The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-05-03

GuG OluC6TS VINO Cdu6 udy VI GWO
afterwards. The watches could not
be found, and Winchell had them as
stock in trade when he came back
from the penitentiary a couple of
years or so later.
Wheat was his great mania to steal,
and most adroit did he become at it,
and it was rare'y that he could be con-
victed by those who had wheat miss
ing. He stole load of wheat once in
Hudson, and near the Corners broke
down wheel. Taking a wheel from
wagon near by, he supplied its place,
but it did not ''track," and he was
easily followed, but neither the wheat
nor the borrowed wheel could be
found, and hence he was not arrested.
1t turned out afterwards, that before
reaching home, he unloaded the wheat
into a good deacon's barn, threw off
some hay from the NOW, cut out a
hole with hay-knife large enough to
hold the wheat, dumped it in, covered
it over with the hay, and on reaching
home burned the wheel. When the
trouble had blown over, he as secretly
removed his wheat, and in the winter
when the good deacon fed out his hay,
he found the secret wheat bin, with a
bushel or so Of loose wheat remaining
in the bottom.
Once the late Samuel Olin, Of
Streetsborro, heard noises at the barn,
and upon going out found Winchell
engaged in rapidly carrying wheat
from his wagon into the barn to
escape a coming rain. Glad that it
was not his wheat, Olin assisted him
and after the shower helped him to
reload and get off, but an examination
the next day gave evidence that Olin
had helped load up his own wheat, for
when Winchell saw him coming he
was quick enough to reverse his steps
with the bag he had on his back, and
the filled bags upon the floor led Olin
to accept Dams version of his storm
story. Of course Olin didn't prosecute
under the circumstances.
Although living third of century
ago, Dan was an advance-courier in
the commune doctrine, and practiced
what he preached-an equal distribu-
ton of property-and, like Herr Most,
remembered himself first. He used to
remark that "he was just equalizing
property, making the rich divide with
the poor and, none being poorer than
himself, he kept what he found" 1t
was characteristic of him that he never
divided" with a poor man, nor with
any Of his near neighbors, and with
these last lived at peace.-Dan was a
most jolly fellow; and, despite his
faults, he was always in demand for a
days work, though he had habit upon
the approach Of stranger, to take to
the woods. such as mentioned by Judge
Tilden. His residence was near the
great Mantua swamp; and many a
time have the neighbors seen Dan on
a full run-and he was an athlete at
running-for the swamp, the sheriff
and a deputy or two following in the
dissolving distance. This swamp was
secure place, as it contained several
thousand acres, and nothing short of
a company of troops could surround it
and starve him out.
In the later years of his residence in
Mantua, Winchell was cured Of the
shaking hands custom, and rarely ever
practiced it. The sheriff wanted him
badly, but Dan succeeded in eluding
him every time, although never far
away.-One day he sent new deputy,
who called upon the late Sylvester
Bissell, Of Aurora, then a young man
of massive build and a herculean grip
of hand. and sWOre him in as a
Especial" They found the object at
home, and Bissell grasped him very
cordially by the hand, but the firm
ness" of the shake was hint to Win
chell that the second man was an Off
Ger. Dan made powerful effort to
free himself, but could not shake his
friend off, and the darbys were soon
upon his wrists,-though, by some
technicality, Dan" got clear when he
was arraigned in court.
upon those who, he thought, had
played it too fine upon him. Once
Squire Jones, of Mantua, bound him
over to keep the peace, legal or not,
and shortly after the Squire lost a
horse and ten head of live stock by
poison. OF course, it could not be
proved, although Dan had the credit
of it. Dan, too, would demand JUS
tice before the courts. Dan once left
his team and wagon in an orchard
while he went to some distance to get
the bearings of barn filled with re-
Gently threshed wheat. While gone,
some bows found the rig, and filling
the box of the wagon with rails, set it
on fire, and saw the frightened horses
dash across the lot with their blazing
load. Dan hunted the thing out and
sued the boys, and their father had to
pay the full value of the damage
trial that Judge Tilden seems to have
forgotten.
In all, Dan served the State seven
teen years; and besides was an inmate
of the Ravenna jail about four more.
He sawed himself out Of the new jail,
and at another time escaped-nearly-
by crawling up the chimney. an aper-
ture so small tnat escape in that direc-
ton was not considered possible.
"Once," said another of Dams neigh
bors, "he came home with very fine
horse from the South, and the next
night the sheriff and a deputy, each
we'll mounted, tried to surround his
house and capture him. Dan was on
the lookout, but was not doing it in
the house. The sheriff and his deputy
tied their horses in a cross road at
some distance away, and endeavored
to gain the house by stealth. While
they were doing this part of their
duty, Dan mounted his new horse,
and, taking the two belonging to the
officials, left for parts unknown, nor
were they ever recovered.