The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-04-20
Murder or Suicide

On Sunday April 1st, Nettie Russ
man, of Tifin. called upon some OF
her young friends, and passed pleas
ant day with them, giving to each the
impression that she was going away on
the 80 A. II. train on the b. & o. r.
R.. and was going a long journey,
which would cost her about S23. In
one instance, Ito Miss Tilley Roller, J
she gave the impression that a young
man named Lester Stone with whom
she had been keeping company and to
whom she was said to be engaged, was
going with her. Sunday evening she
attended church with Miss Roller. Glare
Brown, and younger a sister of her:
named Minnie. After church she and
Tillie Roller saw the other girls home,
and then Nettie and Tillie went to a
Mr Dildines, where Tillie was work.
ing. Tillie wanted Nettie to stay with
her all night, but Nettie persisted she
was going away on the train and left
the house shortly after II o'clock, 60
ing .o"ard the Woolen Mill. Hugh
Mccall, engaged in e1tinguishing the
gas, saw her near the Woolen Mills
about quarter past IL o'clock, and af
ter she passed him be noticed a man
near the Washington street bridge, but
could not tell whether he followed her
or not. She seems to have gone di-
rectly from Dildene's to the Rock Greek
bridge on River street, where about
half-past eleven, Mr.. Rohrbracker, who
lived near the bridge heard the
screams of a woman, and going out in
duced Mr.. Diemer TO go with him.
He had heard the screams four times.
When they reached the bridge they
could see DO one, and the affair was
shrouded iD mystery. So it remained
until the Thursday morning following,
April 5th, when Merit Snyder and
F. Morcher went out hunting. They
had reached a point kown as Abbott:
farm four miles north of the city,
when they saw what appeared to be g
shce floating upon the water. They
went to it and found the body of g
a woman which had been before hid
den from view by some brush, the
foot extending into the stream. o.
course the affair was soon noiseG
about; the Coroner was informed, and
then it was discoved that 10 one haG
seen Nettie Russman since the Sunday
night previous. Her father went tC
view the body and recognized hi:
daughter.
A Jury was summoned by the Coro
ner and a full investigation had. On
the head of the deceased were found
three cuts and some Commissions
These were not regarded, by the ex
amining physicians, as sufficient to oc
casion death in themselves, but from
the evidence adduced the jury return
ed vel dict that Nettie Russman haG
come to her death from violence by
some one unknown. Suspicion at onct
fastened upon young Lester Stone
who was arrested ard had an examip
alton before Mayor BachmaD, Oh the
9Th. but pr owed SO clear an aliJi shat
he was honorably discharged. Th.
Commissioners of the County at once
offered a reward of $500 for the arrest
and conviction of her murder, and the
City Council ordered similar sum to
be offered, but as yet noting has come
of it.
And the question is still shrouded in
mystery as to whether the young wo
man was followed by some knave who
sought her destruction, or whether with
a secret buried in her bosom she rashly
cast herself into the stream. Few be-
lieve that suicide was the cause of
her death; the wounds and bruises
upon her head, while they might have
been occasioned by contact with obsta-
cles in the water, give evidence of vio-
lence inflicted, and we trust that if a
murder has been committed, the vii
lain who did it may not long escape
the punishment he merits.