Murder in Waynesville: The Anderson Tragedy

Murder in Waynesville:
The Anderson Tragedy
Tuesday, August 26~Saturday, September 6th, 1879
“The Wrecked Life” of Willie Anderson, et al.
By
Karen S. Campbell, Genealogy Librarian
The Mary L. Cook Public Library
The Ohioana Room
Waynesville, Ohio
It is impossible to describe the
excitement in the community. We
are literally “supping our fill of
horrors,” and the wail may well go
up, “What is Waynesville coming to?”
The Miami-Gazette, September 3rd, 1879
A Quaker Bicentennial Booklet~
Miami Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends
October 2003
© Karen S. Campbell, 2004

Murder in Waynesville: The Anderson Tragedy 2
When sorrows come, they come not single spies,
but in battalions. ~
(Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V)
Most of us tend to look into the past through the lenses of rosy-colored distance and
sepia-colored time. We have a tendency, or perhaps a need, to believe that the past
was simpler, more peaceful, and more conducive to quality human living.
Everything, we think, was better back then. The pace of life was slower. People had
time to spend with each other. There was real craftsmanship and people could take
the time to care about the quality of what they produced. Smaller and less
centralized institutions were more humane. Life was easier. People were better
human beings and better off, weren’t they?
The truth is that human nature has been consistent over time. We certainly cannot
deny that people living in the 21st century have dark sides within them. The shadow
side of humanity dwelled in the people of the 19th century, too. Evil, horror, violence
and atrocities are not the sole property of the 20th and 21st centuries. 125 years ago,
life was often short and painful. Everyday conveniences we take for granted did not
exist. Most work was hard labor. The medical profession was almost medieval and
most medicines ineffectual. Psychiatry did not yet exist. The language of
psychoanalysis did not yet exist to help people articulate the inner darkness or
emote their feelings. Women were especially vulnerable in a society still distinctly
chauvinistic. Abuse of women was passively acceptable and there wasn’t a social net
to help victims of abuse such as safe houses or individual or family counseling.
Families with mentally ill members attempted to care, confined or constrain them to
the best of their ability. State institutions for the insane were just coming into
existence. The Society of Friends, however, did have a more enlightened view
towards the mentally ill compared to the rest of society and had long believed in the
possibility of cure through “moral treatment”. Compassionate ministering was
offered to families so inflicted.
In the 19th century the suicide rate was high, there was mental illness and insanity
could lead to atrocities. A quick perusal of any of the local newspapers of the time
will illustrate the multitude of violent and sensational crimes of the period. A
typical American small town, such as Waynesville, Ohio, was not immune to these
shocking misfortunes of life. Being small did not protect it from evil. In the year of
1879, the malevolence of the shadow side blistered itself into the life of Waynesville
and sorrows came in battalions. One Waynesville women would exclaim after the
horror was revealed: “How can I live here any longer?”i
Karen S. Campbell, Genealogy Librarian
The Mary L. Cook Public Library
The Ohioana Room
381 Old Stage Road
Waynesville, Ohio 45068
1-513-897-4826
campbeka@oplin.org
Karen S. Campbell
1700 Penbrooke Trail
Dayton, Ohio 45459
1-937-433-4875

Thank you to:
Geof Scott of the Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis, Indiana
Wilhelmina Branson, Dorothy Carter, Dennis Dalton,
Rosalie Yoakum and Ethel Campbell.
Marianne Reynolds
Reference Librarian, Magazines & Newspapers Department
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio
Staff of the Edna L. Bowyer Records Center & Archives, located
in the Warren County Courthouse, Lebanon, Ohio, especially Patricia Grove
Sharon A. Craig
President of the Hamilton County, Indiana Historical Society
CONTENTS:
Introduction . . . 2
Thank You & Contents . . . . 3
ANNO DOMINI 1879: THE YEAR . . . . . 4
IN ARTICULO MORTIS: THE TRIPLE MURDER . . . . . 11
ACTE: THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS . . . . . 12
DRAMATIS PERSONNAE . . . . 34
ACTE EST FABULA . . . . 59
APPENDIX ONE: One of Daniel R. Anderson’s Letters to the Miami-Visitor . . . 86
APPENDIX TWO: Photographs & Documents . . . 87
APPENDIX THREE: Genealogy . . . 108
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . 116
ENDNOTES AND PHOTO CREDITS. . . 118
NAME INDEX . . . . 155
AUTHOR . . . . 158

ANNO DOMINIii 1879: THE YEAR
1879 was an interesting year; a year of problems and promise just like
all years. In Europe a dual alliance was struck between Germany and
the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Zulu Wars began in southern
Africa. Japaninvaded and occupied Okinawa. Thestateof Afghanistan
was established.
Rutherford B. Hayes was two years into his presidency and his Vice-
President was William A. Wheeler. Hayes signed a bill, which allowed
women lawyers to argue cases before the Supreme Court. Belva Ann
Lockwood became the first woman lawyer to do so. Hearing a rumor
that Kansas was being set aside for settlement over 10,000 ex-slaves
move to Kansas. They were known as “exodusters”. The Ute Native
Americans are suppressed and were moved to a reservation in Utah.
Milk was sold in bottles for the first time in 1879. Mary Baker Eddy
founded the Church of Christ, Science during the same year. Frank
Woolworth opened his first 5 & 10¢ Store in Utica, N.Y. Madison
Square Garden opened in New York City and hosted the first artificial
icerink. VirgilEarp became a Deputy U.S. Marshal. The actress Ethel
Barrymore was born, as was Will Rogers, W. C. Fields, Joseph Stalin,
Leo Trotsky of the Bolshevik Revolution, Otto Hahn, the German co-
discoverer of nuclear fission and Albert Einstein in Ulm, Germany.
Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Pissaro and Renoir were at the peak of their
artistic careers. The American artist, John Singer Sargent, was also
painting. Antonin Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dances” premiered. Both comic
operas, “H. M. S. Pinafore” and “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert
and Sullivan debuted in N.Y.C. Dostoevsky wrote The Brothers
Karamazovand Henrich Ibsen wrote the play, “A Dolls House”. And, in
Germany, Nietzschebegantowritehis books and started on his journey
to insanity.
In 1879, the Ohio native, Thomas Edison, discovered how to use a
filament of carbonized thread in a light bulb to produce light, an
inventionthat would changethe world. Like a magician he was making
the night shine like day. Sadly, however, the night was still very gloomy
in Waynesville, Ohio. The year 1879 will always stand out as a
miserable time for Waynesville, a village beleaguered with

melancholy, bewilderment, broken promises, shady dealings and
sinister events; a time when sheer terror was shrouded in shadow.
The decade of 1870-1880 had started out on a hopeful and forward
looking note even though the economy was struggling. In 1875 the
Waynesville NationalBank was founded and it, innovatively, opened a
branch officein Lebanon on March 28th, 1877.iii It was also hoped that a
second railroad would soon be built through Waynesville, the Miami
Valley Narrow Gauge Railway. It was during the decade of the 1870s
that the Americaneconomybegantoradicallytransformed itself from a
patch-quiltofregionaleconomies made up of small manufacturers and
free-holding farmers to a broader more unified national industrial
economy united by the growing network of railroads and faster
communications. It proved to be a difficult time of adjustment for all
towns like Waynesville, even those with high hopes and exercising a
creative spirit.
Be that asit may, a few years after the end of the Civil War, many local
organizationsbegantoimprove their facilities and decided to establish
civic institutions. In 1870 the Freemasons, who had been well
established inWaynesville since March 11th, 1848iv , began to build their
own Temple building. Seth H. Ellis of Springboro organized the Ohio
Grange (The Patronsof Husbandry) in 1872 and Farmers Grange #13
was established in Waynesville. Hicksite Friends (Miami Monthly
Meeting) decided to improve the site of the White Brick Meetinghouse
on Quaker Hill in Waynesville. The old meetinghouse that was built in
1811 underwent a major renovationchangingitsappearancefrom a two-
story building to a one-story building. The hill itself had undergone
some landscaping in1868 and that process continued through to 1870.
A well was dug on the property, too.v Simultaneously, Miami Monthly
Meeting as well as Miami Quarterly Meeting and Indiana Yearly
Meeting (Hicksite) in1870 were caught up in the planning and building
of Miami Valley Institute (later known as Miami Valley College in
Springboro)v i. The Waynesville Methodist Episcopal Church had also
completed a major renovation of their church building in 1869. The
first church on the site, located on the southeast corner of North and
Third Streets, was built in 1850. Part of the old building was removed
and the foundation enlarged with a new edifice built upon it.v ii Jonas
Janney, the new owner of Diamond Hill Farm outside of Corwin
directly across from Waynesville, the old Abijah O’Neall place,

