The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-10-17
THE LAW SATISFIED.
Two Wife Murderers Executed
in Ohio.
The Butcher Of the COake Family Swung
Of-Craft Protests Innocence to
the Last:

At Fremont last Friday, Jack Rad
ford was hanged for wife murder, COM
mitted last October. Mrs, Annie Rad
ford had left her husband because of
cruelty, and had applied for a divorce
and procured an injunction to prevent
his dispOsing of the property. RadfOrd
went to Fremont, the county seat, in the
afternoon, and while there the papers in
the suit were served on him. He went
back to Bellevue in the afternoon, and
proceeding to the house of his wife's
parents; knocked at the door. Not being
promptly admitted, he began kicking in
the panels, whereupOn his wife appear
ed. He seized her by the arm, threw her
down, and placing a revolver at her
head, fired. She attempted to strike the
pistol away and received the bullet in
her right arm. He then put the pistol
to her right temple, so close that the
powder burned the flesh, and fired the
fatal shot, after which he coOlly walked
out of the yard, stopped a moment to
see if he had killed his victim, deliber-
ately picked the empty shells out of the
revolver, put the pistol away and ran
across the lots until he reached the rail-
way track along which he fed west
ward. The news of the murder spread
rapidly aud large number of citizens
started in pursuit of RadfOTd. He was
finally captured by Constable KOnner
four miles from Bellevue, and subse-
quently lodged in Jail at Fremont
After the arrest he asked if his wife was
dead, and receiving the affirmative re-
ply, said, 81 thought so; gave her two
good ones, and am glad of it,"
He made fierce fight against the Off
Gers aud cried: LET me go, you hell
liOns," and showered blasphemOus and
obscene epithets upon them. After be-
ing dragged to the scaffOld he tried des
perately to break away and jump from
the platform. With much trouble he
was bound and the moose adjusted. The
drop fell at 1905. RadfOrd spent his last
night carousing with the guard, drink
ing whisky, talking about horse races
and telling indecent stories.
While standing on the gallOws with
the piniOned moose about his neck, and
clergyman Offering prayer, RadfOrd
discovered among those in the Jail Mr.
Greensdale, the father of the murdered
woman, aud then ensued an indescrib
able scene. RadfOrd made furious
effort, strapped as he was, to rush upon
his father-in-law. The Sheriff and his
assistants had all they could do to hold
him. He raved and cursed everybody.
The hanging was successful; the body
scarcely quiVeTed after the drop, and
was cut down at the end of 20 minutes.
The heart stopped beating in thirteen
minutes. There were about 15O wit
nesses to the execution.
CARL BACH.
Carl Bach was hanged at Bowling
Green, o., Friday, for the murder of his
wife In October, 1881. His family lived
on farm near Weston, o., and Bach
and his wife INDUCED in freqent quar-
relS. On the morning OF October 10th
Bach and his wife went to town to try
and arrange some satisfactory settle
ment about their property, but failed.
This aggravated Bach, and in the even
ing bitter words passed between him
and his wife. His boy hearing the noise
went into the house and saw his father
holding his mother by one arm and
striking her with corn cutter. The
boy ran out into another room and did
not go back in again. After Bach came
out of the room where his wife was, he
and the children went to bed and slept |
until the next morning, when he took
the children to a neighbOr's and told
him what he had dOne-murdered his |
wife. Bach's statement was doubted by |
his neighbOT, but visit to his place re- |
Vealed not only the truth of his state |
ment, but one Of the most CHASTITY |
sights human eyes could fall upon. |
There in the middle of the floor, covered |
with bloody sheet, lay the body of the
woman in a great pool of blood. The |
floor was covered with hair, brains,
chunks of flesh, fingers and blood; even |
the ceiling of the low, dismal hut was
spattered and on the floor and castings
were blood smears, where she had
struggled to escape the muTderous
blows. On lifting the sheet the sight |
was still more shocking. The back part
of her head was all hacked to jelly;
the whole left shoulder was nearly
severed; the side Of the head cut open
from the mouth back; an arm was cut
off and her fingers were scattered around
the room.
Shortly before ten o'clock Bach was
informed his hour had arrived. He de-
clared he was ready, and walked firmly
through the Jail and up the stairs to the
scaffOld. He spoke briefly, attributing
his death to the persistent efforts of
Prosecuting Attorney TrOup, whom he
said he fOTgave. The priest kept up
prayers in German, Bach responding.
He showed no signs Of fear until the
moose was adjusted, and when the black
cap was drawn over his face he tremb
led violently. The drop fell at 1905.
His neck was broken and there was no
struggle. Twenty minutes later the
body was placed in coffin and removed
from the jail.
JOHN MANN.
LoRIGNAI, Can, Oct. 12.-JOhn Mann,
who murdered the COake family, was
hanged at o'clock this morning.
Shortly before that hour the solemn
procession, headed by Sheriff Merrick
and Rev. Mr.. Phillips, Mann's spiritual
adviser, marched through the court
yard to the gallOws. Mann preserved a
calmness of demeanOr, and ascended the
steps with the strength of purpose and
nerve rarely shown by mortal in pass
ing through such an ordeal. He STEP
ped upon the fatal trap with hrmness,
carefully inspecting the piniOning of
his legs, wore q cheerful smile, said
goodbye to his attendants and nodded
to the newspaper correspondents. Af-
ter an impressive prayer had been Of
fered by the Anglican minister he was
dropped into eternity. = The executiOner
did his work coOlly, and-nine and half
minutes after the drop the murderer's
heart ceased beating. Mann died Rppar-
emily without a struggle. He is credit
ed with having said, ''It is only hop,
atan and Iaan from the ainful world