Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-06-15
The Bach Murder Trial.

The second trial of Charles Bach, for
inhumanly chopping his wife to death with
Il corr cater, is in progress at Bowling
Green tins week. There is little or no in
terest manifested, except in the securing
of jury. Four venires have been issued.
the first two for SO men each and the last
two for 40 men each. -Four days have been
occupied in examining and accepting and
excluding this l52 men. Finally the jury
was completed at 8 P. NJ. yesterday. Far
mers can find better employment at this
season OF the year and are 10th TO leave
their farms and be compelled to sit for
days and listen to the details of butchery
with which they are already familiar.
THE PORTER TRIAL
Wlen IN charge of the Sentinel last fall !,
Mr.. NJ. P. Brewer went through the court
records OF 1880 and gathered up the follow.
ing proceedings concerning the trial and
execution of George Porter, the only legal
execution that has ever taken place in
Wood county. Although Isaac Richard
son, the man shot by Porter, was n bad
man, law breaker and a man dreaded by
his neighbors, and from all accounts richly
deserved the fate which overlook him, the
trial and conviction of Porter strangly con-
trasts with the present mode Of treating
such cases. The subjoined is the record
copied in the case, which sets at rest also
the exnct date on which Porter was hung;
AT the August term, 1880, of the Wood
county Supreme Court, at which were
present, Hon. Peter Hitchcock and Henry
Brush, two uf the Judges OF said conrt,
and Thomas II. Mcknight, Clerk. The
Grand Jurors summoned by the Sheriff,
answered To their names az iollows; Ma
thaniel Jennison, Samuel SpaHord, Will
liam Bigger, Eber WI son. Jas. Wilkisom,
| William Houser, Amasa Andrews, George
w. Bennett Silas Barnes, David Mills,
Hartman Looms, Willard Gunn, John
G. Forbes, Joshua Chappel, James e..
| Adams and David Pruden.
Aug. 20lh, 1880, n hill ot Indictment
was presented by said Grand Jury, charg-
ing one George Porter with the crime Of
murder endorsed, "A True Bill"
The prisoner on being arraigned Mt the
bnr, plead mot guilty. and made his
election to he tried at said term Of court,
aud at his request, Orish Parish and David
Higgins were assigned by the court to aid
in his defense.
The following entry appears upon the
journal of said court, viz. saturday
Aug, 2lsi, ls30'--The State Of Ohio
against George Porter; This day came
the State by her counsel, Thos. w. Powell
ESQ. as also the said George Porter, and
lhereupon came Jury TO wit; Robert
Shaw, Palmer Kellogg, John Jacques
Aurora Spnff,,rd, ElijHh Huntington, Sew
ell Gum, Thomas Leaning, Nathaniel X.
Decker, Knowlton Young, Nathaniel
Blnn, Reuben Freshwater and Andrew
Hoover, who being duly elected tried and
sworn to we'll and truly try the Issue here
In, between said State ana said George
Porter, upon their oaths, do say that saic
George Porter is guilty III manner ant
form rs charged in the Indictment and
llat he is guilty of murder in the first de
: gree.
The usual question being asked th'
prisoner, whether he had anything TO sa,
why sentence of death should not be pro
nounced against him, answered in th'
. negative, the following sentence was pro
, nounced:
1T ~ considered Dy the court 'hat yo'
|, be remanded to the jail OF the county am
! there to be kept in close cnstoday unit
Friday the 5lh day of November next, OF
which day between the hours OF 10 o'cloc'
r A. NJ. and 3 o'clock p. NJ, you he taken b.
the Sheriff of this county 10 place OF exc
cution at or near the town OF Perrysbur
i. and there hang by the neck until you ar
l dead"
This sentence was carried into effect n
y the time therein mentioned, on a gallow
9 erected upon the site OF old Fort Meig
!. where the execution took place .publiol,
r The venerable John Webb, who is yet lis
, ing at Perrysburg al u ripe old age, the
= officiating M Sheriff.
= One feature of this trial is noticeabl
when compared with similar trials Of til
i present day, viz, the rapid method {
b dsposing OF the case IN court and the col
: seqhent small expense attending II. III
: court before whom Porter was tried, col
vened Aug. goth, 1880, and on the next da
. the prisoner had been indicted, tried, col
vicled and received his sentence.