The sun., 1879-06-01
A MAN VINO WAS hanged BELTETED TO
NAVE BEEN INNOCENT.
The Mysterious Murder OF the Roosa Family
--CoOvert's Efort 20 Get uewnrd-IIis
Arrest aud COnvIction-uis Dying words.

whirlgd in u nQrthrastrrly direction through
tho valley OF the Little Miami River. walled in
on both sidos by high hills for II distgnce Of
thiriy-nve miles, when you come to liito town
formerly called Deerield but now South Lob
anon. Although surrounded by rugiscd ond
rather romantic scenery, there is nothing
in tho town itself to attract attention,
Taking tho omnibus for Lebanon, over the
Lebanon pike. about mile out on the rDnd in
n nofthcrly direction you begin to ascend n
rather steep hill. and ~ you approach the SUM
nit your attention will be called to n nnut two
story white frame house Standing back some
200 yards from the road with several tall ce-
dafs in front. and approached by n neatly
graded and gravced drive. That is the place
where tho Rposa murder was committed.
Here is the scene of u tragedy which has
scarcely n parallel In tho annals Of crime.
Here. with his family. dwcit John Roosa, who
with tho host families in Warren County. alto
gethcr wcll-to-do, and man ot Influence. In
1854 he became insane. ana on the l2th OF De-
ccmbcr OF that year was confined in the Dayton
consisted Of Mrs. Melinda Roosa. the Vile and
mother; Aice Belle. beautiful girl OF Isl;
Frances. aged ~ Jcannette aged 7; and boy
baby, Harry. ngcd 2, remained at the home
stead and an old man named Jesse Cousins
About Dee. 20 Mr.. Roosa having partially ro-
covered. wrote to his wife. directing her to havo
somo barley tHbout eleven hundred bushels
which was stored in the barnl delivered TO a
brewer at Morrow Town. and advising her to
draw the money and Keep II about tho house for
use. Being much elated ut the business man
ner in which her husband wrote it being to her
mind nm indication Of his speedy recovery. she
thoughtlcssly read the letter Mt the village store
Tho injunctions of tho lgtter were fully car
ried out, except that on Dec. 20 Mrs
Roosa went for tho money and the brewer
being absent on business. she did not get IL.
On the morning OF Dec. 90 the family OF o
neighbor. MIR. scott was surprised 10 see little
Nettie, as Jeannettc was called. approach their
residence ut dnybreak and as best che could
trell them that all at home Ind been murdered
ne in cempnny with The ii,te on% %r renareI s ' 70
her home to find her story true. The fair young
girl. Alice Belle, was found dead on tho dining
room noor with dozen frghtiu cuts on her
person, attcsiing the fearful manner IN which
she died. The faithful Rray-haired old man
was found dead sitting in chair in the kitchen
near the lounge on which he had slept. which
WIS covered with blood The floor and walls
were bespaitered, and there was abundant EVIL
dence of n fearful struggle.
The baby boy. Harry, was found in an adjoin-
ng room with h Is head cleft in twain from tho
forehead to tho bnse of the skull. Mrs. Roosa
the beautiful youngwife and mother. was found
near her babe with fourteen wounds on hcr
person. seven OF which had penotrated the
skull two great wounds on either cheek and
her brcast open. She u1terward fully recovered.
but the frghiful scars mnrred her beauty for
ever. Frances. the girl OF 70. was on lounge
in the same room in about the same condition
as her mother. Little Nettio was tho only one
uninjured. The first theory was that Mr.. Roosa
had escaped from the asylum and murdered
his innocents: and the wounds. 1t was decided
had been inflicted with hatchet.
Little Nettie told the following story: She and
Alice were sleeping across the hall from where
her mother. Frances and Harry WERE During
the night she was awakened BY a noise aud saw
and barehead. holding Alice by the hand and
talking q her. He told Nettle to lio down Or he
would kill her. She was terribly frightened and
covered no her head. She heard Alice begging
and pleading FOR her life, telling the miscreant
she would, give him all the, money in tho
house ii he would spare her life. She
thinks she may have gone to sleep: at
all events She was again aroused by voices
when tho man reappeared with q lamp and n
hatchet. just then she heard noise in tho
dining ROOM when the assassin turned and
looked in that direction, approached the win
dow, sat down the lamp, threw us de the hatchet
raised tho window. and hurriedly passed out
She then hurried from the bed passed through
the different rooms. and noted the work OF the
murder She found some bandages and went
To her mother. who was lying on the floor In q
pool Of blood, and tried to bind up her wounds.
