The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-04-30
THE DUNCAN CASE.
The Brother OF the Murdered Girl
Tells His Story.
Some Very Queer Circumstances Which
He Is Unable to Explain--The Investi-
Qation.

The murder of Addie Duncan, just over
the Mahoning county line. demands o
thorough investigation. Coroner Booth OF
Nahoning county has been at work on the
case aud increases the mystery by refusing
TO give any information. This mystery
business and keeping news away from the
reporters very seldom aids in hunting
down a murderer. The coroner would do
far hetter IL he would follow the style
adopted by Coroner Openhimer; give the
reporters all the news and in return get
all that they are able to gather. The
Youngstown VinGicatcr says:
II hope the Eternal will strike me dead,
II 1 killed my sister Addie."
Those were the words that John Duncan
spoke to Viudicator man as he stood
with hand uplifted, but with no tremor to
his words, each being clear cut and utter
ed with solemn impressiveness.
There was no reason for Duncan ex'
pressing such words only the fact that he
claimed the newspapers were giving him
the worst of it and he wanted the reports
coatradicted.
John Duncan came out from the barn
THE DUNCAN HOMESTEAD
at Berlin and greeted Vindicator repre-
sentative cordially. He is a powerfully
built man, with heavy features, protrud.
ing Jaws, little restless eyes that move in-
cessantly, but he is not what would be
called a repulsive looking man. On re-
quest he readily conducted the reporter to
the place where Addie Duncan was found
dead, and with great volubility told all
the details. He seemed unaffected by his
sisters death, but anxious to tell all he
knew about it. He is good talker, and
related his story as though he had it learn
ed by heart. AS he stood leaning on the
fence beneath plum tree and directly al
the place where he alleges that she must
have fallen, he told the story OF finding
the dead body of his sister in manner
utterly devoid of any expression OF feel
ing.
stantially: Addie had been picking chips
and limbs in the orchard nearby. She did
not come home on the evening in question
but nothing was
THOUGHT OF 1T
until next day. On that morning David
Louer was over talking with Sam Duncan
in the yard and only short distance from
where the body was found. After the talk
was over, John said to Sam: "Como
Sammy, let's go and fix up them fences.'
The brothers then departed, taking ham
mer and nails along, When noon
home, but Sam said Addie was not there
and they couldn't obtain anything to eat
John, however, declared that he could fix
something. So home they went. John
rode on horseback, and when he arrived
at the house drove the animal to the well,
which is between the house and the fence
IN order that the animal might drink
While the animal was drinking, John still
sat on the horse's back and noticed the
pigs up in the corner near the little shed,
beside which the
BODY WAS FOUND,
and while gazing in that direction saw
something blue there too. Said he, at this
point of the narrative: "Just as soon as
saw that blue thing knew 1t was Addie.'
He then went down there, found the body
and notified Sam OF the fact. such was
the story he told of the circumstance,
right at the spot where Addie lay.
On being questioned more closely Dun
can admitted that he had trouble with
Louer about sheep which the latter claim
ed he Duncan) stole and cut their marks
! off, but denied that Addie knew anything
III conversation further he denied EN-
fhatically that he ever "had a wordn will
his sister or that he ever threatened her
In talking about the case he went into the
house and brought out newspaper stat
ing that he was not being treated rightly
and afterward when alone with the report
err, In the little summer kitchen, raised uT
his hand and solemnly called on his
Maker In the words name above
TO STRIKE HIM DEAD
IL he killed his sister. He asked that such
reports be corrected and said that "thc
editors could be put through for it,n
The "theoryn advanced by John Dun
can that his sister climbed the fence tc
y prune theplum tree and then fell, seems
I. to he lacking in every essential detail
tiThe tree is not pruned, only few twigi
being broken off by those visitors anxiou:
to have a relic from the scene of the terri
bic death. 1t would be impossible for o
person to climb up to the tree and fall tc
the place and in the position in which the
body was found; IL would even be impos-
sible to fall from any position on the fenct
to that place. The only way II could be
done would be by standing up on the
fece, holding to the roof OF the little shed
and
DELIBERATELY JUMPING
out and face downward to the earth
But the most curious feature of the
whole case is, why was not the body oi
Addie Duncan discovered before, IL II lay
there all the time? 1t seems to be an utter
absurdity to suppose that it lay there all
fornoon with men walking about the yard
without seeing it. The back door OF the
house used the most for entrance and exit
facing towards the place, and the well IN
use very frequently Is still nearer, while
the distance itself is only q few yards.
The cor oner still retains silence except
to give the Vindicator credit for its work
In the case. 1t is known, however, thai
that official sent Constable Williams ouI
70 the locality to-day TO summons Mathew
Dixon TO testify.
The grand jury meets week from to
day and there may be Developments.