The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-07-27
THE SARDIS MURDER.
Full Particulars Obtained
on the Ground.
The Murder, the Escape. the Pur-
suit and the Capture.
Verdict of the Coroner's Jury.

suit and the Capture.
Verdict of the COrOner's Jury.
In the town of Sardis, this county,
on Saturday, the 17th inst, was purpe
trated one of the most brutal murders
that has ever occurred within our coun-
ty limits, and there have been some
committed that people thought could
hardly be surpassed for -blooded
Finding that it would be impossible
to obtain a correct version of the affair
without visiting Sardis, we, on Monday,
in company with Mr.. o. F. LITTLE,
drove down and obtained the following
particulars:
On the day above mentioned, GEORGE
and BENJAMIN BARKER, brothers, resi-
dents of Jackson township, went to
Sardis, as has been their custom, at
times, for years past, to have carouse
After their arrival in town, they obtained
liquor at shop kept by Mrs. PREsEN-
TINE, her husband being in Jail at the
time for violating the liquor law.
Soon afterward they, each offered to
two citizens fifty cents if they would
pursuade JOHN MICHEL to come out of
his house. About 5 O'Clock in the
evening they went into M1cHEL's liquor
shop, which is in the basement of his
dwelling, and called for liquor. MICHEL
refused to let them have any, when they
commenced cursing and abusing him.
MICHEL passed round his counter and
succeeded in getting them ont of the
door, which he Immediately locked
They remained standing near the door,
keeping perfectly quiet, and in few
moments MICHEL unlocked and opened,
it, thinking, no doubt, that they had
gone, when both men sprang upon and
showed him aside, and then commenced
desperate
FIGHT IN THE CELLAR
GEORGE BARKER picked up chair and
struck MICHEL, knocking him down.
He then jumped upon him and stamped
him in the face and upon the body in a
most brutal manner, crushing in several
of his ribs on the right side, and inju-
ring him on other parts of his body
At the time GEORGE engaged MICHEL,
BEN BARKER caught Mrs. MICHEL by
the throat and was choking Ter, but
before he had injured her very badly,
Mr.. ALEX. McGREw, who had been
called in, pulled him away from her,and
when released she struck BEN heavy
blow across the head with poker, cut
ting it severely, and from which blood
flowed quite freely. Mr.. JAMES HAvrLY
took GEORGE off of MICHEL, and, with
Mr.. McGREw's assistance, succeeded in
getting both men out of the door and
up the steps to the street.
Outside they commenced cursing and
swearing and throwing through the
windows of the house. They threw a
box through window, tore a shutter
off, wrenched three palings off the gate
and threw them in with great violence
and also threw large stones in; for a
while it appeared to the citizens as
though the fiends from the lower re-
gions had been loosened, so terrible was
the uproar.
When the BARKER's retired from the
cellar, MICHEL went through back
door, up stairs and procured single
barreled shotgun and came out tbe
front door into the street, where the
BARRIERS were, for the purpose Of pro-
tecting his property. He struck al
GEORGE BARKER feeble blow with his
dubbed gun, but missed him, when
GEORGE seized hold of it and then en-
sued a tussel for its possession. While
they were engaged BEN BARKER picked
up stone about IL inches longs inches
wide and II inches in thickness and
threw It, striking MICHEL on the right
side Of the face, breaking his jaw bone
and knocking him down. The force
with which the stone was thrown broke
it about one third off. This blow caused
him to release his hold Of the gun wher
GEORGE BARKER
Swung it round, and brought it dowr
on M1cHEL's head just behind his lef
ear, crushing in the skull, making hol'
as large as silver dollar, and produ
cling fracture or inches IN lengtl
across the crown to just above his righ
eye.
The BARKERs then paraded the street
back and forth for more than quartz
of an hour swearing what they coul(
do, and what good men, physically, the.
were, after which they started for home
taking MIcHEL's gun with them. 4
short distance up the street BEN drew
his knife and started back swearing b
would have MIcHEL's
HEARTS BLOOD,
But GEORGE prevailed upon him to g
on and let him alone. Near VILLA,
FAGGERT's, three-fourths of mile be
low town, GEORGE threw the gun owe
Tho fanco info tho woods II unc otto,