Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-06-17
The House of Death


In the days of log sChOOl-hUuscs and
overland travel there stood near Eliza
BEETHOVEN. Ohio. a WaIsid" inn. the
history of which teens with terrible
| deeds.
The hCstrlry occupied a position on
an cminonr" overlooking a much fire.
Quented highway known is the Mi hi
gan Road, which sllirted EliIabethtoWn
In its course toward Cincinnati and
the vast nOrthN estcrn territory be
| yOnd. The inn was established Dy
one Moses Russell. an evil wretch 90
whom the most heinous crimes were
subsequently attributed.
The house comprised ten rOOnls, half
Of which were fitted tp for the accom-
mediation of transient guess, and WaS
a typical tavern of those ralIy times.
The tap-room, that necessary adjunct
Of old-timo inns, served tia" IOuni"
purpose OF Il dlamshOp and l0UnBtnS
place. 1t was more extensively pa
rOniZed than the rest of the house, ! 80
ing a popular resort for Cincinnati.
"blOOGS," who We're wont to c~OngrrSat"
lltlS lOl bsiN' II dliIIitI " 'IS.
Russell called his tavern The Travel
ers' Rest, a nam with a grues"nlc
significance in view OF the rUIr0rs that
| We're current to the effect l!4It witMln
It's walls many an unfortunate tray
eler had found the "rCst which know
no waking"
In the earlier days of its existence
the place enjoyed an extensive patlnn-
| age, due principally to the dearth OF
hOstelries in thai thlnly settled see
ton; but as the ear passed it gained
a sinister reputation through tn" char
/! acter Of its haDitues and divers weird
tales that were whispered about san
dry happenings there. Finally ii de
generated into a rendezvous for thieves
and murder"rs--a piaC" to be s]lUnl"i
| as a pestilcrre by all respectable per
sons.
Besides his wife, a Dig. brutal-farcd
woman, who is said to have been i'm
plicated in most OF tbc villainirs per,
| petrated by her liegr lord, Rusaell'5
family consisted of a son and a ,!augh-
ter.
Andrew, the SON., was 4 powerful.
evillOoking fellow, the prototype of
his father, and in early life acquired
an unenViable reputation a. 4 gam
bier and bully. He won considerable
| unsavory renown through his grcat
physical prOwess, being an adept at a
certain form Of contest then in vogue
This was known as "butt!nS. and
consisted in the assuming by the con
testants Of positions some ten feet
/ apart, whence, at the command or a
| referee, they would rush forward with
lowered heads to dash their cranlum5
together with fearful force. Young
| Russell is said to have killed several
in such contests, and sub
| s%euuently met ~retributive justice in a
like manner.
On the OtI.. + mast. A.art:a TIE
daughter, was a sin|Ulariy b"2utiiu!
| and winsomc girl-tEr uprs&niirAiiOn
Of innocence and virtue. Her rela-
tionship to the people Al the inn vas
often doubted, and it WAS believed by
| many that Russell had abducted her in
infancy from a station in life far
above his own. Her fate is an un-
| SOlVeu MY SScIy pul q lHillilhS q
ton of the Travellers 1iest, recounted
for half a century about OHIO Valley
| fresides, furnishes the basis for be,
| lief that she persisted at the hands of
| Moses Russell or some of his murder
our associates.
During the spring Of 1S4S. if this
tradition Is to be credited. a young
man named Richard Sanders0n VAS
commissioned by an employer to con-
vey a thousand dollars in gold from
Cincinnati to Louisville.
Well armed and bestriding a flee,
horse, SandersOn set out Tor his des-
tination with keen zest, for the jour.
ney smacked Of adventure and af,
forded a welcome relief from the
monotony of business routine.
Shortly before dusk the young mes.
senger was overtaken by a severe
storm, through which he pressed on
for some time, finally arriving near
the Travellers Rest. A cheerful light
shining from one OF the windows ap
prised him of its proximity, and he
lost no time in seeking admittance.
His efforts to arouse the inmates
we're unsuccessful until he had dis
mounted and beaten a vigorous tattoo
upon the sturdy door. His patience
was almost exhausted when a man
whose bloated, blear-eyed visage spoke
elouuently of dissipation. thrust q
frowsy head out into the storm.
In response to Sanderson's request
for lodging this individual ungra
ciously directed him to stable his horse
in an adjacent shed. Swearing hor
ribly, he slammed the door against
the bowling wind after directing the
young man, but not quickly enough tC
prevent Sanderson from taking a par
tial inventory of the interior.
/ In the center of the room, about {
small table upon which stood a bottle
and several glasses, sat two villain
GUS looking white men and a mulatto
whose countenance was fully in keep
ing with those of his companions. 4
vacant chair at the farther side of thu
table showed the traveller where hi!
prospective host had been seated.
An involuntary chill, not occasionet
by the storm alone, passed down San
derson's spine as he viewed the unin
viting scene. All the stories that h,
had ever heard Of murdered traveller
and wayside man-traps required t,
him in rapid, disquieting succession.
These thoughts, coupled with other
HEARING uDop tho fmDortanca NJ hi