Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-09-21
SHOCKING AND MYSTERIOUS CRIME.
Mrs. Fred Lehman of Fulton Township Mysteriously
Murdered-Her Husbands Story Discredited-
Fred Lehman Under Arrest Charged With
The AtrOcOus Crime

~ mas DeeH many years since Full
ton County has been so shocked by
wanton crime as it has been this week
by the murder of Mrs. Fred Lehman
of Fulton township at her own home
on the night of Sunday September
10th. The perpetrators of this das-
tardly crime which has taken the life
of good woman wrecked happy
home and cast a cloud of sorrow into
the life of husband remain for the
present hidden in mystery.
Various reports in regard to the de-
tails of the episode have been publish
ed in the daily press, the following
outline was obtained from one of the
officers who was present at the scene
of the crime on Monday and who gave
from memory the story as it came
to him from various sources.
Mr.. Fred Lehman in telling of the
incident stated that he had occasion
to go out of the house on Sunday
night, at perhaps IL or IL o'clock, he
could not state definitely the time,
he had not slept well and had been
out of the house two or three times
before; on the last time of his leav-
ing the house he heard a noise in the
vicinity of his poultry house and on
going to the poultry houes he found
that a staple that held the lock on the
door had been pulled out; about this
time his attention was attracted to the
barn by a noise and he went toward
that building; as he was about to en-
ter the barn he was knocked down by
a blow on the head and was for a
time unconscious. Mr.. Lehman says
he was attacked by three men but he
is unable to give any description what
ever of the men the night was very
dark and he is unable to tell anything
in regard to the size of the men, what
they wore on their heads or whether
or not they were masked.
In the barn Lehman said the men
demanded his money and threatened to
hang him, making statements to the
effect that they had to go to war and
that they did not care what they did
with him. One of the men went into
the COW stable to secure rope with
which to hang him and while this
man was gone Lehman struggled with
the remaining two and succeeded II
breaking away from them, starting tc
run from them toward the house
when the men fred at him and he
fell to the ground Some time II
this melee the men took his pocket
hook from his trousers pocket; the
pocket-book contained about $4,000 Mr.
Lehman said and it was found on Mon
dav morning on the ground near the
barn door empty.
How long he lay on the ground un
conscious. Mr.. Lehman could not tell
hut he remembered crawling toward
the road and calling until he arrouse'
Chester Mills who lives across tn
road from the Lehman residence ant
Mr.. Mills answering the call toun'
lehman living on the ground near TN
road Mr.. Mills called his wlte AM
aIso called DR.. Cosgrove of Swanton
who came very soon, Mrs. Mills wen wen
into the house and found mrs Lenilial ..,
in bed lying on her back WIN ~
evidence of struggle bullet Woun
ON her right temple Just at tne eug
Of her hair; the bullet swnlch wa
taken from the opposite. SIDE Oh ne ne
head from that on which II ha1 el'
tored was found to be from ZZ car
ihre revolver. Lehman was carrie carrle
It, the house where his wounds wer
attended to; bullet hole through IN
Trnscle of the left arm another pul
iat wound in the calf of the LETT lie
soyoe scratches on his body and a
ahrasion on the forehead constltut
the sum of Mr. Lehman's injuries
In the home bureau drawers wer
onened and contents scattered on tn
foor. hut $500 in money and IN
watches Of both Mr.. and Mrs. Lenma
all of which we're in one OF the ara"
ers was untouched.
pair of plyers belonging to M
Lehman which he said had been
the barn were found lying on IN
ground near the poultry house doc
where they had evidently been used
pull the staple referred to aDOve.
the barn a rope which had been use
to tie calf was found with a noos
in the end as if fixed for hangin
The alarm was given in Swanton an
from there call was sent by' tel
nhone to Wauseon for the shert
This cali was received in Wauseon a
cording to the night operator in II
Wauseon exchange, a little before
o'clock Monday morning; Sheil
Boone and deputy McQui!lin start'
within a very short time atter th'
were called but found on their arr
val that many mad preceded the
and all tracks or marks that mig
have given indication of the dire
tion taken by the criminals after pc
petrating the deed, were entirely 0
iiterated before they arrived ON t
scene. Detectives from the Iole,
police force came Monday to ASST
the county officers in the endeaVor
unravel the mystery and lind sor
trail of those who committed the crir
The entire community were arrou
ed by the tragedy and ready to- de
summarily with the criminals. Bo
Mr.. and Mrs. Lehman are well know
and we'll liked in the community. MI
Lehman was the daughter of Mr.. a
Mrs. Reuben Hall, about % years
age and of a kind and genial d
position. Fred Lehman her husba
is about 26 years Of age, the son
Daniel Lehman and bears an exec
ent reputation among those who ha
known him all his life. The you
couple lived on one of Daniel LIZ
mans farms about three miles MOI
Of Swanton and there has never be
a word in regard to their domes
relations other than that they liv
together happily and peaceably.