The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-03-13
WOOLWEAVER PARDONED.
Gov. Mckinley Sets Frank Lemons
Murderer Free.

pardon to Henry e. Woolwenver,
convicted Mt the September, 1892,
term of the Court of Common Pleas
of Vinton county Of murder in the
second degree and sentenced to i'm
prisonment in the Penitentiary for
life.
The crimc for which Woolweaver
was convicted and sentenced was
the killing of Frank Lehman at
Dundas on August l, 1892. 1t
grew out of II fuss between Wool.
weaver's father, Lehman, car rc-
pairer for the Columbus, Hooking
Valley & Toledo Railroad, and
George Ewing, station agent.
WoOlweaver, sr., kept II saloon near
the station and for some time there
had existed ill-feeling between him
and Ewing, and Ewing had forbid.
den the elder Woolweaver to go
upon the station platform.
On the day of the homicide both
Ewing and WoUlweaver were in
toXicated, and the former stood at
the lower end Of the station plat
form armed with IA revolver. curs-
ing WOolweaver and daring him to
come from his saloon, near the end
of the platform, and fight. Wool
weaver's two sons, Henry and
"C0bb," restrained him and induced
him to close his saloon and go home.
There the father learned that his
chickens were at the depot and,
taking n ginger ale bottle in his
hand, he went to the station for the
purpose, he says, of driving them
away and taking the bottle rs a
weapon i'm case he WAS attacked.
When he got to the platform Leh-
man, who was at work under Il
freight car, came from under it and
began to quarrel with Woolweaver.
He already had hammer and
chisel i'm his hands, and going to
the station he got Il revolver be-
longing to Ewing. Meantime
Cobb" Woolweaver had left the
family home and hastened to the
station, and putting his arm around
his father led him away in the di-
rection of the home, whereupon
Ewing, Lehman and man named
Lyons all sprang from the platform
and started toward them, Ewing
ordering them off the premises and
using abusive language: cobb"
asked them toilet him aud his father
alone, saying that he would get him
home, but the trio paid no atten-
ton to his request, ard Ewing
rushed to "Cobb" and the two ex-
changed blows, and Ewing was
knocked down. Then Lehman
threw his hammer, striking "Cobb"
on the elbow and cutting the flesh
to the bone, and glancing broke the
elder Woolweaver's bottle which
he had raised to strike Ewing. AT
this Henry Woolweaver, who had
come onto the scene with his moth
er, fired, intiicting mortal wound
upon Lehman. The elder Wool
weaver. Mike, was arrested toge;h-
er with the boys and on trial was
convicted of manslaughter and
sentenced to five years imprison-
ment, but the Supreme Court over
ruled the verdict, and when a see
ond trial was had in Jackson coun-
~, on change of venue, he was ac-
quilted. For the crime of Henry,
the son, who knew of the threats
that had been made by Ewing and
Lehman, and who saw his brother
bleeding and knew that the assail-
ants were armed with deadly
weapons, there WAS great extenua-
ton. Lehman and Ewing were the
aggressors; had they permitted
"Cobb" Woolweaver to lead his
father away there would have been
no tragedy. 1t is in view ofall the
facts that Governor Mckinley, be-
fore whom they were placed by the
Board of Pardons with a favorable
recommendation, decided to reduce
the sentence.