completely transformed the appearance of the old house and even
moving interior walls.v iii In 1871, the old Corwin train depot was
remodeled and made state of the art.ix The old Waynesville Academy
building on North Main Street also had undergone a radical
transformation at the hands of Mr. John N. Fetters, the new owner, in
1867.x Mr. Fetters would later construct the new Wayne Township
House that would house the Township Board of Trustees, the Justice of
the Peace, the Constable and Fire Department for Waynesville in 1878,
just in time for the coroner’s inquests that would capture the news in
1879.xi Mr. Fetters and his wife would also be summoned to testify in
the Wayne Township House concerning what they knew, if anything,
about the horrible night of Tuesday, August 26th, 1879.
The last year of the decade of the ‘70s was a disappointing and somber
one. The old rugged pioneers had died and their children were now
dying off. On Monday, February 24th, 1879, one of Waynesville’s most
prominent citizens died after a long illness, Emor Baily, Esq. (1809-
1879) at the age of 70. During his life he had been mayor of
Waynesville, Justiceof the Peace, School Director and President of The
Waynesville & Wilmington Turnpike Company. His funeral took place
on February28th at theWhiteBrickMeetinghouse. Thebrilliant Quaker
minister and orator, Dr. James W. Haines, rose to testify to Emor
Baily’s character and his clear, direct and simple Christian faith. Not
only HicksiteFriends but also a largegathering of villagersfiled past his
open casket in the meetinghouse to pay their last respects.xii He was
buried in Miami Cemetery in Corwin, Waynesville’s sister village
directly east of town, on the other side of the Little Miami River.xiii
His youngest son, George S. Baily, who had attended the Ohio
AgriculturalCollege in Columbusxiv , was now teaching at Miami Valley
College in Springboro. His daughter, Phoebe, who taught in Union
School in Waynesville, also was a tutor at the college.xv Unfortunately,
its principal/president Dr. James W. Haines, had compromised the
college in 1879 due to his behavior and had been disowned by the
Society ofFriends. Miami Valley College would only survive two more
years even though the newly appointed president/principal Eugene
Foster and many other people would strive valiantly to save the school
from economic ruin. For example, “The Nameless Society of the
College”, a literary study group, was quite active and arranged
wonderful lecture series and activitiesxv i and hosted a reunion of its

membersat the June 1879 commencement of the school.xv ii Eugene H.
Foster, the president protem brought enthusiasmand attracted notable
talent to the school, but sadly Miami Valley College would dwindle in
enrollment and would be forced to close in early January of 1883.
Foster would also suffer disownment from the Society of Friends but
not for the same reasons that Dr. Haines was disowned.
Another notableperson from Waynesville died just seven monthsbefore
Emor Baily, Dr. Francis Williamson on July 15th, 1878. Dr. Williamson
was a physicianand surgeon, a learned, liberalminded and kindhearted
man whose sudden death surprised his family and saddened the
community. Hewas the husband of Dr. Miriam PierceWilliamson, who
was also a physicianwith a distinguished career of her own.xv iii In 1879
she would be called to testify at the Anderson triple murder inquest.
She and her husband had dealt with a horrible tragedy of their own just
six years earlier when their oldest son, Richard, 28 years of age,
committed suicide on their farm by immolating himself.xix People of
Waynesville and Wayne Township considered this to be the most
“sickening tragedy”ever to have happened in the area and the author of
the obituaryhoped that therewould never be another horror “the like of
which we hope it may never devolve upon us again to record.”
Unfortunately, another horror would happen and in the family of
another physician with connections to The Society of Friends.
Dr. Francis Williamson had been a highly respected physician, an
influential educator and a veteran of the Civil War. He had been a
surgeon on the staff of Major-General Rosecrans.xx In 1850 the Doctors
Williamsons were practicing and living in Harveysburg, Ohio.xxi By
1860, the Williamsons were living in Waynesville.xxii They had six
children together: Virginia, Richard, Agnes E.xxiii, Francis (Frank)
Fallisxxiv , Charles G. and Mary E. Williamson Cadwalladerxxv .
Another physicianand noted Quaker minister, Dr. JamesW. Hainesxxv i,
son of Seth Silver Haines, had resigned his position as President of
Miami Valley College and was dogged most of the year of 1879 by a
malpracticesuit and other businessand domestic problems that lead to
his disownment from The Society ofFriends. Thecase of John W. Sears
vs. JamesW. Haines would go to trialon November 4th. Theplaintiff in
the case of John W. Sears vs. Dr. James W. Haines won and was to

receive $2800.00. Dr. Haines would appeal and the settlement would
be revised.xxv ii
Dr. James W. Haines was also sued in 1878-1879 by Mary (aka Mollie)
Bonnerxxv iii for a Breach of Marriage Contract. Thedetailsof this failed
relationship arenot known but must have excited some public stir
in 1879. It was reported in The Western Star on June 26th, 1879:
BONNER-HAINES. This is not a marriage notice, as the heading
would indicate. Neither is it the opposite ~~a divorce notice. But it is
akin to both. The notorious breach of promise case of Mary Boner
against Dr. J. Haines is settled; not by the marriage of the parties,
for be it remembered the gay doctor married a Brooklyn lady a few
days ago; nor by a trial in the Court; but by the payment by the
Doctor of the sum of $1,000.00 to Miss Bonner as a salve for her
lacerated affections. Pretty dear price for a few sickly sighs, a few
whispered words of love, and probably a few cold Quaker kisses.
It was also reported in the Xenia Gazette:
The suit of Miss Mamie Bonner of this city against Dr. J. W. Haines of
Waynesville, for breach of promise, has been dismissed, Dr. Haines
withdrawing his answer, and paying $1,000.00 and costs. Thus he
acknowledges the justice and truth of Miss Bonner’s claim, and
himself to have been in the wrong, a fact no one in this vicinity ever
doubted (printed in The Western Star, July 3rd, 1879).
On June 28th, 1879 Many Bonner won the judgment and $1,000.00.xxix
On the 1880 Census, Dr. Haines is listed with a wife, Eva, who is 22,
nine years younger than he.xxx These awkward events in his life did
affect his relationship with The Society ofFriends. Scandalhad touched
one the MMM’s most prominent and charismatic ministers. He was
disowned by the Society. Dr. Haines apologized to the Friendsof Miami
Monthly Meeting for his behavior:
The following acknowledgement has been read and accepted: Dear
Friends: Having for some time past, engaged in a multiplicity of
business as to be beyond my ability to meet promptly, all my
promises ~~ And having, through unwatchfulness, become entangled
in matters that have hindered my growth in the ministry, and
brought reproach upon the Truth, I feel to condemn the same, and
trust that Friends will overlook them, and restore me to the unity and
Christian Fellowship of the Society ~~ James W. Haines.xxxi
The erudite Dr. Haines was also often criticized for his deep belief in
spiritualism (see The Waynesville News, July 22, 1893).

While dealing with his own difficulties, Dr. James W. Haines would
presideat the funeral of the three victims of murder and would also be
summoned to testifyat the Grand Jury, which would consider Daniel R.
Anderson’s involvement in the Anderson triple murder case.
It was indeed a difficult year for the influential Haines family. Dr.
Haines’ father, Seth Silver Haines, and a group of other distinguished
local men hoping to capitalizeonthe railroad boom, was involved in the
attempt to build a Narrow Gage Railroad, the Miami Valley Narrow
Gauge Railway from Cincinnati toXenia through Mason, Lebanon and
Waynesville. S. S. Haines was the President of the company. The
company was incorporated on November 7, 1874. It was usually
referred to as the Miami Valley Railway. Thesmall communities along
the proposed narrow gauge track were excited by the prospects of a
railroad going through their communities, especially Waynesville. The
idea of building a narrow gage had been discussed for years.
Waynesville alreadyhad one railroad, the Little Miami, on the east side
of the Little Miami River and sister villagewith Corwin, a station on the
railroad. None-the-less, having another traingoing through townwould
boost the sagging economy. Unfortunately, scandal would rock the
Miami Valley Railway. During the bidding process, there had been
made a “secret contract” between Seth Silver Haines and one of the
bidders, John B. Benedict. Benedict and Haines became partners and
Haines was to receive $185,000 in Bonds and Stocks of the Miami
Valley Railway from Mr. Benedict ifhe received the contract. This fact
becamepublic noticein The Western Star of Lebanon on February 6th,
1879. S. S. Haines always contended that the monies received were not
intended to becomehis personal funds but would be given to the Miami
Valley Narrow-Gauge Railroad Company.xxxii Eventually there would
be a lawsuit against the company and also a bondholders’ suit. In the
midst of all this turmoil Seth Silver Haines resigned his position as
president on March 27, 1879. The Miami-Gazette newspaper fervently
defended Waynesville’s favorite son, but The Western Star took the
opposite position. The two newspapers were full of news about the
lawsuits and replete with defense or criticism of S. S. Haines. The
Miami Valley Narrow-Gauge Railroad was never completed.xxxiii
Questions about S. S. Haines motives in this case would never be fully
quieted.xxxiv

