The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-05-03
Dan WincheIl-One of the Old-tim Ter

of the Cleveland Herald. ]


Correspondence of the Cleveland Htrald.1
MANTUA, March 2.-The interview
in a recent Herald wherein Judge
Tilden gave some very interesting
"reminiscences Of Dan Winchell, the
once noted thief, has had the effect of
calling up incidents without number
regarding him and his exploits, many
of which are worth recording, for no
man engaged in like occupation in
this section ever had another such a
varied experience.
To-day a writer for the Herald met
an old gentleman who has lived in
Mantua for many years and was well
acquainted with "Dan," and at the
time was familiar with the incidents
which made the name of Dan Win
chell one on which for years the ink
was never dry on the court docket.
EYES," said one informant, Judge
Tilden gave few incidents, but |
could fill your paper full with things
I know of him. The family history
was peculiar one. The Winchell
family came from Sufield, Conn.
The father Of Dan was an old terror.
When he was over eighty years old he
was sent to the penitentiary for ten
years for shooting his son John. They
had little trouble about a coal-pit,
and the old man shot him dead with a
horse-pistol. While serving out his
time-which the judge supposed to be
life sentence family, all but Dan,
came west and settled near here.
Dan would have come, but he was
sent to the Hartford Penitentiary for
stealing calf-skins. Then he started,
but stealing something while in York
State sent him to the Auburn prison
five years, and he and his father ar
rived in Ohio about the same time.
Dan soon strayed down into the south
part of the State, and on his return
burglarized house in Deerfeld, was
caught at it, and was sent to Colum-
bus for seven years.
chell?"
"Oh, he went to his son Chauncey's,
where he lived several years. One day
in rage he nearly killed his son with
a blow of big iron fire shovel, and
for this, though over 100 years old,
Chauncey dispatched him to the poor
house, where he lived for some five
years, falling into a mire-hole and
drowning at last p
"Then what about Dan when he
got back from Columbus?"
"Well, he got into another stealing
scrape right away, and the constable
and posse went to arrest him. and
they got into free fight with Dams
friends. Gallen Lamb grappled with
Dan and threw him, and was getting
the handouts onto him, when he
stabbed Lamb in the back, making an
ugly wound, for which Dan was re-
turned to Columbus for five years.
He had hardly returned before he stole
a horse, and was SO closely pursued by
the Sheriff that when near the Rapids
in Hiram, he cut the throat Of the
horse, covered the body with rails, and
fired them, and thus prevented the
owner from swearing positively that
the burned horse was his, and hence
he escaped arrest.
Dams great speculative ambition
was in wheat, and no ones granary
was safe from his visitations, and a
grist-mill-now gone-wasr ready night
and day to buy his wheat at so cents
per bushel, so that Dan always had
ready money. His wife lived near
Cadiz, and he usually raided the coun-
try, going and coming, with better
success south than up here, as every
one was on the watch for him and any
theft was charged to him. Some Of
the farmers would give him IS per
year to let them alone, which agree
ment was always respected.
II remember Dan Winchell like a
book" said another well-known citi-
zen. "Dan was a most adroit thief,
and there was never his equal here
abouts. Do l remember any stories
about him? Dan was in Jail at Ra-
VIENNA once for stealing wool and there
was mass meeting in the Square near
by, and quite crowd collecting about
the building, Winchell addressed
them. though laboring as few orators
do with the disadvantage of barred
window before him. He took a text,
"For the place that now knows me
will soon know me no more" Win
chell was very fluent in language, and
had most complete fund of anecdote
and story. and he gave his audience a
'rattling" discourse, and provoked
rounds Of applause. The next morn
ing the jailer was surprised to- find
that his orator had been as good as his
word, and that for certainty Win
chell and the jail had parted company.
He had in some way opened the doors,
passed through the living rooms and
thence out of window, though he
had to get over bed in which young
lady was sleeping to reach this escape;
but he afterwards wrote her an apol-
ogy for his intruding upon the pri-
vacy of her sleeping apartment, and
inquired If in his haste in forgetting
to lower the window she took cold.
Winchell made his escape once from
the Ohio Penitentiary, then serving
his second term. He was employed
in the cooper shop, and watching his
chance he one day succeeded in placing
himself upon the ''reach" of one of the
big wagons that was admitted to the
yard, with slaves, and was drawn out,
eluding the eye of the guard. He
secreted himself during the balance Of
the day, and at night broke open a
clothing store and changed his suit,
and started north. Going on foot
proved both too slow and tiresome,
and about five miles from Columbus
he borrowed (?) horse, saddle and
bride, and near Mt. Vernon exchanged
it for fresher beast. At one of the
larger towns through which he passed
after dark, as he Travelled mostly by
night express, he stopped at jewelry