The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-03-14
THE REIGN OF BLOOD,
FOUR MURDER CASES AT
ONCE IN PERRY COUNTY.
Wave Theory of Crime FOrcibly
Illustrated.
The Penitentiary Annex is Gap
ing for More Victims.
Columbus Ne WS

Columbus Ne VS..
Persons who are familiar with the
history of the annex since the pass
age of the law fixing the penitentiary
as the place. for inflIcting capital
3 punishment are confirmed believers
in the wave theory of crime. Wether
there be truth in this theory or not,
it is certain that the prison annex is
either thickly populated or almost
perhaps entirely-without occupants.
There was a time when there were
not enough cells to hold the mur-
derers who were awaiting execution.
Within few months the courts, the
} pardon board and the Ohio Jack
Ketch had SO reduced this colony of
unfortunates that no guard was
needed for the slaughter house at
the pen, simply because it had no
living tenant-no biped tenant, that
is to say.
In accordance with this alteration
of the few and the many in the oc-
curancy of the annex, that depart
ment of the prison was almost
entirely deserted only a few
months ago. At the present time
there are six men awaiting the hang
mans rope, or the far less probable
reprieve. To give still greater en-
phasis to the wave theory, it is
worth calling attention to the fact
that there are just now an unusually |
large number of capital cases pend
ing in the courts of the state. If
justice does not miscarry in great
portion of instances, the time will
soon come again when the cell of the
annex vii be filled, and cots will be
moved in to accommodate the over
flow, as they call it when speaking
of public meetings.
One of the most striking indica-
tions of a recent wave of capital
crime in this state, and the conse-
quent additional number of persons
in danger of becoming inmates of
the annex, is afforded in Perry ceun-
ty, where the trials of three men ac-
cused Of murder in the first degree
are dated to begin this week. What
makes the illustration still more
striking is the fact that the crimes
of which the three men are accused,
each was murder occurring
alone, although the intervals between
the crimes were short. Another
striking feature, also, is the fact that
only last week man was adjudged
insane, and thus escaped trial for
his life, In Perry county, for one of
the most brutal murders that has
taken place in Ohio for many
years.
Two of the Perry county men who ,
will be tried for life are John and
Frank Underwood, father and son
The Underwoods
were notorious pair in southeastern
Ohio, and their crime was so unpro-
voked and coldblooded that the pop
ulace of New Straitsville, where it =
was committed, was aroused to
such a pitch that lynching was pre-
vented difficulty. The Underwoods =
mad been drinking, and as usual
with them, were having a Wild
West hurrah on the streets. Town
James Coon ordered them 10
get off the town plat and cease dis
-urbing the peace. The Underwoods d
resented his interference, and with n
'ut further provocation shot him 5
Town. Whileiit was supposed at G
he time that the elder Underwood l
lid the shooting, both were captured C
md Indicted for murd er in the "
irst degree. The capture was not a
Effected, however, without long h
earch on the part of the officers of a
he law, who were stimulated to al
heir greatest exertions by the offer IL
# S1,5OO reward for the arrest of "
he elder desperate. One of the tt
Jnderwoods, it is practically Ger. +
ain, will be sent to the penitentiary o.
Or execution, as there were no ex- b
circumstances in the crime d
o far as is known, which will enti- h
lie him to lienency before the court. al
The third Perry county man who N
Vill be tried for capital crime is nj
ames Napier, who killed a saloon W
eeper. His crime, like that for
,hich the Underwoods were indicted T
'as the result of quarrel growing
ut of drunken dispute. Napier
'as crazed by drink and rage, and
S the saloonkeeper turned to leave W
i'm and so end the row, Napier shot L
i'm in the back. In this case there 81
5 also a resemblance to the Under
'ood crime, in that there were prac- 81
cally no extenuating circumstances te
, operate in favor of the accused.
The crime committed by the man L
tho was adjudged insane by the
rebate judge of Perry county was 81
5 has been said, one of peculiar
rutality. Indeed, in actual horror,
seldom, if ever, has been eclipsed dc