As early as 1876, the Miami Valley Railway Company began to grade
the 36-mile gradenear Waynesville. Thisactivitybroughtsome“rough”
people into the community and Waynesville was not immune to their
violence. Many of the laborers who boarded about Waynesville were
Irish laborers attracted to heavy drink and susceptible to superstition.
At least one murder occurred after a foreman and an Irish laborer
quarreled in a Waynesville saloon. The foreman lost.xxxv
One healthy economic indicatorwasthe planning for and establishment
in Waynesville of The Wayne Novelty Works Company.xxxv i It would
open at the end of 1879 and would make cast iron novelties, e.g. dark
green frog doorstops, until 1885. Although the prospects had looked
good for this industry, it was closed by May 26th, 1880 with little
prospect of re-opening. It did, but only survived until 1885, three years
after the close of Miami Valley College in Springboro.xxxv ii Another good
attempt to promote economic and civic growth would slide once again
into disappointment.
However, John A. Funkeyxxxv iii was doing very well in partnership with
John F. Missildine. Missildine and Funkey opened their store, the
“Cincinnati Cash Store” in Cadwallader Hall on September 23rd,
1874.xxxix The store was located there until 1881. In 1879 John Funkey
and his wife Clara bought a lot on North Main Street. Their Italianate
Victorian home, the Funkey-Evans House, was built in 1880 and still
stands at the foot of Chapman Street.xl
The people of Waynesville were shocked when local notable, 54 year old
CaptainWilliam Rion Hoelxli, was shot through the heart and killed on
May23rd, 1879 just a mile outsideof Waynesville in Wayne Township at
his home, Kildere Farm, located on Clarksville Road. A respected Ohio
river captain and Civil War heroxlii William Hoel, who was also widely
known for his jealous temper and violent ways, believed that his wife
Elizabeth Hunt Hoel and Dr. J. B. Hough, a physician with his office in
Waynesville and a lecturer at Miami Valley College, were having an
affair. On that inauspicious morning Captain Hoel had led everyone to
believe he wastraveling early to Cincinnati via the4:00 A.M. trainto get
on the Ohio River but instead he clandestinely stayed in Waynesville
and backtracked to his home to spy on his wife, Elizabeth. Dr. J. B.
Hough was in the house delivering medicine and examining Elizabeth
who had been feeling ill for manymonths. Believing that he had caught

his wife and Dr. Hough in the act, he rushed into the parlor and
threatened tokill Dr. Hough. Therewas a scuffle and Captain Hoel was
shot with his own revolver during the struggle between the two men.
The coroner’s inquest wasconducted by Squire William Manningtonxliii
of Waynesville, a retired shoemaker and Justiceof the Peace, at Kildere
Farm.xliv He played thedouble role of Justice of the Peace and coroner
since therewas no coroner within10 miles. The Hoel servants hinted at
a love affair between Dr. Hough and Elizabeth during the proceedings.
However, Dr. Hough was exonerated and he continued his career. No
scandal ever seems to have sullied the good reputation of Elizabeth
Hunt Hoel. A sympathetic community understood her nightmare of
domestic violenceeven though they also tried to protect the reputation
of a Civil War hero. Nevertheless, the detailsof William Hoel’s death are
still a mystery and questions remain due to conflicts in the testimony
taken at the inquest.xlv
Then, on Saturday, September 2nd, 1879, the village inhabitants were
staggered by another tragedy, this time a triple murder, a mere four
months after the Hoel tragedy. 1879 was becoming a true “annus
horribilis.”
IN ARTICULO MORTISxlv i: THE TRIPLE MURDER
The week of the murders itself had been a typical week for most
Waynesvillians. The trains came and went at the Corwin station
bringing people and commerce to the village. The merchants and local
farmerswent about conducting their business and the farmer’s market
as usual. Social clubs and fraternal organizations met as usual. Mr.
Achilles D. Cadwalladerxlv ii had come down with an illness as well as
Mrs. Daniel Grayxlv iii, a victim of consumption. Sam Everlyxlix who had
been sick was now up and about again. Mr. Elijah Comptonl was still
convalescing from an illness. Mr. William Rogersli had had a third
attackofparalysisbut was recovering. Seller’s new store had been given
a new handsomeslate and tinroof. Mr. W. R. Stephensonlii, the former
principalofthe Waynesville Union School presented a copy of Bryant’s
Libraryof Poetry and Song to the students. It was announced that Mr. J.
C. Graham, of Bartlette, Ohio would be the new Superintendent of
Waynesville Public Schools when school opened shortly. Edward
Merritt got married the week before in Dayton and returned to
Waynesville with his new wife to run a bakery in town, formerly run by

himself and his brother W. A. Merritt. The respected Rev. Samuel
Scottliii of Dayton had been in town canvassing for a new subscription
libraryfor Waynesville. A famous Temperanceman and an advocate of
healthy literature provided by local subscription libraries, he was
concerned about the effect on young people of popular trashy dime
novel literature, which had become so popular and so easily available.
With 100 subscriptionsat $1.00 apiece, 100 books would be bought for
a new library. Esquire Edwards, Esquire Mannington, Messrs. John
Missildineliv , John Halsey and Kansas Whartonlv attended the Ohio
State Fair blissfully unaware of the nightmare on South Main Street.lv i
Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
But, on a late summers eve in Waynesville, at half past 11:00 P.M. on
Tuesday, August 26th, 1879, a deeply troubled young man of 18, who felt
overwhelmed by responsibility and domestic troubles, who was
obsessed with violence and death, became entangled in a horrendous
carnivalof blood, whether willingly or unwillingly, it is hard to tell. Two
adult women and a young girl of eleven lost their lives that night most
horribly.lv ii Willie E. Anderson (William Evert Anderson), a mere 18
years and barely 5 months oldlv iii, with an accomplice, participated in
some way or had guiltyknowledge of themurdered his own mother, his
aunt and his cousin in their rented home on South Main Street. The
ghastly scene in the house would not be discovered until Tuesday,
September 2nd by Constable Manington, who pried open one of the
windows, and by recently retired Probate Judge J. W. Keyslix, who
forced open the front door, after hearing reports of an overpowering
stench coming from the houselx. Worried townspeople had become
concerned about the whereabouts of Willie, last seen on Sunday
morning, August 31st, and the three womenwho had not been seen since
Wednesday, August 27th. According to friends it was unlike Mollie
Hatte, age 37lxi, Willie’s mother, to leave without telling anyone.
ACTElxii: THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS:
(Reconstructing the events from the inquest papers & newspaper articles)
 Mollie Craig Hatte, a seamstress, had moved back to Waynesville on the
invitation from her son Willie to live with him. Mother and son established their
home over a bakery on Main Streetlxiii but eventually moved into the little house,
actually a cottage, which Willie rented from Sarah Davis, sometime around late
February-early March of 1879. It sat directly on the sidewalk of South Main
Street. Willie Anderson took on the responsibility, apparently happily, of

helping to support his mother. No one was aware of any problems between the
two except for a few typical teenage-parent disagreements. During the
Waynesville inquest Paulina Butterworth would testify that Mollie found Willie
“trying in his disposition” but she felt Willie had great regard for his mother.lxiv
He appeared to be a loving and dutiful son. Mollie was living a quiet,
unassuming life rarely seen in public except to visit relatives. She was a
Methodist in good standing.lxv She was partial to wearing a set of jet earrings.
She was known to have false teeth. These two items would help to identify her
decomposing body. Of small stature, Mollie was described as a finely
formed woman “of prepossessing appearance and very lady-like in her
conduct.” lxv i Before Mollie moved back to Waynesville, Willie slept in the
Miami-Gazette office to which he had a keylxv ii. It was reported in the Wiggins &
McKillop’s Directory of Warren County for 1878, that Daniel R. Anderson,
Willie’s father and Mollie’s ex-husband, lived on Third Street in Waynesville
although he was actually living in a boarding house in Cincinnati while he
worked as a laborer on the Southern Railroad Bridgelxviii in the Mill Creek
bottoms in eastern Cincinnati.
Even though many people knew that Willie took great pride in supporting his
mother and did not like to accept help from his father, Daniel had another
version, which he told to a reporter of the Cincinnati Daily Gazette when
incarcerated in Cincinnati (September 4th, 1879, pl 1:1+) that:
Mr. Anderson consented to this arrangement and gave his boy a housekeeping
outfit. He never visited at the house, but he constantly met his boy and gave him
advice.
It is also know from the testimony during the Waynesville inquest that Dan did
occasionally come to the Anderson cottage even though Mollie tried hard to
avoid him.
It was also known that Mollie Hatte was planning on moving back to Cincinnati
to live with Mr. Stephen H. Week’s sister. She had lived previously with her.lxix
 February 26th, 1879 ~ It was reported in the Miami-Gazette that “Mrs. Mollie
Hatte is recovering from a serious attack of congestion of the brain and
pneumonia.”
 April 23, 1879 ~ According to the Miami-Gazette, “Mr. W. E. Anderson visited
Cincinnati last Friday and Saturday.” It is not known who he visited or why.
However, Willie and his friends and acquaintances often visited Cincinnati.
 The week of August 4th, 1879 ~ Three weeks before the murder, Willie’s Aunt
Clementine Weeks, estranged wife of Stephen H. Weeks of Cincinnati, age 32lxx,
and his cousin Myrtle Shaw, Clementine’s step-daughterlxxi, came to stay with
Willie’s mother, Mollie Hatte, in Waynesville. They came to Waynesville
ostensively to board for only a few weeks. According to Dan Anderson, Willie
told him on the Sunday after the murder that Clementine Weeks had not lived
with her husband for a year and that she and Myrtle were looking for a place to

