The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-05-01
Suspicious Circumstan-
ces Over the Death Of
Aaron. Holibaush, q
Prominent Farmer.
Mark on Head Found
Which Indicated That
. Death-DeaIin Blow
Had Been Struck.

Within sight and sound Of his home.
where his wife was anxiously awaiting
his return, Aaron Holibaugh, a
wealthy farmer of near Marlboro, met
with a mysterious death Sunday after
noon. The entire village Is aroused
and the mystery is being discussed in
every house there.
Mr.. Holibaugh left the house at
about 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon pre-
sumably to bring the cows from the
pasture on the other side of his farm
Two hours passed by with no signs Of
his return and his wife became anx-
ious. Thinking that he might have
gone to the home of his nephew, which
is only an eighth of a mile away, she
went there to search for him. lie had
not been there and the family had seen
nothing of him.
FOUND HIS CORPSE.
A search was instituted and the farm
was thoroughly gone over before any
signs of the missing man were found.
The party finally came upon his body,
which was lying in the rear of the
orchard near the house. An examina-
tion showed life to be extinct and IL
was at first thought that he had fallen
from an apoplectic stroke. When the
body was raised from the ground.
however. and peculiar mark was no.
ticed on the left side of the face just
In front of the ear, suspicious Of fou!
play were aroused. Coroner Schiltz
was notified Of the death but was not
told of the suspicious circumstances
attached to the affair.
A WEAPON FOUND.
He went to the scene of the death
Monday morning and made thorough
examination of the situation. A search
was made over the orchard and fields
surrounding the place where Holi-
baugh's body was found and a picket
from a nearby fence was discovered
which fitted the mark on the side OF
the dead mans face exactly. The fence
was at such a distance that the mark
could not have been made by fall
against it. Beside this, the blow, If
blow II was, was much too heavy t.
have been produced by a fall.
Coroner Schiltz made q post-mortein
examination which showed that the
blow was not heavy enough to have
caused death under ordinary oircum-
aanees but that death might have re-
suited from the excitement incident to
the attack, IL there was an attack
made The brain was not in normal
condition at the time of the death, ag
there were Indications OF arterio
scIerosis or a hardening of the tissues
~ ha I'll nI, ha Irn m
with blood.
A MAN SUSPECTED.
The case is regarded as suspicious by
Mr.. Holibaugh's neighbors. A man
who lives nearby is suspected. There
has been ill-feeling between the two
men. it is said. and Mr.. Holibaugh has
been prosecuted in a petty manner for
many weeks. Holes have been horeo
In the bottom Of the granary and MS
wheat has been allowed to run out,
his fruit has been thrown to his hogs:
his hogs have been turned loose
in the fields to uproot his crops and
other little things have been done
which indicate malicious enemy
among his neighbors.
Today Prosecutor r. II. Day wa:
notified of the affair. AS soon as pos
sible thorough investigation of the
affair will be made by the county au-
thorities. They are not certain as 20
the cause Of the death and until rhat is
settled nothing definite can be done.
In view CT the fact that the case ls
30 suspicious, a cautious course will
necessarily have to be taken by the
authorities in pursuing the investiga-
lion