The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-09-08
LEFT 70 PEalsA,.
The Awful Crime Of Four 1Iask.
ed Mon in Adams County.
John Crothers Robbed, Beaten and
:. Then Tied Down IN His Burn.
- Ing Home.

The greatest excitement PREVAILS II
the vicinity of Louisville, Adams county
and In Jackson and Concord townships
this county, over q most dastardly crime
committed near Louisville last Thursday
night. The particulars are given "a the
following dispatch to Saturdays In.
quirer: -. ~.
PEBBLES, ONO, September od.-Lasi
evening about O'Clock occurred acrime
which among the many bloody deeds Of
Adams county stands without . parallel.
John Crothers, q well-known farmer
who lives near Louisville, q little hamlet
four miles northwest of this place, was
about to retire, when some one called
him to the window, saying his brother
was hurt, and asked him to come at once.
Before he could reply the door was burst
open with rail, and he was seized by
four masked men. Crothers Is large,
muscular man, and struggled fercely.
He grabbed his shotgun. but it was
wrenched from his hands before he
could use it. The men threw him to
the floor and stamped upon him until
he became insensible, after which they
robbed him of all the money on his
person, about $50, and ransacked the
house from top to bottom, taking every
thing Of value. The fiends then bound
the helpless man, cut him in several
places and poured coal oil on the bed
clothes and set fire to the house, leaving
him to perish in the flames.
Shortly after their departure he regain
ed consciousness and managed to roll
himself out into the yard, where he lay
watching his property burn. The light
was seen from the Louisville Church
where prayer-meeting was being held,
and party set out for to render assist
ance. They stumbled over Crothers,
who was again unconscious, and carried
him to the residence Of a neighbor near
by, and medical assistance was rendered.
The wounds are serious, though not
necessarily fatal. ~ - f5S -
In the scuffle one of the masks worn
by one of the men was torn from his
face, and Crothers recognized David
Matthews, a farmer living near May
Hill. Matthews was arrested and brought
before Squire J. w. Mason. At the pre-.
trial Crothers swore positively
as to the indenti,y of Matthews as one
nf his essailants, but Matthews claims
be is able to prove an alibi.
Jrstice Mas"n hornd him over to Court |
Il the sum o.; { 30, and bond was given.
Excitement rrr" high at Louisville. |
md there is every prospect of lynch
ng, ii any clew to tie perpetrators of
he crime is found. The residence OF
brothers, together with its contents,
vas totally destroyed.
Marshall Lyle on Saturday arrested a
nan named Isaac M. Asman, who lives
lear Belfast, on suspicion of his having
'een implicated in the affair as one of
he robbers. Suspicion was aroused
mong his neighbors by the fact of his
laving an unusually large amount of
money on Friday and it was on their
dvice that he was arrested. His des.
ription tallies almost exactly with that
fone ofthe robbers. Asman' 9 reputation
not OF the best and he has on two
iderent occasions been confined in Jail
ere, once for beating his wife and once
'r stealing chickens.
Before being taken to Adams county
n Sunday, Asmau made a statement in
'hich he absolutely denied all knowl.
dge OF the crime and claimed that he
'onld be able to establish an alibi with
ut trouble. He hes been working 6
outh Lebanon for some time and was
home on visit last week. He. was
his way back to South Lebanon when
rrested. 'tr
Asman's preliminary hearing was held
efore Justice OF the Peace Mason on
uesday and as almost no evidence was II
reduced against him he was released.
. q. Morrow acted in his behalf ct the
ial, which was held in a grove right
aside the scene Of the crime. A crowd
600 people was present and the most
tense feeling was manifested against
sman, even after he was discharged,
I'd threats OF lynching were freely in.
llged in. He was kept at the Con.
able's house on Monday night and Il
as necessary to surround him with q
rong guard to prevent summary justice
ing inflicted. After his discharge he
as spirited to q place of safetv hv IA. q