live. Stephen H. Weeks, her husband, estranged or otherwise, would later
confute Dan’s testimony concerning his relationship with his wife Clementine.
 Monday, August 11th ~ Martha Anderson testified that she had last seen her ex-
daughter-in-law, Mollie Hatte, and her grandson, Willie, on this evening just
before she went to visit her daughter, Louisa Anderson Burnett, in the
country who was not feeling welllxxii. She was unaware of any trouble between
Willie and his mother.
 Tuesday, August 12th ~ Dan claimed that he stayed one night in Waynesville
before attending the encampment at the Ohio National Guard’s Camp Denver
near Loveland from the 13th tothe 21st.
 Wednesday, August 13th ~ Dan claimed that he attended an encampment of the
Harris Guards, the 13th Ohio National Guard of which he was the Color Sergeant.
He also told a Cincinnati Commercial reporter that from the 13th to the 21st
he was absent from his work: “wanted to go up the road a ways to visit some
friends.” (September 4th, 1879, p. 1:1).
 Monday, August 18th ~ Willie Anderson told his eighteen year old friend, George
Woolley, that he was contemplating suicide with the razor that he was holding in
his hand and that he was going to “do something in this town” and then skip.
Surprisingly, George was not overly concerned for he had often heard Willie
speak that way about suicide. He did not appear to be curious about what Willie
was planning on doing either. Or, perhaps, George did know more than what he
revealed at the inquest. The core of this mystery is whether Willie was
contemplating murder or wanted to protect someone from being killed?
 Thursday, August 21st ~ On this day Mr. Fletcher, his employer, saw Dan on the
train at Loveland coming towards Cincinnati as though he had been in
Waynesville.lxxiii
 Friday, August 22nd or Saturday, August 23rd ~ Stanley Sellers, who clerked at
Seller’s Store in Waynesville, sold Willie a pocketknife that would later be
found under Mollie’s body at the murder site, its blade broken. It is one of two
murder weapons.
 Saturday, August 23rd ~ The records of Dan Anderson’s employers, Messers.
Fletcher & Wright indicate that he attended the Ohio National Guard
encampment and that he did not work on this Saturday afternoon and the
following two days. He said he wanted to go to the county.lxxiv Paulina
Butterworth testified at the Waynesville inquest that Dan had been in town since
Mrs. Weeks had come for a visit, which was probably before the ONG
encampment, and that he sent his respects home through Willie.lxxv

 Sunday, August 24th ~ Dan was absent from work in Cincinnati according to
employer’s records.
 Monday, August 25th ~ Dan was absent from work in Cincinnati according to
employer’s records. His employers state that Dan seemed nervous and absent
minded upon his return to work.
When Daniel R. Anderson was arrested by the Cincinnati police he had a postal
card in his pocket, which had been mailed at Waynesville, on August 25th written
in cipher and signed “Will”. Dan Anderson claimed that this is not unusual.
Since the war he had used a cipher in his correspondence and used it now all the
time with his son and many other people. He willing shared the codelxxv i and the
message read: “Waynesville, August 25th, 1879, How are you getting along?
Did you get the paper I left? Will.”lxxv ii
A reporter on the Cincinnati Inquirer (September 5th, 1879, p 5:1) interviewed
people at the Kentucky House and found out that Dan Anderson was missing
one night during the week of horrors in Waynesville:
An Enquirer reporter paid another visit last evening to the Kentucky House,
corner ofMcLean Avenue and Gest Street, to seewhether something could not be
learned ofthe elder Anderson’s whereabouts last week. The hotel is crowded with
laborers and mechanics and it was pretty hard to trace Anderson during last
week. It was, however, well and easily proved that he had not been absent any
day or part of a day last week, of which there is amply proofs. But a suspicious
circumstancearises out ofthe fact that he was absent onewhole night during last
week. A Mr. Shoemaker, who sleeps in the same room where Anderson had his
bed, told our reporter that one night last week ~ he can’t swear that it was
Tuesday night ~ Anderson’s bed was not slept in. It was empty when he retired
and was undisturbed when he arose in the morning. Nobody else noticed
Anderson’s absence because where so many were living as it we re in a huge
family or colony the absence of one during a night or part of a day would not
readily be observed.
Dan Anderson himself claimed that the days he was not accounted for in his
employer’s books was due to not having any work on those days. He said he
could prove that he was around Cincinnati during that time.lxxv iii
 Tuesday, August 26th ~ The night of the murders. George Woolley testified that
he was with Willie until a quarter past 8:00 P.M. He and Willie had some kind
of difficulty with another teenager Charley Thompson. George said that Willie
and he did not run Charley all the way from Waynesville to Corwin but they
walked after him following him all the way to Corwin. Charles Thompson, age
18, had a different version of the events. He said that Willie accused him of
stealing books. (“Yellow covered” dime novels or “bloods” Willie liked so much.)
Charles noticed that he had a gun. Willie and George followed Charley to the
edge of Corwin on Corwin Avenue. They unsuccessfully tried to taunt him into a
fight. Charles told Willie he would have to start it and then, after a stand off,
George and Willie returned to Waynesville. This is what Charley Thompson said
at the Waynesville inquest:

Q. Did you have any troublewith him (GeorgeWoolley) and Willie?A. There were
some threats. He accused me ofstealing books from him, and wanted me to fight
in the back yard ofthe Post-office. Saw a revolver on him. He followeduntil I got
between the bridges (the bridge over the mill race and the bridge over the Little
Miami) and wanted to fight. Told him he’d haveto begin it. He wanted me to take
off my coat and I said I hadn’t any. This was between eight and nine o’clock. It
was eight when I left Willie and a quarter of nine when I arrived home.
Eventually, Willie and George parted company in front of the Harris Bank (at
North and Main Streets).
Sarah Davis testified that she last saw the deceased parties on this evening. She
did not hear any screams or anything unusual in the night even though
her house was on the same lot separated only by a small garden. She had
noticed that Willie was acting strangely all week.
It was testified at the inquest by Amanda Middleton, age 53, who lived a block
away from the house, that she heard three feminine screams. Amanda
Gallimore, age 48, who lived on a 25 foot hill directly east of the house a block,
thought she had heard screams and some loud talking and from her window saw
two men in black, one shorter than the other, one wearing a white vest. They
were having a conversation and had a large bundle wrapped up in a sheet
(maybe a bed tick) lying on the ground between them. On a clear moonlit night
she could have seen quite clearly into the Anderson backyard. John R. Sides,
age 49, and his wife, who also lived directly behind the house high up on Third
Street heard feminine screams and heard talking on Main Street.
All three women had gone to bed and were discovered dead in their bedclothes.
A week later, two were found lying on the floor decaying. The examining
physicians said they were killed with a hatchet. The pocketknife was also found.
On this same evening there was a burglary in town. The Compton Brother’s
Meat Shop, located just a block and a half from the house of murders, had been
broken into. Many considered this a related crime. Willie and/or his accomplice
needed money and so burglarized the meat shop. The person only got $7.00.lxxix
 Wednesday, August 27th ~ John A. Halsey, age 21, a clerk at Funkey &
Missaldine’s testified that around 20 minutes to 11:00 P.M. he heard noise,
walking, on the outside steps that went up to the Miami-Gazette office. He
believes he heard two people. Miriam Williamson testified that Willie and
another man were seen climbing the outside steps of the Miami-Gazette building
where Willie worked as a printer around 2:00 A.M. George Woolley testified
vehemently that he was not that second man.
In the morning Willie went to work at the Miami-Gazette and did not act any
differently than normal. Willie was seen to go into the house where the horror
lay unbeknownst to others. Sixteen year old Stanley Sellerslxxx testified that
Willie bought lime from him on this day. The lime was put in a 50 pound paper
flour sack. People begin to notice the absence of the three women. Willie
told everyone that they left on the 4:00 A.M. train from Corwin to Cincinnati.

