The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-06-22
SIMPLY AWFUL.
Wholesale Poisoning in
7f Hancock County.
Thirteen Persons Supposed to Have
Been Poisoned by Relative
He Wanted to Conceal ..
his Crime and
the Money.
From the Toledo Blade, 18th.

lrTOm lle lOleuO DlduSi lobh'
The citizens of Orange township, Han
cock county, are terribly excited over
the discovery of the poisoning of an en-
tire family named Charles, consisting of
the father and mother and seven chill
dren, the wife and baby-the latter three
months old-of Thomas Charles, an elder
son.
The circumstances, as near as can be
gathered, are as follows:
Elijah Charle', the father of the family,
took some wheat to Ada, Hardin county,
last Tuesday, and exchanged it for flour.
Having some other business in the town,
which occupied him several hours, he
left his -four in his wagon, in the mean
while. It's supposed that Isaac, a brother
of Elijah, who was on the street at the
time, took advantage of this to introduce
poison into the -four. Elijah returned
home, and the next evening his wife pre-
pared some yeast from the -four and
baked bread on Thursday last. While
getting dinner she ate few mouthfuls of
the bread, and became violently i'll. The
balance of the family-ten in number
ate Of the bread, and all became very
sick at the stomach. The baby-grand-
child of Elijah Charles-was fed with
some of the bread, soaked in tea, and
Immediately became quite sick, and re
mains 50 yet
Elijah and Thomas, his sons, had
started to Ada to meet Isaac in regard to
matter of business, and on the way be-
came seriously i'll They were overtaken
by messenger, who communicated to
them the intelligence of the family con-
dition. The messenger passed on to Ada
and secured the family physician. The
brother Isaac was at the physicians
office evidently waiting for the news.
The doctor, on arriving at the house,
pronounced the sickness to be poisoning,
Two other physicians were called in,
who pronounced a everdict Some of
the bread was fed to two hogs, which
Immediately became very i'll, and are
still so. --Jt l-DArul.L -1.aEas 4
Yesterday the physicians thought the
father, elder son and two of the younger
children would survive, but the Condi-
ton of the others is very critical. l3q,
The neighbors are strongly of the
opinion that the poison was administered
by Isaac. the brother of Elijah, and the
facts that have, come to, light form a
pretty strong chain of evidence against
him. The Charles family are all quite
veal ny, except Isaac, who has squan-
dered his substance in riotous living.
About Que year ago the father and
mother Of Elijah and Isaac Charles, who
were quite wealthy and lived at Blufiton,
on the louisville & Lake Erie Railroad,
died very suddenly Under circumstances
which seemed to indicate that they had
been poisoned. Suspicion rested at once
upon Isaac as being the author Of the
crime-if crime there was. A few days
previous to the death of this couple the
father was shot at through the window,
and it was suspected that Isaac had done
this also. Two months previous to this
occurrence the wife of Isaac died very
suddenly with symptoms similar to that
of the parents. But little while pre-
vious to her death he had effected an
insurance on her life of $1,000.
He was the treasurer Of Ada, and be-
came defaulter to the amount of $l6,-
600, it is charged, and also that be forged
note for 5000 against his brother Elijah,
which has just come to light.
During the life of the elder Charles he
was the guardian ofhis grandson Thomas
estate. At the death of the former, his
son Isaac became administrator of his
estate. Thomas Charles recently came
of age, and Isaac had made arrangements
to have him come to his (Isaac's) house,
and bring his wife and child, and settle
up the matters relating to the estate.
Thomas, however, went to his fathers
house as stated above.
Isaac Charles repaired to his brothers
house as soon as the noise of the poison
ing became noised about, and was very
oflicious until some of the neighbors or
dered him out of the house. The people
became greatly excited as the facts Of the
case became developed, and there is con-
tinual danger that a general uprising will
take place and Issac be lynched. Last
Friday the danger of this seemed very
imminent The accused declares his in
nocence in the strongest terms.
LATER.-The intelligence received this
morning states that Mrs. Elijah Charles
died at $3.50 yesterday morning. Isaac
Charles has been arrested and is closely