The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-05-03
Personal RecOllectiOns.
BY d. MACKLEY.

The article | publish this week
about old Dan Winchell, reminds me
of what I knew about this remarka-
BILE man.
Soon after | came to Jackson L
became acquainted with Winchell
and his family. They lived in jack
son township, near Limerick, some
ten or twelve miles from town.
Twenty-Five years ago John Radcliff
was prosperous farmer, living near
where the County Infirmary is now
located. One night some person stole
several bushels of wheat from his
barn, and hauled it off in a wagon.
The wagon was tracked from Rad
cliffs barn to the mill in Jackson,
now known as the Eagle Mill. It
was then owned and operated by An
drew Crooks.
Upon Inquiry Mr.. Crooks said that
the wagon was driven by Dan. Win
chell, and that he had sold him
(Crooks) load of wheat. | was at
that time practicing law in partner
ship with Ripley G. Hoffman, now Of
Columbus. Winchell was arrested
and had a preliminary examination
before a justice of the peace, and he
employed our firm and Levi DUNCAN
to defend him. The examination was
held in the old Court House. When
the proof showed that the wheat had
been stolen and that a wagon had
been tracked from Radcliff's barn to
Crooks mill, and that Winchell sold
Crooks a load of wheat, which was
in this same wagon, DUNCAN leaned
over towards Winchell, and in low
voice said: "Why, you ID old
scoundrel, you did steal the wheat" +"
"Hush, hush," said Winchell; "they
can't prove it.' Winchell proved by
good men, and disinterested, that he
had been seen on that afternoon COM
ing towards town with wagon loaded
apparently with sacks, filled like
sacks Of wheat. Disinterested wit
nesses were sent to Winchell's, and
brought in some Of his wheat; Mr..
Radcliff brought samples of has wheat,
and Mr.. Crooks brought samples Of
the wheat he had bought from Win
chell, and they were compared at the
trial, and there could be no doubt
whatever that the wheat got at Win
chell's barn, and the wheat he sold at
the mill were of the same lot, and that
Radcliff's wheat was entirely different.
Winchell was discharged. I after
wards learned how it had been done.
Winchell put some hay in his wagon
bed, spread some quilts on it, and then
put few sacks Of his own wheat on
top Of the quilts, and the wagon ap-
peared to contain a full load. Then
he noted who of his most reliable
neighbors saw him passing, and these
he summoned as witnesses. Then he
went and stole Radcliffs wheat, and
when he sold it to Crooks, and had it
weighed, he would take of the Rad
cliff wheat and fill a barrel pretty well
up, and then finally fill it with his
own wheat; so that the tops of all
the barrels would show his own wheat.
This he could do without Mr.. Crooks
noticing any thing Of it.
The writer in the article which I
publish is in error about the death of
Winchell, and the trial and sentence
of his murderers. Our law firm, then,
Q659) was Hoffman Mackley and
Walden, w. A. Walden, now of Steu-
benville, being the other member of
the firm. We defended the accused.
Big Nels. Winchell was son of DAN
iel Winchell, and Little Nels. Win
chell was his nephew, and Joseph
Mathews was his son-in-law. Big
Nels. was fine looking man, and
quite intelligent. They caught the
old man, cut his throat, raised pun
cheon in the floor, and held him and
let the blood run under the floor
They then sewed the body up in a
sack, and concealed it. On the pre-
liminary hearing a boy-son of de-
ceased, testified to these facts. Lewis
Leach was the constable who was
bringing the three murderers to jail,
and he had them bound, and guard
with him. When IN sight Of town a
man came dashing after them and
told Leach that the body Of WincheH
had been found. Leach was little
old man, weighing not more than 12O
pounds, but he was as brave as Julius
Caesar. When he heard that Win
chell's body had been found, he
shouted to the guard, more proof
Tight hold upon the prisoners.
When the trial came off, Judge
Plyley presided, and Judge Trip was
Prosecuting Attorney. Hoffman and
Walden took the active part in the
defense. The boy who had testified
before the magistrate had been run off
and there was no direct proof; yet
every one believed that they were
guilty, and the jury returned verdict
of guilty Of murder in the first degree.
While l am writing this, friday
Hiram Strawn, one Of the jurors, came