Having not heard Willie’s explanation of their whereabouts, Paulina Butterworth
goes to the house for a visit and tries the back door to the kitchen and she does
not notice any smell. She did not look in the windows.
On Wednesday night George Woolley spent time with another friend Ellsworth
Mathews until half past nine and then goes home. Willie began to take
his meals at the Hammell House hotel. Sarah Davis saw Willie feeding the
chickens in the backyard. It was reported by a reporter for the Cincinnati
Commercial (September 5th, 1879, p. 1:3) that:
The day after the tragedy, two of Willie’s companions w ere in the printing office
with him and he was disposing ofsome of his antique coins being something of a
numismatist. In course ofconversation he madethe remark: “What do I care for
money, anyhow? I’m going to commit suicide next week!” He had variou s
collections oftrinkets, yet upon investigation they are all or nearly all disposed of.
He gave a pretty silk handkerchiefto one friend and seemed, as it now recalled to
memory, to be arranging his little estatein order before he left these early scenes
forever.
 Thursday, August 28th ~ In the morning, Willie went to work at the Miami-
Gazette office and did not act noticeably different according to witnesses.
Belinda Small saw him going in and out of the gate to the chicken house to feed
the chickens. Sarah Davis said she had seen Willie feeding the chickens, too.
Samuel Davis, the son of Sarah Davis, the landlady, saw Willie at the post office.
Willie asked him to go down to the cottage to shut the chicken house door.
Samuel noticed that Willie was very melancholy. Willie sent Miss Ella Sutton of
Loveland a photograph that she had given him through the mail. That night
Willie lodged at the Hammel House hotel. He claimed that he is lonely because
his mother, aunt and cousin went to Cincinnati Wednesday morning and he
wanted to stay at the hotel to be around people. He was seen to go in and out of
the house where the murders had taken place. Paulina once more sets out to
visit Mollie, Clem, Myrtle and Willie but meets Sarah Davis, the landlady on the
way who told her that no one was at home and they had not told anyone where
they were going.
 Friday, August 29th ~ In the morning, the neighbor, Belinda J. Small saw Willie
coming across the vacant lot directly south of the Anderson cottage to her house
with his hand bleeding and he wanted her to tie it up for him. Belinda got some
leaves and soaks them in whiskey and tied up his hand. He looked very weak,
has bloodshot eyes and was greatly agitated. He must have bleed profusely since
he sliced the top of his hand. She told him not to faint. She asked him where his
Ma was and he replied that she left for the city on the 9:00 A.M. train on
Wednesday.lxxxi Willie went to work with his cut hand. Others outside of the
Miami-Gazette office also noticed his injured hand. He claimed that he cut
himself cutting meat for the cat. Paulina Butterworth went to the post office in
the evening and seeing Willie there asks him where his folks were. He told her
that they went to the city. He said they are expected to return Saturday evening.
Sarah Davis again saw Willie feeding the chickens. Her daughter, Mary, teasingly
said to him from their portico, “Keeping bachelor’s hall?” Sarah asked where his
Ma was. “At the city” was his reply.lxxxii Later, Willie again asked Samuel Davis

to go down to the house and close the chicken house door. Samuel noticed
an unusual smell this second time. Willie once again ate supper at the
Hammel House and lodged there for the night. Miss Ella Sutton of Loveland
received the package from Willie on this day, which contained her photograph.
 Saturday, August 30th ~ Paulina again went to the post office in the evening and
seeing Willie asked him if the three women have returned from Cincinnati.
Willie said they have not yet returned. That evening around candle light, Willie
came to Paulina’s back door, asked her to come out and told her that he had
received a letter from his Aunt Clem stating that his mother was ill and that he
should come to Cincinnati. He also said that Aunt Clem’s husband was ill with
bilious fever and wanted her to return home to take care of him. Paulina
Butterworth gave Willie $2.75 to cover his costs of traveling to Cincinnati and
back. He appeared to be depressed in spirit and his voice agitated. Paulina
asked where he had been eating. He said the hotel. She asked if his boss at the
Miami-Gazette, Drew Sweet, knew he was going? He did not. She encouraged
him to come and have breakfast with her before he left on the train in the
morning. Willie said he would not if he did not feel better. He exited from her
home through the front door and she presumed he was on his way to see Mr.
Sweet to tell him that he was leaving for Cincinnati Sunday morning and would
probably be back on Monday. That evening, his landlady, Sarah Davis, who lived
next door, also talked with Willie when he came to her door and said that he did
not have the rent for her and was going to Cincinnati because his mother had
telegraphed him to come. She felt that he had been acting strangely all week.
George Woolley encountered Willie on the street around 8:00 P.M. and was with
him until 10:00 P.M. leaving him near the Hammel House. They had walked up
the street and then came down the street to the National Bank after which they
walked on other streets then came down in front of the Randall Store and stayed
their until about 10:00. Willie told George he is staying at the Hammel House
because he was lonely. While on Second Street they had stopped at Mrs.
Berryhill’slxxxiii house and Willie went in while George stood at the gate. Willie
was looking for Miss Ella Sutton who he had heard was staying there. However,
she was not there. During their time together, Willie showed George a pistol,
which he was known to carry once in a while. Willie said it was loaded and he
had it for a man in this town. D. W. “Web” Meeks, who had seen Willie in the
evening, around 4 or 5 P.M., loaned him a dime novellxxxiv entitled, The Wrecked
Life by Arthur B. Naunton.lxxxv He is suppose to return it to “Web” Sunday
morning along with another dime novel he had lent him. The Wrecked Life was
later found on a stand near his mother’s dead body. (Other reports said near her
body on the floor.) Willie stayed again at the Hammel House. He shared a room
with John A. Halsey who clerked at Funkey & Missaldine. He noticed that Willie
was carrying a pistol in his vest watch pocket. They talked together till about
midnight. Mr. Halsey said he did not notice anything different or unusual about
Willie’s behavior. He would testify that Willie appeared to sleep well.
 Sunday, August 31st ~. John Halsey last saw Willie at 8:00 A.M. Four of
Willie’s “chums” walk with him to Corwin. Willie left on the 9:00 A. M. train for

the city from Corwin and was presumably going to Cincinnati to attend his ailing
mother and bring her home. However, he bought a one-way ticket. He
appeared reluctant to go and hopped on the next to the last train car as it was
moving out.lxxxv i Harry Printz, age 17, walked with Willie to Corwin and Willie
told him he was going to fetch his mother home. He also sees D. W. “Web”
Meeks and tells him his dime novel was over at the house and he also said to him
if anyone asked where he was going, say “mum is the word.” Later on
September 6th his father Daniel Anderson would testify that:
Dime novels. Light literature. He was always a constantreader ofthese kinds
of books and I often burnt up many of them as long as he was with me. I
would not allow him to read them but would destroy them.
Willie arrived in Cincinnati at 11:00 A.M. but didn’t meet up with his father Dan
until Monday.
Persons passing the house on South Main begin to notice an offensive smell.
 Monday, September 1st ~ Willie was still presumed to be in Cincinnati by
Waynesvillians. According to Dan, Willie met him sometime between 10:00 and
11:00 A.M. in Cincinnati at Dan’s work site. He said that Willie claimed to be
coming from the Zoological Gardens where there was a ballroomlxxxv ii. He had
been at the Ninth Street Opera House the night before and stayed at the Gault
House. Dan takes off from work to be with his son. They meandered around
Cincinnati Monday afternoon visiting the Exposition Building, Washington
Park, Shillito’s store and other places.
Meanwhile, back in Waynesville, Paulina’s neighbor, Sally Crispin came over and
asked her if Willie had returned from Cincinnati. She had heard that there was a
dead body in the cottage and Paulina’s suspicions were then aroused thinking
the culprit might be Willie. She then fetched her mother, Fanny, with whom she
lived, and her Aunt Martha (Martha Anderson who is Dan’s mother and Willie’s
grandmother) and they went down to the cottage on Main Street and she was
soon convinced that all three were dead since she saw through a window what
she supposed were their bodies all rolled up in bed clothing. Other neighbors
were becoming worried and the smell was growing intolerable.
Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Dan claimed that Willie had intended to return home
to Waynesville on the Monday evening train, but, because of a miss-
communication with Dan, Willie missed that train. Willie entered Hunt’s Dining
Room on Vine Street to use the water closet. He was going to meet Dan at a
certain corner. Dan waited for him and when he didn’t show up he went on to
the depot. It was then that Dan encountered an acquaintance, Mr. Jason W.
Phillips, a clothing merchant from Springfield, Ohio, and told him that his son
was on the train to go back to Waynesville. Dan asked Mr. Phillips to make sure
Willie got off at the Corwin station. Mr. Phillips did look for Willie once the train
was moving but did not find him. Willie was nowhere to be found and Dan went
back to the Hunt’s Dinning Room and found Willie eating oysters. There had
been a mix up on what corner to met at. Since he missed the train, Willie and

