The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-12-05

terribly shocked to learn that he had
died so suddenly. 1 went to the house
at once, and upon learning how he died
and the circumstances, suspicioned at
once that something was wrong. Joe
Kline and two neighbors were in the
house. / asked Joe what kind of med
icine his father had been taking. Joe
said he didn't know. l asked him If
any was there. He said the doctor had
set for the following Monday morning.
1 was still more suspicious of the cause
of the mans death and when L and a
friend got to the house Monday morn
ing to attend the funeral, l called the
attention of several friends to the fact
that the funeral ought to be postponed,
and that there might have been prob
ability of the man having been pois-
oned. A man asked Joe to have the flu
neral postponed until the afternoon,
but Joe replied that it wasn't any of
his business. 1 finally talked to him
with others and he consented to the
funeral being delayed till in the after
noon. l then went to Henry w. Har-
ter, who was prosecutor, and informed
him of my suspicious, and he at once
ordered Coroner George 3. Cock to hold
a post mortem with the assistance of
two physicians. The doctors proceeded
to the house and began work and quite
little while later they announced that
they had removed the stomach and
found symptoms of poison. The funeral
then proceeded, and two men walked
along to see that Joe didn't try to es-
cape. In the evening while a number
of friends were at the house Joe said
he believed he would go for a walk. He
was told to remain for a short time,
when policemen stepped in and toolN
him to the Jail and locked him up. The
case was not tried until January, be-
lieve. Judge Seraphim Meyers was on
the bench at the time, and when the
jury returned q verdict of murder in the
second degree instead of in the first
degree, the large crowd outside became
vehement and disappointed at the YER
dict and there was a great deal of eX-
element. Judge Meyers afterward
told me that the jury did not do right
by rendering such a verdict as he be-
lieved the man was guilty of murder
in the first degree. The judge then
ave him the most severe sentence
which any criminal who has served
penal servitude ever received in this
state, 1 believe. He was sentenced to
the penitentiary for life, every other
60 Ia 90
confinement. But it appears the physi-
clans at the pen refused to execute this
sentence and this part of the sentence
was not carried out. The testimony in
the case showed that Joe had purchased
poisonous stuff at many places andthat |
he administered this to his father in
coffee and soup and whatever manner
he could.
Kline was defended by Baldwin and |
Shields, and it was through their ef-
forts probably that this sentence was |
reduced from murder in the first de- |
gree. Whenever 1 heard of Klines at !
tempt to secure his freedom 1 would !
write an article or two, and this would
have the effect of letting the authorities
dI COlulllDuS KNOW IudI lie ought 10
stay there. I haven't anything gainst
him myself but I think he ought to
serve the full sentence for his crime.
There are other persons in town who
think will be afraid Of him. under
stand that he intends to go to Penn
sylvania after a short visit in this city,
where he has relatives living.
"As to Joe's reason for committing
he crime, 1 can only state that I think
hat the property realized about $1,15O,
and this went to his attorneys or a
arge portion Of it. believe Joe had in
ended to marry again and that he
wanted the property to live in. I don't
lnow about the rumor that he intended
he money for proceeds to secure his
way through law school. am sorry
o hear that he was released but as long
Is he don't call around here it will be
III right. I don't think he should have
'een given his freedom.