipher IN
society. People who knew him said that
WHEN HE GREW ANGRY
he would tear every thing before him to
crafty his vengeance, though this last
statement probably had its origin in the
light of subsequent events rather than from
any experience they had had with him be-
fore. At any rate he was very trifiing and
very much in need of money; and he
knew old man Haywood, and knew
also that be had money. This was the
condition of affairs on the Sth of
April. On the forenoon of that day he bor-
rowed a rifle there in town, saying that he
was going out squirrel hunting in the neigh
borhood of old man Haywoods. He bought
powder and percussion caps and lead to
make bullets from. Then he went down to
a saw-min below town and nodded his
bullets, and struck out into the woods. AT
o'clock he arrived at the house of old man
Haywood with a squirrel which he had
killed in his hand, giving It. to the old lady
to cook for supper. During the converse
ton which ensued he asked them to loan
him some money, and they refused. High
words followed this refusal, all three Of them
growing angry. Then he made q show Of
curbing his passion, and proposed to the
old man that he should go down
three or four hundred yards below
on the bank of the creek and
help him kill another squirrel that he had
seen as he came along, the old mans part of
the job being to go around behind the tree
and scare 1t out, when he was to shoot it.
The old man led the way, perhaps ten yards
In advance, and as they got behind the
slope Of the bank Of the creek, Goodman
drew closer to him, and raising his rifle,
Tired on him with deadly aim, the ball
PIERCING his BRAIN.
and coming out at the other side. He fell
cad In a moment. and Goodman, rushing
forward, commenced to rifle his pockets of
his watch, his pocket book, his knife, and
whatever else they contained, and, while so
engaged, he became alarmed. 1t seems that
Mrs. Haywood had heard the shot fired,
and, fearing that foul play was going on.
had hurried cut toward the barn, and climb
ing. to the top of the fence so that
she could overlook the scene Just
as he was robbing the Low dead
old man. She screamed, and he looked
mp in time to see her standing on the fence.
His crime had witness, and his first
thought was to make away with that wit
ness. SEEKING his gun he started after her,
loading as he ran, and with the knife still
in his hands. The old lady started to run
to the nearest neighbOrs, Funcks, some
Is or 30 rods away from the house, and Just
across the road. Goodman followed, rap
. idly gaining her, and before she had
reached the road he fired at her and she fell
to the ground. Then he rushed up, and
with the open knife in his hands
CUT HER THROAT FROM EAR TO EAR
His fiendish work was all complete, and
had been done in Is or 20 minutes at the
most. The old man and his old wife were
both dead, and the next thing was to dis
pose of their bodies. He first dragged the
old lady's body down the side of The hill to
the creek, where he tumbled 1t into the water
and piled some brusha and stones on it. Their
he went back to where the old mans
body lay, and stripping il to the waist, leav
ing only the pants and boots on, rolled il
down the bank into the water, and piled logs
and stones enough oyer il to entirely conces
1t from view. Then he took the clothes NJ
to the house and put them away in the
closet. While here he left evidences of his
having committed the crime for robbery by
breaking open the trunks and bureau
drawers and emptying their contents
on the floor In the search for money
He rummsged all over the house
but succeeded In finding little IL any
money, there only being some twenty-five
or thirty dollars on him when arrested
But it seems that while engaged in this
search for money he suddenly began to feal
that his crime had been seen. His
gun had been fired twice and the dogs
had barked, and it occurred to him thai
there were neighbors near at hand. He re
membered that he had seen Mrs. Funk abou
the time he was cutting the old wOmant