The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-04-12
MURDER AT TIFFIN.
The COrOner's Jury Decide that Miss
Russman Came to Her Death by Foul
Means. Ni

TIFFIN, o.. April 4.--on Thursday
the, body of Miss Nettie Russman, a re-
spectacle young lady Of Tiffin, Ohio, was
found in the river near that place with
marks Of violence upon her person which
indicated that she had been murdered.
The coroRer's jury yesterday developed
nothing positively duplicating any one
in the crime, but her lover, Lester Stone,
was arrested on suspicion, she having
stated, the last time she was seen alive,
that she was going to meet him,
TIFFIN, o., April IA coroner's in
quest was held April 9Th on the body OF
Miss Nettie Russman, and a number OF
witnesses were examined. The jury
summoned met at the residence of her
parents at ? o'clock, where the body lay
and with the physicians, Drs. Nighswan'
der, Hove and Livers, made posi- m0'-
tenn examination of the remains. The
physicians, having stripped the body and
examined the same carefully, found
| marks of violence upon the body, but
which were of themselves insufficient to
cause death. Messrs, Snyder and Mar
cher were called and testified as to the
locality in which the body wasfound and
as to the marks upon the body.
o. B, Tunison was then called and tes-
tilted in substance that Miss Russman
was a girl of good moral character, and
was at his house from 8 to 5 p. M on
Sunday, calling to bid the family good
bye. as she said she was going to Kan,
sas to visit her sister; that she appeared
happy, denying all intentions OF eloping
with lester Stone. Miss Till Roller was
called. She said she and two other young
ladies accompanied her to the German
Reformed church on that evening, ana
had taken sister of Nettie home and
we're returned to their employers resi-.
dence when Nettie requested the Prlvl-
lege of staying with Miss Roller I'LL II
O'clock. when She was going to the de-
pot to take the .3otrain on the Baitlmofe
and Ohio railroad, and she accordingly
STAYED there till II, when she bade her
good night and left the house. During
their conversation she denied all inten
tions of eloping with Stone, but SAID
certain person was to take her trunk to
the depot and check it for her, but would
not tell who. Mr., Rohrbacker called
and testified to hearing cries of distres on
Sunday night shortly after II o'clock,
L. IA Mp Diemer went out to inves-
tigate the cause, but found none. He
thought he heard a gasp or a nail smoIh'
cred cry, but could not say PositlVely'
Frank Iten testified that the last he saw
of Miss Russman was between one and
two D, m. on Sunday that she did not
return that a woman called to see her
during the forenoon to his knowledge.
The i1ry. returned verdict that the de,
ceased came to her death atthe hands OF
some person unknown by striking heron
the head and throwing her into the river.
Suspicion points strongly to Mr.: stone,
and he was arrested between twelve and
one o'clock on Friday morning. MIR; B.
F. Hartman, of Republic, states that Mr.
Stone was at his house in Republic from
Saturday, March 24th, to Wednesday.
April 4th; that on Sunday, April Ist,
when the tragedy is supposed to have
occurred, Stone was in and out OF his
house all day, and on the same Sunday
night went to church, and returned to
the house between and 10 o'clock the
same evening and slept with him all
night. This fact would seem to prove
coRciusively Stones innocence of the
charge. Mr.. Stone states he saw scores
Of people during his stay IN Republic
who can testify he was not in Tiffin on
the night of the death of Miss Russman.
The funeral of Miss Russman took
place Yesterday at p. m, 1t was attend,
ed by large number of relatives and
friends.