The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-12-16
BEED OF DASTARDS.
CLUES ARE BEING UNEARTHED
BY THE POLICE.
Prosecutor Pom sreue is Buey on the
case-A Biii of Large Dsnomine-
tion is Located and Inquiries
AbontIt Being Made.

AboutIt Being Made.
Seldom is attention drawn to case
that excites the resentment Of citizens in
general more than that leading to the
death of John Hartong at Greentown,
Death did not ensue until Thursday
morning, but the inhuman treatment he
had received several nights prior, at the
hands of masked robbers who invaded his
home, was the cause of his death, and
there will be no difficulty in tracing it to
that cause after the thorough postmortem
examination had at the instance of Prose
cutting Attorney Pomerene.
Since the details of the outrage have
become known, and appear more in
human with every repetition, Prosecutor
Pomerene has left nothing undone to
place the crime upon its perpetrators. In
this he has been ably assisted by Marshal
Reed and Officers Haser and Dorland
who are giving the case special attention
The prosecutor and the officers visited
Greentown last night in company with
DIR. A. c. Brant end DIR. Steele of New
Berlin, The visit was for the purpose of
holding postmortem examination and
thus determining the cause of death.
The surgeons proceeded with their examin-
alton and found that the deceased had a
healthy organism, despite his age. Death
had ensued from what physicians term
effusion Of the brain. There was no
rupture of blood vessel, but water had
gathered as the result of shock incident
to the blow on his head. A great scalp
wound told too plainly what had been
the primary cause of DEATH and a
hreavy iron wedge covered with blood,
was evidence as to the character of the
weapon used.
PARTICULARS
of the work of the robbers shows them
to have been brutes who not only desired
to secure wealth but sought to make their
victim suffer when there was no real
necessity for such action. To Lewis
Smith, o. p. Shanafelt and A. b. Smith,
the victim of the assault, before his
death, related the details. He lived the
life of recluse, and candor compels the
statement that he had few friends, being
of retiring disposition and refusing to
associate sociably with his neighbors. So
he was allowed to live alone, and nobody
paid much attention to him.
Whether he had any money was not
definitely known, but there had been re-
ports of hidden wealth. On the night of
December 2, three men burst open the
door of his cottage and, according to his
story stepped up to his bed and demand
ed his money. He did not at once COM
ply with their request and drastic meas
ures were inaugurated without further
delay. The old man was taken from his
bed and thrown to the floor. His feet
were tied to the foot of the bed and rope
put around his neck and tied to the head
of the bed. Then his hands were tied and
no care was taken as to whether the
thongs cut through the flesh or not. Be-
fore giving him futher chance to tell
whether he had any money, towel was
tied over his mouth and one of the brutes
kicked him several times on the back.
A moment later and the PROSTATE man
was unconscious, one of the fellows hav-
ing hit him on the head with an iron
wedge, such as is commonly used by
wood choppers or rail splitters. A great
cash was made, and of course the old
man could not relate what went on dur
ing the next few minutes. When he re-
gained consciousness the men were just
figuring what to do with him. They
had secured his watch and a bank book
bearing the name of the Central Savings
bank, of Canton, and it was evident that
they were about preparing to give up
their quest for money, fearing the old
man had none. Then they examined him,
and one Of the men said with an oath
that he seemed to be dead. They decided
in that event, to
BURN THE HOUSE,
thus cremating their victim and hiding
their crime. AT this terrible suggestion,
the old man, who had been feigning un-
consciousness, made a sign that let them
know he was conscious. Then the das-
tards, the burning having be- suggested,
held a lighted lamp so that it would burn
the helpless victims hip, and he again
tainted under the terrible pain. While
disrobing him for the burning a leather
belt was noticed about his person, and in
it was found $500. This was what the
men were after, and leaving their victim
in pool Of his own blood they departed.
Hartong was found unconscious next
fingered a week and died, as a
direct result Of his treatment, and MAKE
ng the case one Of first degree murder,
the law being that in cases Of this kind,
premeditated malice is presumed.
Greentown people have interested them
selves in the case, and the local
officers have investigated. It was the
opinion that parties who had been enc
gagged in the celery fields for some time
had knowledge. of the robbery and mur-
der, and there are some circumstances
which make that theory plausible. Yet
there are other circumstances that point
TO a gang of Canton fellows as being the
perpetrators. Who they are is not, of
course, known, and IL is not known but
that at least one of them was one Of the