No Expenses For A Trial
On Saturday evening, May 14th, as Mrs. Hiram Ring was walking along River street, Ypsilanti, near her home, she was seized by a darkey, who threw her down and attempted a criminal assault apon her. She fought and screamed until her assailant was frighteued off by help arriving. Mrs.v Ring was badly handled, her clothes torn and numerous bruises, but she was not seriously injured. Her assailant was recognized as Jacob Griffin, whom the ofticers had suspicion of having been conneeted with sèjreral similar attempts. Griflin ïad vvorked as a farm hand, and as he disappared immediately, the officers concluded that he would try to get work ou a farm. Officer Eaton carne to Ami Arbor and notified Sheriff Dwyer, who sent out notices to all the officers of' this vicinity and offered a eward for Griffin's arrest. Wednesday, Eaton tracked Griffin to he rorihern part of the county and starteJ after him. 11e traced hiui from )lace to place and on Friday morning saw his man aliead of him in the road, about ;i mile and a half from South -ijon. Gïiffin recognized the officer at he saiae'time and jumped the fence and stii :ed for the woods. The officer niupi ■ ut of his buggy ai:d started after Griffin, but the latter was gaining ground rapidly and Eaton concluded unless things were changed he would not capture his man. He drew his revolver and fired in the air twice, orderïng Griffin to stop, but this only urged iim on faster. Eaton then fired at Griffin to "wing" him, and the darkey dropged, his lef t leg f ractured by a bullet. Eaton then brought Griffin to this city and lodged him in jail. Griffin has sustained a hard reputation for some time. He was not particularly bright. He did not deny that he was the man wanted for-aesaulting Mrs. Ring, and to make the matter more certain the lady visited the jail on Saturday and identified Griffin positively. There have been several other criminal assaults in Ypsilanti during the past two years and Griffin acknowledged that he had been guilty of several of these attempts also. Had the court ever had a chance to pronounce seutence he would probably have received the f uil limit of the law. But it was destined that he should appear before a higher tribunal. On Friday, Dr. Kapp visited the jail and dressed the wound of the prisoner. Saturday when the physician visited the patiënt he found the bandages torn off and the leg in a bad condition. He redressed it, but the patiënt gradually grew worse and it was decided to ampútate the leg the next day. Griffin became worse and on Sunday morning about 8:20 he died from heart disease. Coroner Clark empaneled a jury.consisting of George W. Cropsey, Moses Seabolt, Alanson Moore, Charles Spoor, W. Fred Schhuiderer and Charles Schott, and held an inquest Monday moniing. Deputy Marshal James H.Saton, of Ypsilanti, swore to the arrest as follows: I found him about one and a half miles from South Lyou. He was driving cattle. He started to run. I called tohim, "Jake, stop, I want you." He kept running and gained on me. I told him if he didn't stop I would fire. I fired over his head twice. He gave no heed. I told him I would flre the next shot at him. He was making for the woods. I flred and he dropped. I handcuffed him and brought him to Aim Arbor. Tmnkey Patrick McCabe swore to receiving the man whose name he said was David Griffin at the jail Friday and sending for Dr. Kapp, who dressed his leg. Griflin acknowledged to him that he had committed the assault on Mrs. Ring. Deputy Sheriff Frank Campion corroborated the conf ession to McCabe, and stated that Griffln acknowledged to having made previous attempts of the same kind, one being an assault near the stand pipe of the Ypsilanti water works . Dr. Kapp testified that Griffln confessed to hirn that he had attempted the assault. He made a post mortem exainination and found his thigh fractured tour inches above the knee. The limb was swollen and inflamed. No blood vessels appeared to be injured. He found the pistol bullet in the tissues at the seat of the fracture. An examination of tb,e chest showed evidence of congestión of both lungs. The condition of the heart caused a speedy termination of Griffln's life by heart disease. Isaac Hardy, granduncle of Griffln testified that Griffln's mother died when he was sixyear'sold. Griffin had lived with him for twelve years and was about twenty-seven years old. He was kicked by a horse some years ago and the witness thought he liad not been in his right mind at all times since. The jury found that Griffin died in the eounty jail, May 22, of heart disease.
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Ann Arbor Argus
Old News