The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-05-24
WHOLE NO. 1875.

To this he made answer that he had,
"But" said he, Squire, there's no use for
you to Creese Gross me, for want you to
understand that l am swearing the truth.
Mr.. Hoffman then said, Did you not
swear that the old man had left home
with his team, few days before the
hearingg He answered, 81 did so state,
but" said he, "That was lie-every word
l swore there was lie. | was afraid #
/ told the truth that the boys would kill
me as they had threatened to do, and be-
sides 1 have found out since that it was
wrong to lie" Mr.. Hoffman said, show
did you find that out?" Benson answer
ed, "by reading the Bible"
The prisoner, who was then on trial,
and sitting by the side OF Hoffman and
don't know a letter" Mr. Hoffman then
said, "do you swear to this jury that you
! can read?" He said, eyes, Squire-I can
read some-I don't claim to be very good
reader" The prisoner said, make him
prove himself liar to the jury" and at
| his pocket and handed it TO Mr.. Hoffman.
-Hoffman-handed the book to the
witness and said, "read a verse or two, to
the jury" He took the book and lnqulr-
ed ANY particular place, Squire that you
want me to read?" Mr.. Hoffman, fully
confident from the statement of the pris-
oner, that he was unable to read, said,
"No-select your own place" He then
turned over the leaves of the book for
little time, and slowly repeated the 1st
verse of the 14th chapter of John, Let
not your heart be troubled: Ye believe
in God, believe also in me-" The fact that
the witness seemed to be able to read,
taken in connection with the language re-
peated, tended no little to discomfit coun-
sci for defendant. The reading test was
dropped.
When an opportunity occurred, Mr..
Hoffman inquired of the prisoner, why
he had asserted so positively that Benson
could not read and he still insisted that
he could not. l afterwards went to the
Jail and ascertained that the prisoner was
right; that in fact the witness did not
know letter; that the words repeated
by him, had been committed, by hearing
them read by others.
| Big Nelse Winchell was very far from
an intelligent man. He han asort OF low
cunning, but was utterly deprayed and
vicious. He was a born and bred thief,
| and could not look any one in the face.
AS soon as the jury returned thever
dict against him above referred to, he
was taken back to the jail Mr. Hoffman
and 1 remained in the court house, per-
haps twenty minutes later, and then went
to the jail to console him, as far as we
might be able to do, under the peculiar
circumstances then surrounding him.
We found him sleeping soundly, and had
to take hold of and shake him, in order to
wake him up. 1t may be that he sup
posed it was the business of his counsel,
to take upon themselves, all the worry
and trouble.
A few weeks before the trial of the
WinchellS and Matthews was begun, L
was in their cell, one Sunday, and while
there, Big n else said to me, do you know
that we are about ready to leave herep"
/ answered, 81 did not" He said, "Look
here" at the same time pulling apart the
ends of his handouts and laying them
upon the bed, and then doing the same
thing with the shackles around his ankles.
Little Nelse and Matthews did likewise.
They had procured knife, from which
they had made saw, with which they
had cut the rivets that fastened the ends
of the handouts, and the shackles, to-
gether, and could take them off at pleas
ure, by pulling the two ends apart. They
told me they had not worn them for sew
eral days, except when persons were in
their cell
felt a good deal embarrassed at the
situation, and would have been better
satisfied if l had not learned of it. / did
not understand that it was my duty to
wink at their escape. A short time after
1 left their cell, met the sheriff on the
street, and gave him such hints as led to
an examination, which resulted in his
finding out what l then knew with refer
ence to the handouts and shackles of the
prisoners.
Truthful persons, who were present
when the body of old Dan Winchell was
found in the mill pond and the quilt
taken from about his head, told me, that
his son Chauncey, who was then present,
after gazing for a short time at the ghast-
ly face of his murdered father broke out
into a loud laugh, saying at the same
time, "By Cd that don't look much like
old Dan."
Chauncey enlisted in Capt Levi Ste
phensons Company X, 3Gth o. V. l., and
died at Summerville, Nicholas County,
w. Va. in the fall of 1861, of typhoid fe-
yer. His quarters were just across the
road from mine, and | could hear his
voice for several days before his death,
raving and cursing, which was kept up as
long as breath remained in his body.
At the conclusion of the examination
of Winchell's widow, daughter. three
younger sons and the Yankee Benson,
held by Squire Fouty at the house of the
deceased, as above mentioned, Judge
Tripp, myself, Ripley James, long since
dead, and perhaps one or two others,
went home with Mr. Joseph Odell, and
were very Hospitality entertained by him
and his wife. Mr.. James was then read
Mitchell, also long since dead. | inquired
of Mr.. James what had brought him
down there; he answered that he had
come down for old Dams head, and in
tended to remain in the neighborhood un-
til after the burial, and would then have
little post mOrtem Of his own. He did
not return to Jackson for a couple of
days. but brought Winchelrs head with
him, when he came.
Respectfully yours,
w. A. WALDEN.