Dan attend a performance of “HMS Pinafore” at the Heuck’s Opera House and
that night stayed at the Galt House which was near the Crawford House where
his employer’s lodged. Dan planned to run over their in the morning to get some
money to pay the bill at the Galt House. Dan remembered that Willie was quite
moved to tears by one of the arias and was very sad. Dan claimed that he
was ill that evening from eating too freely of bananas and pears.lxxxv iii
 Tuesday, September 2nd ~ In Waynesville Marshal Cummins thought that the
bad smell was a dead animal on the premises. However, the smell had become
so bad that Marshal Cummins ventured to raise one of the windows.
Marshal Cummings (Cummins) was soon satisfied that the horrible odor came
from the Davis cottage, and he went to the rear door to satisfy himself. By
pushing against the door with his knee and applying his noseto the slight crack
thus made he perceived that this house was, indeed, the source of the foul
smell. lxxxix
Cummins compared the smell to the smell of the dead on a Civil War battlefield.
He saw one body with what looked like a bed tick over it in the back room. The
smell was so horrible that no one could stand near. Cummins asked Sarah Davis
to come look in the window too and then she ran to get the authorities. When
she came back there was a crowd of curious people following as well as the
authorities.xc Judge J. W. Keys forced the front door open. The room was a huge
mess, as if there had been a tremendous struggle, and two decomposing bodies
could be seen. They were partly eaten by rats. They were hardly recognizable.
The bedclothes were soaked in blood. Judge Keys immediately went to wire
George W. Carey, Coroner, to come immediately. He believed there were only
two dead bodies. Mr. Carey quickly arrived in Waynesville and realized there
were three dead bodies. A cursory look indicated that they were killed with a
hatchet and Mrs. Week’s throat was cut. Mrs. Weeks and step-daughter were
found in the front room and Mrs. Hatte was in the back room covered with a
tick. A fifty-pound flour sack of pulverized lime had been emptied over the floor
and the bodies in the front room. Mr. Carey made preparations for the post
mortem examinations by Drs. Dakin and Lukens and the burials of the victims.
By order of Coroner Carey, the carpet was taken up and the bed clothing burned
and the house aired out. Once the doctors had completed the autopsies, the
decomposing bodies were placed in coffins and set on chairs in the corner of the
front room where the bed had stood.xci It was reported that Stephen H. Weeks
was notified of the death of Clementine, but he denied that he received a
telegram on this date. He claimed he did not know of the tragedy until he saw
the morning papers in Cincinnati on Wednesday morning the 3rd.xcii Mr. Carey
adjourned his inquest until the next morning at 10:00 A.M. Mr. Carey
telegraphed the Chief of Police of Cincinnati, Joseph Wappenstein, for the arrest
of D. R. Anderson and Willie, his son, who were known to be in Cincinnati:
Waynesville,O., September 2. Chief of Police: Arrest D. R. Anderson. Works on
the Southern Railroad; boards at the Kentucky House, corner Gest and McLean
avenue; and William Anderson, his son, age about eighteen years. Two cuts on
the back ofboy’s left hand. For murder. Geo. W. Carey, Corner, Warren Co., O.xciii

On September 6th Daniel R. Anderson would testify that he had been with his
son in Cincinnati since 11:00 o’clock the day before (Monday) till Tuesday when
he left for Waynesville at 4:10 P.M. On Monday he had quit work to be with
Willie, and presumably most of Tuesday, too. Daniel testified at the inquest that:
He said his mother was getting along fine. I asked him ifClem had be en to see my
mother (Martha Anderson). He said she had not. He gave as a reason that my
mother had been visiting my sister. I next asked him if his uncle Mr. Weeks paid
his wife’s board. His answer was no, but she brought things. I asked him if they
had a sewing machine. He said no. They did not want any and gave as a reason
that Mrs. Abel Satterthwaitexciv for whom she had made a dress complained of
her charging too much, 50¢, for making a dress. I told him I could get one cheap
if they needed one. He said they did not need one . . .
He said he could not support them (Mrs. Weeks and daughter) and that Weeks
could not . . . He stated that his Aunt had been stricken with paralysis and it was
her second stroke and he said he had nothing to take care o f her with.
He last saw his son on Tuesday when he boarded the 4:10 P.M. train to return to
Waynesville. Dan Anderson claimed that his son never hinted at the murders.
He claimed that he had no idea about what had happened in Waynesville.
It has since been learned from Conductor Holman that the young man took the
Tuesday afternoon train at the same hour (4:10 P.M.), and that having neither
ticket nor the requisiteamount ofmoney with which to pay his fare, was put off at
the train at Woodburn, a station within the city limits of Cincinnati.
At 7:00 P.M. Willie was seen in Plainville. He went to a local tavern, Plainville
House, to seek lodging for the night. He had no baggage with him and was asked
to pay in advance by Mr. Thomas Cole, the proprietor. He walked off saying that
he would return shortly.
Meanwhile in Waynesville, unbeknownst to most people, another domestic crisis
was rearing its ugly head. Almost a year later, it would explode into another
scandal minus a murder and suicide. While Waynesvillians were discovering
the three decaying bodies, Mr. George E. Barger, the innkeeper at the Hammel
House was catching his wife, Mollie, in the act of adultery and a year later she
would make a very dramatic exit from Waynesville with her lover.xcv
 Wednesday, September 3rd ~ The last evening and day of Willie Anderson’s life
was detailed in an article in the Cincinnati Commercial (September 7th, 1879, p.
EXT. 1:1):
THE SUPPOSED MURDERER AND SUICIDE: Conductor Holman of the Columbus
Accommodation, stated to a Commercial reporter yesterday that on Tuesday
afternoon last Willie Anderson, the boy who is supposed to have killed his mother
and aunt and cousin, boarded his train as it left Broadway at 4:10. He told
conductor Harper, on the same train, that he had bought a round trip ticket from
Waynesvillewhen he camedown. This was ascertained not to be a fact. He had
only bought a single trip ticket from Waynesville to Cincinnati, when he came to
Cincinnati last Sunday on the train that arrives at 11 A.M. The boy told Conductor
Holmen that he had no money to pay his fare to Waynesville, and he got off at
Woodburn. It was conductor Holman’s opinion that the boy did not kill himself.
The next we hear ofthe boy is when Mr. Faul, yardmaster for the Batavia Narrow-

gauge, sees him between 5 and 6 o-clock that evening walking up the Little Miami
Railroad past Batavia Junction (Tuesday,September2nd). The next time the boy is
seen is by Oden Hays, a farmer who lives about half way between Madisonville
and Plainville. Mr. Hays was at Plainville Station about half-past 6 o’clock,
waiting the arrival of the train from the city that was to bring his son. He states
that young Anderson came up the railroad, walking alone, from the direction of
Batavia Junction. He came up to the station and said nothing at first, but in a
moment or two Anderson remarked: “Will the train be here pretty soon?” Mr.
Hays replied that it would. Anderson said he wanted to go to Waynesville, and
Hays remarked that the train only went as far as Loveland. Then Anderson said,
“Can’t I get lodging here tonight?” Mr. Hays told him he thought he could, and
Anderson then wentto the Plainville House. Hays did not see him again until the
train arrived, when he saw Anderson approaching towards the head of the train
from the hotel. Hays then thought Anderson had changed his mind and was going
up on the train He did not see him after that. Anderson appeared restless and
uneasy. The next day (Wednesday, September 3rd) when Mr. Hays went to the
depot he was informed by Mr. Bodine, the agent, that the young man he had been
talking to the evening previous had been found dead in the water tank house
opposite thestation, with a bullet hole in his head. He then went and recognized
him as the same individual he had talked to the evening before.
Mr. (Thomas) Cole who keeps the Plainville Hotel, said that young Anderson came
to the house about a quarter after 6 o’clock, Tuesday evening, and wanted to get
lodging and go right to bed. As he was a stranger and had no baggage (and he
appeared sober and not tired), Mr. Cole thought this strange and refused him
lodging. Then Anderson said he had no money, but he was going over to the train
to see a friend. Caleb Breene, an office boy about the station, says he saw Anderson
about a quarter after 7 that evening,sitting in the door at the hotel, with his head
down in his hands and his elbows on his knees, as though in great trouble. Mr.
Bodine, the agent, says thatabout 7 o’clock Tuesday evening last, Anderson came
to the door ofthe office, and seeing the sign, “No admittance,” on the door, he spoke
up and said: “No admittance?” Mr. Bodine said, “Yes.” Then Anderson said, “I am
the Gazette telegrapher.” Mr. Bodine said, “It don’t make any differe nce to me, I
don’t know you.” Then Anderson went out and he did not see him again until he
was found at the tank-house dead.
Charles Wedgwood, who works for Morris Muchmore at Plainville, said he was
among the first who saw Anderson after he was found dead,and that was about 1
o’clock Wednesday afternoon. He was found by a railroad man, who was waiting
for the train to go to Batavia Junction, and saw him lying on the coal pile in the
tank-house. Anderson lay on his left side, with left arm under him and his right
over his breast. Near his right hand in the coal lay a single-barreled,twenty-two-
caliber pistol, discharged, and a wound was in his right temple. When the body
was examined, a cartridge was found in his vest pocket, and a little steel ramro d
that he used to push the empty shells out the pistol with. There was nothing else
found on his person, not even a handkerchief. The only thing about him were the
initials “W. E. A.” in his light straw hat. He had on dark clothes, but there were no
marks of blood on them.
Around 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 3rd, Willie’s body was first seen by
Ed Wilbur, a brakeman on the Eastern Narrow-Gauge.xcv i He was standing near
the old water tank at Plainville and observed through the opening of the old
water tank shed lying on a heap of coal what he thought to be a drunken bum.
He notified Mr. T. C. Bodine, the agent and operator of the station, about the
drunk who needed help. Personnel were sent to investigate. Willie’s body was
found by H. C. Gerrardxcv ii in the abandoned water tank located just across the

