Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-03-08
He Suffered Death Rather Than Be False
to His Trust.

j. w. Barron, Treasurer of the DeX-
ter Savings Bank, was left alone in the
Office of Mr.. Parsons, an insurance
gent, who has his Office in the same
room with the bank, at about five
o. clock Friday evening. Barron did
not return home as usual, and search
was made for him. The doors of the
savings bank room were found locked
as usual. AS no response was made to
repeated calls, Mr.. Curtis, Cashier of
the National Bank, which has an office
in an adjoining room, sought to enter
the savings bank through the vaults,
which are connected, so that when the
doors of the safe are closed person
can pass from one room to the other.
1t was at first supposed that Barron had
fallen in fit, as he had for some time
been troubled with heart disease. On
opening the vault doors in the National
Bank Office the outer door of the saw
ings vault was found open, and thrown
back so as to close the passage. Some
object was lying against the door so
that it could not be closed. Barron
could be heard groaning, but even then
foul play was not suspected. The door
of the savings bank was forced, it being
expected that the vault doors on that
side would be found open; but they
were found closed and locked. The in
tent of the burglars and, as it proved,
murderers was then fully evident, as a
healthy man would soon die there for
want of air.
There were no means at hand for
opening the vault, so recourse was had
to the entrance by way of the vault of
the National Bank. There was small
aperture between the door of the safe
and the roof of the vault, and through
this small person was passed with
some difficulty. He found the body OF
Mr.. Barron lying on the floor of the
vault and against the door of the safe
He succeeded in moving the body sc
| that the safe-dOor could be closed
! When Mr.. Barron was taken through
into the Office of the National Bank he
was unconscious and breathing heavily
He was gagged and handcuffed. Tn,
gag was short piece of wood, such a,
might have been taken from the bale o
water pail, and was secured by a core
passed through a hole in the wood
The handouts were of Norway iron o
the latest patent, finely finished, anC
nickel-plated, so constructed as to Sc
cure the prisoner more tightly SHOULD
he struggle for freedom. A piece o
light rope about six feet in length wa
around his neck. He had one woun'
behind the ear, another serious cut ol
the forehead, and still another on tn
cheek, and several severe bruises on tn
body. He lived until half-past five thi
morning.
After Mr.. Parsons left the Office Mr.
Barron probably went through bac
room to a coal-closet with his hOd to re
plenish his fire for the night. The nun
derers evidently came up behind hir
and seized him while he was in thi
!, closet, as the closet-doOr was foun
open, and there was the partly-filled no
, overturned on the floor, and the mul
, dered mans false teeth and pen an
I keys lying on the floor. The key of tn
, handouts was also found there. Th
robbers found the vault doors and tn
outer door of the safe open, but I'll
| cash-vault, which contained everythin
I of value, and in which was a combine
= ton lock, was closed. They undoub
: edly murdered Mr.. Barron because !
would not disclose the combination
: and having committed this crime the
: laid him in the vault which he died
a protect, and then locked the vault doc
0 upon him, leaving his friends, as the
4 must have thought, little chance of SO
l. ing him again alive.
81 All this must have occurred betweC
i five and six o'clock last evening, M
y Curtis, the cashier, was i'm the Nation
g Bank at five O'clock, and when he le
) he tried Mr.. Barron's door and fouI
it locked. Mr.. Curtis went out, loc
Q ing the outside door at the foot of tl
, stairway after him. The janitor of NJ