The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-17
POISONING ms WHOLE FAMILY.
Terrible and Unnatural Crime. Of an Ex-
civ Treasurer OF Ohio.

Ffufl ne lOic4O CONNER cal.
A terrible crime, or rather series OF
crimes, has been committed In Hancock
county. Ohio.
The tragedy was the poisoning OF thirteen
persons, members the families Of two brothers
aud a nephew, oy Isaac u. Charles, a resident of
Ada, and late CITY Treasurer OF Ada. man who
has up To u short period borne an excellent repu-
tatioD, and who hts been regarded IA a con
slstent memter Of tho Methodist Churcn. In
order to observe a proper sequence Of events II
will be necessary To go back several years In the
narrative. Isaac Charles, ST., was one Of the old
sntuets OF Alien county, and IN the course Of a
lifetime afnrssed property valued In the az rre-
gate at 5000. lie bad four sons, Isaac b.,
biijah, John, and another, older than all three,
who died good many years ago, leaving a boy,
Thomas Charles, who was reared by mis- grand
PARENTS The boys as they grew to manhood, IN r.
rled, aud leaving the paternal roof and settling
Eli and j Ohm IN Hancock county. ana Isaac In
Hardin county. all WITHIN a short distance Of
tue homestead-in the same manner as mad
their father, acquired each "A mod rate amount
Of property. The old folks were consistent
members OF the Methodist CnDrcn and the chill
dren likewise became members Of that organ
zaton. Isaac, so FAR as 10 known to the outer
world, was an upright man until some two or
three years ago. He was not so steady In his
habits Of business ~ MS brothers. and was noa-
sessed OF desire for speculation, which he
INDUCED to some extent, and to his detrment
financially; Al the time mentioned he became
inextricabiv Involved In debt, and IN his desper-
alton ne gave his notes f99 various amounts,
fathers name as an endorsement.
This became known to his father and hard
words passed between them. Soon after the
father was found dead In barn, and the son
gave out that he was Kicked by A horse
strange TO say, the old lady was ken ssddenly
and violently Ill, with grief Il was i'd, aud she
RAPIDLY declined and died, and was buried with
her husband. These events excited no com
ments at the time, lsaac's story OF the death OF
bis aged parents being accredited a. true by his
brothers and the community at large But a
terribly tated family. Isaac had in his house
hold Young girl. some sixteen or seventeen
years old, ana OF a sudden she was sent away to
Columbus. For what reason II does not auuear
but II Is now said In order tn It criminal opera
zion might he performed. During her absence
Isaac's wife and a child were suddenly taken IN
and after very brief sickness they went down
into the grave TO Join tue aged couple who had
50 shortly before departed this life So suddenly.
within six months OF his wlfe's de tn, Isaac
married his servant glr,. still the community
was not aroused.
In the mean time Isaac had obtained from the
Probate Court Of Allen county The appointment
OF himself as the administrator Of his IAther's
estate, and proceeded to settle up his affairs.
The old gentleman bad but few personal debts.
ana the only paper he had standing out WIS a
note gwen Tor money with which the Methodists
la his neiHhOur, God had built "A church. and
whicn WAS secured 10y MOI tgags ON the prnp-
erty. In the course OF a year IL became Apparent
that Isaac VS. administering" tho estate 10
MS own advantage. None OF the taxes we're
paid, aud IL was ascertaiDed that be had been
pledging the assets OF tbs estate for his person.
al deuts. SIX months ago, on petition Of hIs
brother Isaac WIS re moved from the Office, and
Mr. Isaac Thompson Of Ada appointed adj
minstrator He found that hia predecessor had
not only squandered his own portion of the
estate, that the taxes were unpaid. tut that all
the assets had disappeared. All OF the des-
perate crookedness of Isasc's ufairs then be-
came known to nis relatives, and "A bitter quarrel
was The result.
on last Wednesday June :, the brothers and
the nephew, SIR. Thomas Charles, agreed to
meet at Elijah Chares's for tue purpose of set
Ting AL their difficulties, and to determine
ihomass share IN tho esta'e. Elijah went TO
Ada ier Isaac on Medne-dIy, aud on his way
home stopped at "A mill for grst 81 -four which
he tooh nome, MS VIE In nntcip ton OF the
large company ON the following day, set about
mixing a batch Of bread TO be baked ON the
morrow, and while so doing Isaac went In and
out 81 tbs room where sne was working FREE
lently. suddenly he declared that he had
business engagement which would take him
back % Ada, and he could not possibly return
until the afternoon Of Thursday and hs wished
ElJah and Thomas 10 20 down there after nim.
Accordingly, Immediately after dinner on
Thursday the two stated Tor Ads, but had gone
only u short distance when Thomas wa ssized
with violent vomiting and In a few minutes
afterward his uncle. They supposed thai they
were suffering from violent attack of collie.
so severe was their pain that tney drove to the
roadside and then rolled around, almost IN the
hHonlts OF dissolution. While In the midst OF
their attack netlhbor came driving along In
hot haste, and Informed them that the entire
con phny mad been seized in the same m inner
They returned to the house aud found eleven
other persons in siuniar suffering. A physician
was summoned ami no on saturday ctusei some
OF the bread to be analyzed, which brought 10
hight arsenic enough To have killed forty per-
sons, and an Investigation only too surely fas-
tened suspicion on lsa c Is. Charles On sun
DAY night ha was arrested and taken to Rec DIS
Corners, where he Is now under guard.
~ soon as the hoiTlhie tragedy became known
Alremendous excitement arose, and the facts
ot the death u the old man ana woman. of
Isaac Cnarles's vile aud enid. and OF MS UNI
ssemly marriage, came TO light, aud the con
stru ton WAS placed uDon them az ia cd.
Farmers left their work aud began TO gather
into Ada. The examination OF Charles Nas set
Tor Monday afternoon, before Justice Of the
Peace AT Reeds Corners. Eijah Charless n igh-
bors gathered en- m,sse ana there we're strong
apprehensiOns that tho wretch would be tried
In Judge Iynch's court, but a large body OF me
went out from Ada 60 prevent any such lawisss-
moss, determined that Charles, although un-
doubleday guilty, should have fair trial. Just
as the examination was to como Oh, word was
Ieceived that Mrs. X. Charles and a child had
died, and II was thereupon postponed to allow
the stricken husband and father, who had re-
covered some what from the effects OF his por-
ton OF the poison, to go TO his dead. On Mon
day two more Of the Victims died In the greatest
agony, and II ~ feared that others will yet die.