tracks from the railroad station at Plainvillexcv iii ten miles outside of Cincinnati.
All Wednesday afternoon, Willie’s body was stretched out on a cross-tie at the
Plainville station near the scene of his suicide and hundreds of curious people
came to gawk. He was very boyish in appearance with light brown hair and gray
eyes.xcix
In death Willie Anderson looks as boyish as in life. His face was as fair as a girl’s,
and looked as free from guilt. His hair is a light brown, his eyes, gray, his stature
medium, and not yet matured. There was nothing in his appearanceto suggest the
monster, which theevidence seems to make him (Cincinnati Enquirer, September
4th, 187 9, p. 1:1).
He had been dead for a number of hours. He had shot himself in the head
sometime during the night or perhaps early morning after he had seen the
morning papers, which, of course, implicated him as the murderer. Mr. Bodine
had been at the train station up until midnight and had not heard any shots. He
presumed that Willie, unable to get a room, went to the abandoned water tank to
sleep on the coal. He died sometime after midnight.
An examination developed the fact that he had committed suicide by shooting
himselfin the right temple. Word was sent to Coroner Carrick who deputized Esq.
Clason of Madisonville, to holdan inquest on the remains. The inquestdeveloped the
facts as above stated, theonly point ofuncertainty being the timewhen the deed was
committed. The Squire then adjourned the inquest to await the arrival of the
Columbus express,on which were expected parties from Waynesville for the purpose
of positively identifying the remains. When the train arrived, Messers. Manington
and Hartsock, two constables from Waynesville, alighted. Squire Clason then
reopened theinquest and heard the testimony of the parties named, who positively
identified the remains as those of Will Anderson of Waynesville. The Squire then
rendered a verdict of the effect that the deceased came to his death from a self-
inflicted pistol wound; said wound being inflected with suicidal intent. It is
supposed from the condition of the body, that the lad killed himself last night. The
pistol with which Anderson killedhimselfwas a single barreled,twenty-two caliber
‘Pointer.” No money, papers, or other articles, saving one unexploded cartridge,
were found upon his person. The pistol with which he killed himselfwas found in his
right hand outside coat pocket, he evidently having placed it here after firing the
fatal shot. The body was removed last night to Madisonville by order of Squire
Clason where it will be prepared for burial after which it will be sent to Waynesville
for interment.c
INQUEST OVER HIS REMAINS Y ESTERDAY , PLAINVILLE, OHIO, September 4 ~
At the inquest held by Esquire Clason over the body of Willie Anderson three
witnesses were sworn. H. C. Gerrard testified to seeing the body at 1 P. M on the
coal pile in the water station. Thos. Cole: That deceased came to his hotel at seven
o’clock the evening before and asked for lodging and breakfast, but being unable to
pay in advance was refused, and left. W. L. Hartsock of Waynesville testified that
the body was that ofWillie Anderson, whom he had known for some time. A verdict
was rendered that “deceased came to his death from a pistol wound in the right
temple, and I am of the opinion it was self-inflicted.” The body was brought from
Madisonville to this place at 5 P.M. today and sent in charge of the undertaker to
Waynesville. The father, handcuffed, went up on the same train.
The evidence was conflicting. Was Willie’s pistol found next to his right hand in
the coal, or, as was reported in the inquest, did he have the time to put his pistol

back into his “right hand outside coat pocket”? It is hard to believe that a man
who just shot himself in the head would have had time or the desire to put his
gun back in his pocket. Willie’s gun was a small single barreled breech-loading
pistol but, none-the-less, lethal.ci For some reason, Conductor Holman did not
believe that Willie killed himself. Perhaps he was a victim of murder at the
hands of his accomplice? Willie told Thomas Cole that he was going to see a
friend, presumably, to get some money to stay the night. Was that “friend”
waiting for him with malicious intent?
It is also evident that Willie did not want to return to Waynesville and only
started home reluctantly. Dan was obviously concerned about Willie. He had
asked his acquaintance, Jason W. Phillips, the day before to make sure Willie got
off at the Corwin Station and the following day Dan sent a telegram to
Waynesville to make sure Willie had got home safely. A telegraph from Dan
Anderson was received in Waynesville in the morning, before his arrest in
Cincinnati, asking if Willie had returned and that he could come to Waynesville
if needed.cii The question is, why was Dan worried about Willie getting back to
Waynesville and why did he think he would have to come up from Cincinnati?
Does this indicate that Dan was afraid that Willie was about to bolt and run,
perhaps even running to the authorities? Or, is it merely that he could tell that
his son was upset about something?
Dan Anderson later told a reporter that he had to get both of his employers out
of bed that morning to ask them for money and was paid $9.00. With it he was
able to pay the bill at the Galt House.ciii
Meanwhile, the Coroner’s inquest was held in Waynesville’s Wayne Township
Hall at 10:00 A.M. on the second floor. Waynesville was in a state of turmoil
with groups of men gathering together on Main Street discussing the murder
and waiting for more information. As news of the horror spread, curiosity
seekers began to come from miles around to gape at the crime scene.civ
The coroner was George W. Carey with Squire J. Wilson Edwards, Justice of the
Peace, Mayor and Justice William Mannington, and Lewis F. Manington,
constable, assisting. Carey issued seventeen subpoenas for the witnesses that
were to testify. Constable Manington gathered the witnesses at the Township
Hall. Carey administered to each one the usual oath.cv The inquest lasted five
hours with a lunch break for the witnesses at 12:00 noon and the public
attended. A reporter from the Cincinnati Daily Gazette described the scene:
The room was filled with a motley crowd of spectators all day, and the scene was
something ofa study, the contrasts between the bearded and unkemptfeatures of the
common folk and the sereneand refined countenances of the testifying Quakeresses
being strong and not without a bit ofthe picturesque. The awfulness of the deed has
made a deep impression upon the people, and in spite of the fact that there were no
adequateaccommodations for the large attendance, and few besides the witnesses
were provided with seats, a silence and decorum were maintained throughout the
day, broken by only a few interruptions.cv i

