Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1950-12-22
MINNER DEATH
INVESTIGATED;
PAROLEE HELD
TO REPEAT TEST

NN%R ~FNa 49,
Sheriff Harold BidwelI in
dicated Friday that the in
vestigation into the sudden
death Of Charles Minner of
Plain City was temporarily at
a standstiIi pending analysis
of the lie-detector tests con-
Quoted at the Bureau Of Grim
ina Investigation. The first
test for Mrs. Myrtle Minner
was unsatisfactory for an
alysis and a second test
would be conducted, he said.
G--~@~-~~
The sudden death of Charles
Minner, AZ, resulted from poison
ing the night of October % at his
home on South Gay Street i'm
Plain City.
This announcement was made
Wednesday by Sheriff Harold
Bidwell of Madison County when
he disclosed that his office was
conducting an investigation into
Mr.. MINERS death and that John
Carrick, paroled from Mansfield
Reformatory October 25, was
being held in the Madison County
Jail in the investigation.
Carrick, the sheriff reported
is the son of Mrs. Charles
(Myrtle) Minner by a former
marriage.
Mr. Minner, VINO was office
manager for the Russell Grain
Co, at billiards, died suddenly
about 11:25 or 11:30 o'clock Sun
day night October %.
The. coroner'S report attributed
his death to cardiac apoplexy
according to the sheriff.
However a post mortem exami-
nation was conducted followed by
tests made by a Columbus tox-
biologist who reported finding
hydrocyanic acid in Mr.. Minner's
stomach and that death had re.
suited from sodium cyanide.
How Mr.. Minner had received
this deadly poison, is to date un.
determined.
Both Mrs. Myrtle Minner anC
Mrs, John (AnnabelD Carrick
were questioned by the investigat.
ing officers at the sheriffs of
flee Wednesday ard were re-
leased.
Watched TeIevision
In conducting the investigation
the sheriff said, it was learned
that Mr.. Minner had been in ap
parently good health the nigh
of his death and that he arc
Carrick had watched a televisioi
program after HOO o'clock, pro
badly as late as 11:15, and tha
Carrick was the last person t
be with Mr.. Minner before HI
died.
Mrs. Minner, according to tn,
sheriff, noticed her husband max
ing a strange noise when she pass
ed the door of his room shortl,
before his death.
Investigating officers We're tolt
that Mr.. Minner and others il
the house, had some ice cream
earlier in the evening but this
according to the sheriff, was 10,
far ahead of the time of MI
MINERS death, for him to hav,
taken anything so deadly as cy
anide which kills quickly.
A bottle of cough syrup h,
had been taking, was near Mr.
MINERS bed. The cough syruI
has been taken into consideration
in the attempt to determine hov
the poison was taken into hi
body.
Sentenced From Franklin Count,
Carrick, who was sentenced t
Mansfield Reformatory fror
Franklin County on a grand lar
ceny. charge in the theft of turk
eys, was subjected to a lie-de
tector test at the London Prisol
Farm Wednesday afternoon.
The test was conducted by per
Sonnel of the State Bureau o
Criminal Investigation and Iden
tification. Carrick was taken t
the bureau offices by Deput
Sheriff Bob Allison, who has beel
working in the investigation witt
Sheriff Bidwell.
Carrick and Mr.. Minner, didn'
get along any too well, the sher
iff said, because Mr.. Mime
didn't want him to live at tn
Plain City residence.
Also, the sheriff said, they hat
some disagreement concerning
Carricks request one night fo
Mr.. Minner to take him to Co
lumbus to get Carrick's wife
Annabelle. Minner had declinet
to go after which Carrick ap
pealed to neighbors to take hin
to Columbus, according to Sher
iff Bidwell.
Results Held Up
Sheriff Bidwell stated Thurs
day morning that results of tn
tests conducted Wednesday at tn
Bureau or Criminal Investigation
and Identification, would not b
available for several days.
(Continued on Page TlO0l