Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-02-18

future wealth. He was very close and
attentive to business, never EMPLOYED
a clerk or salesman, and very seldom
even called for assistance in carrying
great loads of heavy iron into his store
room.
HE MARRIED
about the year 1923, to q lady near Oak
land, Va, by whom he had three child
rem, all sons, two of whom are still liy-
ing, and are carrying on farming oper-
ations in Iowa, he having bought each
of them a valuable farm. His mar.
riage did not prove happy one, and
he and bis wife parted short time be-
fore he came to Mt. Vernon. His wife
obtained a divorce and was married
again. He visited his sons in Iowa oc-
casiOnally, and always spoke encour-
agingly of their prosperity.
HIS ECCENTRIC HABITS.
Deacon Mccormick, although fond OF
money and boarding and hiding it
away, was by no means q miser. He
was always ready to- loan his money
and assist his friends in their business
Operations. He never was without
money, and could make change, cash
draft, or make loan, to almost any
amount, whenever called upon. He
did not make mOney-lending or note
shaving a business, and it was more to
accommodate hiS personal friends than
anything else that he loaned money at
all. He seemed to have but little faith
in banks, and hence he did but little
business through them. Still he kept
a standing deposit account, which was
but seldom increased or diminished.
His surplus money, bonds, etc., he al
ways kept hidden in his store-the
gold and small change in bags, some
bank notes in an old wallet, and his
bonds rolled up and placed in a tin
tube-which were deposited on the
floor behind several tons of iron which
stood upright on the north side of the
store. Mr.. Charles Cooper appears to
have been the only person to whom he
entrusted the knowledge of this place
of deposit; and after the appointment
of VIM. McCIelland as Administrator,
on Saturday, search was made behind
the iron, at the instance of Mr.. Cooper,
and four small bags and an old wallet
and the tin tube alluded to were found,
and were taken by Mr.. Mcclellan and
Mr.. Cooper to the Knox County Na-
tiOnal Bank for deposit. The contents
were as follows: Government bonds,
IS, $50; greenbacks, $4,753; gold, Ss1 so;
silver, $23 so; five-cent nickels, S62 20;
pennies, ST; fractional currency, $50 20;
total, $l4 ,317 92. Some of this money,
the bank notes especially, must have
been kept on hand for long time, as
the notes stuck 80 close together that il
was difficult to separate them. The
pennies and nickelS were not all &C
cuDulsted in the way of busines, for
most of them were entirely newt be-
ing the habit Of the deceased, when a
new emission came from the mint to
the bank, if he took fancy to their
appearance, to buy many dollars
werth, not so much for change as to
put away for safe keeping. These &C.
centric habits seem to have been pretty
we'll known, and the fact that he kept
large sums of money in his store, and
especially large pocket full of
money was also well known; and this
afforded the temptation for the robbery
and horrible murder above detailed.
HEAVY REWARDS.
Soon after the discovery of the mur-
der some of our citizens, who were in
the iron store where the murder was
determined that handbills
should be issued at once, offering a re-
ward of 81 200 for the apprehension
and conviction of the person or persons
who committed the murder.
Subsequently, meeting of the City
Council was held, when a preamble
and resolutions were unanimously
adopted, authorizing the Mayor to offer
a reward of 1000, and also to pay an
additional SUN not exceeding $500 to
employ special police or detectives.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT.
AS may well be supposed, this mur-
der has created intense excitement in
this vicinity, where tie deceased has
long lived, and been engaged in busi-
ness; and who, it was believed, had not
q single enemy. :
Business seemed to be entirely sus-
pended during the day. People gath
cred in groups on the streets and in the
stores, and talked about nothing else.
Territorial indignation prevailed, and
if the murderer bad been found at any
time during that day, it would have
been difficult matter to have restrain
ed the people from lynching him.
oCLUE TO THE MURDERER
has been obtained, although the police
At once went vigorously to work, and
have been busy day and night. One or
TWO arrests were made, but it is gen.
orally believed the parties had nothing
10 do with the bloody and horrible act.
Chief of Police Rankin, of Newark,
,ame up on Saturday and commenced
the case up, and the police of
Cleveland, Cincinnati, and
,ther places have gone to work in the
hope Of securing the large rewards. 1t
8 the general belief that the murder
,r murderers will be captured before
many days go by.