The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-01-27
GUILTY
Of Murder in the First Degree,
Was the Verdict Rendered
BY the Jury Against
Isaac l.. Edwards.


BY the Jury Against
Isaac L. Edwards.
The case of the State of Ohio VS.
Isaac L. Edwards was called on
last monday morning. The Attor-
neys for the State were: Prosecut-
ing Atty. Robt. F. Price, o. w. H.
Wright and j. B Riason, while the
defense was represented by Weldy
& Buerhaus.
The examination of the jurors be-
gan at one o'clock. Nine jurors
were selected during the afternoon
and the venire being exhausted
another was called for, and Court
adjourned until seven o'clock,
when the examination of the new
venire commenced. Of this Sec
ond venire, only two jurors were
accepted. and the defense asked
for another one, and Court adjourn
ed until o'clock Tuesday morn
ing.
Shortly after Court opened in the
morning the 18th and last juror
was selected.
The jury consisted of the follow
ling persons: l.. Eggleston, Ed
ward Hoffman, Reason Barnes,
Jacob Harman, William Kitchen,
James V. Blankenship, William
Hale, Jacob Banter, Charles Wlk-
ins, John H. Bright, John Rutter
and Samuel Reichley.
The case was then presented to
the jurysby Prosecuting Attorney
R. F. Price, who gave a brief his
tory of the lives Of the defendant
and deceased up to the date when
the crime was committed.
All the parties in the case NOV
ed from Pennsylvania about five
years ago to Murray City. Ed.
wards wife had died in Pennsyl-
vania and previous to her demise
had requested Mrs Sellers to care
for her orphaned children, which
trust was faithfully performed.
After the parties came to this State
Edwards made his home with the
Sellers family until January 1893.
During this time it is said that Ed.
wards conceived a violent passion
for the foster mother of his child
rem, and while she was in England
during the winter of 90 and SO be-
gan circulating slanderous reports
concerning Mrs. Sellers which led
to his expulsion from the house.
Since then he has been living in
a shanty by himself. Failing in
his attempts to induce Mrs. Sellers
to elope with him, and, crazed with
liquor, he secured a revolver on
Wednesday afternoon, July 8, 1898,
and, crossing the railroad track, he
went around to the rear of the Sell
lers house and finding Mrs. Sellers
on the porch peeling potatoes for
supper, and, without warning, fred
three shots, two of which took eff
feet, both entering the right side
pdssing entirely through the body,
lacerating the intestines in several
places. Edwards then returned to
his shanty where he was soon ar
rested, placed under guard and
brought to Logan and lodged in
|jail.
Mr.. Price was followed by Mr..
Buerhaus, who presented the case
for the defense. He said that the
defendant was a peaceable, quiet
m an, admitted that he was addict
ed to drink and that he had been
drinking heavily that day, and
that at the time the crime was COM
mitted was wholly unconscious OF
the fact he had committed such a
serious ofTense, and was dumfound-
ed when made acquainted with the
charge.
The witnesses for the State were
then called and examined. The
testimony of some of the witnesses
was very damaging, that he was
heard to to make threats against
the life OF the deceased, that the
shooting Of Mrs. Sellers was wit
messed by Mrs. Foster as she stood
near her own house. The shooting
was heard by others and he was
seen coming from the house of his
victim. Wednesday morning thu
witnesses for the defense were