She described the murderer as being short.
thick-set man. with light hair. blue eyes and a
rcd moustache. bareheaded. and in his shirt
The childs story threw doubt upon tho theory
that Mr.. RoosA had perpctrated the deed IA her
description Of tho man in no way coincided
with her fathers appearance The ncighbors
had been securing the neighborhoOd for Roosa.
expecting 20 ilnd him dead but he could not be
found The authorities then telegraphed TO
Dayton TO see II he had escaped. Tho answer
came that he was In tho asylum.
Meanwhile Mrs. Roosa had been so far re-
stored as 10 talk. Her statement was that hear
ing noise IN the dining room. she with her
babe in her arms. started In that direction.
just as She opened an intervening door she
was confronted by man with IL hntrhet in his
hand. who struck az her. She lodged. and the
blOW missed hcr. strlklnE inc bnDe ana Killing
II. Nh" succeeded IN wrestling the hatchet from
the man. but he regainnd 1t and struck her
blow after blow until she became UNCONSCIOUS.
She came TO her senses again. and heard voices
rccognized as Alice's. She was unable 10
hear what the man said. but heard Alice
eXclaim You wont Kill me now have given
you tho moneyY Then she again became in
sensible. When ogai conscious she heard some
one walking around as II I'm their stocking feet.
The footsteps seemed 10 approach the doorway
and stop al the threshold. hut she dared not
move. but lay ns one dead. She heard the foot
steps then 90 In the direction II the room where
Alice and Neitie slept Again her senses left
her. and she know nothing more until Nettie
came to her with lamp and tried TO bandage
her head. Her description of the murderer tai
He'd exactly with that Of Netties.
Frances mind became quite lucid and her
narrative coincided exactly with that Of her
mother, She fingered for several days but
Several persons in the neighborhood were ar
rested on suspicion hut there being no evidence
against them. they were speedily released. The
WAS found where Nettie said the murderer had
left II. Ii WIS one which belonged To the family.
and the old man, Jessie Cousins. had used IL the
evening prior 70 the murder for splitting kind
ling wood, and had left II Just inside the wood
house door. some six feet from the porch over
which the murderer is supposed 10 have en-
tered the house.
10 further corroborate Nettio's story. the win
dow where she said the man had passed out
was found raised. and the bloody Impress Of
three fingers was on the window sill. On tho
porch over which the window openad were
Trucks Of blood. indicating which way the man
lad fed. A colorcd silk handkerchief was
found on the garden walk. Owing to the fact
that Mr.. RoOsR wis thought 20 have been the
perpctrator Of the murder. the authorities did
not at the time make Hs thorough and system
ntic n search us would otherwise have been
mndo; consequently the few developments
given above were the result Of only a partial
Investigation. A large reward was offered by
the comm ssioners Of the county. and this was
greatly augmented byA much larger one offered
by James koosa, brother OF the insane man.
The remainder Of my story shows how a weak
"a / II n IN
make himself for "A time tho hero OF the com
munity, and TO gain gold, trlod to bring another
TO the gallows. but got his own neck into the
moose.
Samuel Maud Coovert had formerly lived in
South Lebanon, near the Roosa placo. but had
separated from his wife and family, and gone
70 live with his sister and brother in-law ono
McNeal. in Middletown, OHIO. about fifteen
miles distant from tho isoosa place. Cooyert
was ono Of the first in Middletown to hear OF
the murder and the large rewards offered. Ilo
immediately told the facts TO different parties.
This must have been on the Thursday after
the act lie was 50 silly as 70 think he would
only have to name the mscreant and get
the reward; Alter visiting the scene Of the
tragedy and becoming thoroughly acquainted
with the circumstances. he went TO an officer
and told him that he know the one that commit
ted tho aci that man, David Hicks. who for
merly lived IN the neighborhood, but now kept
saloon in Cincinnati. mad. while under the in
iluence OF liquor, confessed TO having commit
ted the deed. Coovert said Hicks was the guilty