At four o’clock the Coroner closed the proceedings and announced that the
inquest would resume the next day to hear the testimony of Daniel R. Anderson.
David Allen, the Prosecuting Attorney of the county, arrived during the
afternoon and drafted an affidavit charging the murder upon Daniel R. Anderson
and Wm. E. Anderson (see below). A warrant was then issued by Squire
Edwards on September 3rd for the said William E. Anderson and Daniel R.
Anderson and handed to Constable Lewis H. Manington.
State of Ohio, Warren County: Before me, J. Wilson Edwards, one of the Justices of
the Peace for said county, personally appeared George W. Carey, who being first
duly sworn accordingto law, deposeth and saith that one Wm. H. Anderson and D.
R. Anderson late of the county aforesaid, on or about the 26th day of August A. D.
1879 in the county of Warren State of Ohio, in and upon one Mollie Hatte then and
there being unlawfully,purposely and of their deliberate and premeditated malice
did make an assault, and the said Wm E. Anderson and Daniel R. Anderson with a
certain hatchet there and then in their right hands had and held the said Mollie
Hatte then and there unlawfully and of his deliberate and premeditated malice did
strike, thrust and penetrated thereby, purposely and deliberate and premeditated
malice giving to the said Mollie Hatte then and there with the hatched aforesaid in
and upon the front part of the head ofher, the said Mollie Hatte, one mortal wound
of the length offour inches and ofthe depth offour inches, had of which said mortal
wound, she, thesaid Mollie Hatte, then and there died and the said Wm E. Anderson
and Daniel R. Anderson, in manner and form aforesaid; her, and said Mollie Hatte
in manner and form aforesaid; unlawfully, feloniously, willfully, purposely and of
their deliberate and premeditated malice, did kill and murder; and further this
deponent saithnot. George W. Carey, Coroner. Sworn and subscribed to beforeme,
this September 3, 1879. J. Wilson Edwards, J. P.cvii
A telegram from Superintendent of Police Wappenstein announced the arrest of
Dan Anderson early in the afternoon at the Kentucky House by Sergeant Quinn
and Officer Mulcahycv iii and his removal to Waynesville was arranged. It was
reported in the Miami-Gazette that Dan. R. Anderson was expected on the
evening train from Cincinnati (September 3rd, 1879). Dan had many witnesses
of his stay in the city of Cincinnati and environs for three weeks. It was
believed, however, that he was an accessory to the murders. He was
interviewed in his cell at the Ninth-Street Station-House in the morning:
He says that now that his son has committed suicide he cannot doubt but that he
was the murderer. He speaks of the occurrence as being a terrible affair and
several times during the interview he cried like a child. He says he can show
beyond a doubt his exact whereabouts during the past three weeks.cix
In the afternoon, Stephen H. Weeks, Clementine’s husband, was interviewed by
a Cincinnati Commercial reporter (September 4th, p.1:1):
Mr. Weeks was met yesterday afternoon by a Commercial reporter at the Winchell
store. He would leave this morning (September 4th) he said for the scene of the
tragedy, and proposed bringing back the remains to this city for burial of his
murdered wife and stepdaughter. He had no theory in regard to the killing. There
was no money in the house to tempt burglars and he saw no reason for suspecting
the Andersons. The father had been in this city all the time and the boy he did not
believe would ever do such a thing. He was bright and industrious, and the only

support of his mother. The claim of the elder Anderson that he had helped to
support the family, Mr. Weeks says is false.
At 5:00 P.M. a telegram was received in Waynesville from the operator at
Plainville announcing the suicide of a young man at the train station, which
proved to be Willie Anderson.
Stephen H. Weeks sent a message that he would arrive in Waynesville with
caskets at 10:00 A.M. the next morning. People in Waynesville began
commenting on his absence today and thought it showed a distinct lack of caring
for his dead wife and stepdaughter. Anger and suspicion at first directed at Dan
Anderson were being shifted to Stephen H. Weeks.
To add to the general gloominess and repugnance created by the murders and
suicide, the weather was also miserable. It rains all night and into the morning
of the 4th.cx
 Thursday, September 4th ~ The Cincinnati police moved Dan Anderson from the
Third Street to the Ninth Street Station to ready him for transfer to
Waynesville.cxi Dan complained bitterly about his severe treatment at the Third
Street Station.
Waynesville was in a state of pandemonium. Normal business had been
curtailed. The terrible triple murder was the passionate topic of the hour.
Waynesvillians talked of nothing else. A large crowd congregated at the Corwin
Station believing that Dan Anderson would be on the morning train. He was not
and there was a definite undercurrent of anger against him in the community. It
was well known that Dan was jealous and angry with his first wife. Different
theories of what happened were bandied around but all the evidence was
circumstantial, nothing conclusive.
Mr. Stephen H. Weeks and his sister, Miss Lizzie Weeks, arrived in Waynesville
at 10:00 A.M. The undertaker, George Zell, told Mr. Weeks that the bodies were
so decomposed they could not be transferred to the caskets he had brought from
Cincinnati.cxii The funeral of Mollie Hatte, Clementine Weeks and Myrtle Shaw
was held at Miami Cemetery in Corwin at 3:00 P.M. Stephen and Lizzie Weeks
attended as well as a large group of friends and citizens of Waynesville. The
proceedings were held up because the graves were still being prepared. Mother
and child were buried together next to Mollie Hatte. Dr. James W. Haines,
Hicksite Quaker minister, read a passage from scripture and offered prayer and
the participants departed.cxiii Martha Anderson attended the funeral and wept
for Mollie whom she cared for and loved. Paulina Butterworth also attended.cxiv
Their place of internment is unclear. We know that they were buried closely side
by side in four-foot deep graves, mother and daughter in the same grave. There
are no records of their internment in the original Miami Cemetery records or the
cemetery inscription books of the cemetery. According to the Cincinnati Daily
Times (September 4th 1879, p. 4:1), Stephen H. Weeks had the body of his wife
and stepdaughter buried at Miami Cemetery only temporarily. The author,
however, cannot find any evidence that they were ever moved.

Stephen H. Weeks upon hearing the rumors of his divorce from Clementine
denied that they were divorced. This directly contradicted what Dan said Willie
told him concerning Stephen and Clementine.
An inquest upon the discovery of Willie’s body having been completed in
Plainville, he was returned to Waynesville for burial. His father, Dan, arrived in
Waynesville on the same train under arrest in the custody of Constable
Manington and his assistant, William Hartsock. According to a reporter for the
Cincinnati Daily Times (September 5th, 1879, P. 1:1), the general opinion in
Waynesville was against Dan until he arrived in the village:
His talk and bearing are those of an innocent man, and his old friends are
rallying to his support. When he arrived here last night, between two burly
constables, it was at once discovered by the crowd that he was handcuffed. This
needless and cowardly presentation awoke the anger of his friends, and the
expressions ofdisgust and displeasure against the constables are loud and deep.
Upon his arrival Anderson was taken to the Cornell House to supper. He seemed
overcomewith griefand horror and could eat little. Two or three times during the
meal he burst into tears. From the hotel he was taken to thetownship house, and
there closeted withMayor Mannington and Squire J. W. Edwards he repeated to
them what he has said all along that he had not been in Waynesvillefor weeks and
knew nothing of the cause that led to the murder. Long before Anderson was
brought into the township hall fully four-fifths of the male population of
Waynesvillecongregated in and about thebuilding. About9:00 o’clock Anderson
was formally arraigned before Squire Edwards, who said to him that he and his
dead son were charged with the murder, and asked him if he was guilty or not
guilty. “Not guilty” the accused, of course, replied. The prisoner was given the
privilege of being sent to the Warren County Jail at Lebanon or of spending the
night in the Waynesville “cooler.”cxv He chose the latter alternative. Anderson has
requested the following persons to be summoned as witnesses in his behalf: Fred
Shoemaker, Frank Hamilton, George Maple, Kentucky House, and Samuel
Knight, Crawford house.
A reporter for the Cincinnati Commercial (September 5th, 1879, p. 1:3)
interviewed Miss Ella Sutton and her mother in Loveland:
The name of Miss Sutton of Loveland being mentioned in the testimony before
Coroner Carey at Waynesville, we visitedthe family residence on Railroad Avenue
to see what light if any Miss Sutton could furnish that would help to unravel the
mysterious crime. We wereushered into a neat parlor by the young lady’s mother,
and on stating our errand Mrs. Sutton burst into tears, which she explained saying
that having known Willie Anderson so long she was perfectly dumbfounded on
reading the accountofthe terrible crime, for she had always recognized the boy as
a jovial, good-hearted, innocent lad, who respected and lovedhis mother and who
was beloved by an indulgent matron, who would have made any sacrifice for the
happiness and benefit ofher only boy. Mrs. Sutton was inclined to the belief that
the whole family had become downhearted from domestic troubles and committed
suicide (This, mind you, is only an opinion without any reasonable cause for it
being so.) During the conversation that ensued, Miss Ella Sutton, a girl of
seventeen summers, made her appearance. The young lady said there was no
serious affair of the heart between her and Will Anderson; that theyhad livednear
one another for several years at Waynesville and since Miss Sutton’s removal to
Loveland they had carried on a correspondence. This extends over a period of
some three years and a half. The last letter Miss Sutton received from Anderson

bears date of June 18th, 1879, and as it has been intimated that a secret
correspondence had been carried on between the parties, we will give this last
letter entire. It is of the hobbledehoy order:
Waynesville, Ohio, June 18, 1879. Dear Ella ~ Your letter received
yesterday thought you was never going to write any more but I can
excuse you this time. I came back from the city on Sunday evening. It
was about 10o’clockwhen I camethrough Loveland. I would have liked
to stop off but could not. Had lots of fun in the city. Went to the “Zoo”
Highland House, Lookout House, Belleview House and other places.
There was seven oreight person from here went down. George Woolley
is corresponding with a girl in Port William. I guess I will go down to
the city on Saturday next. Guess I will move down there if I get the
position the Little Miami Rail Road that I expect to get. If you go to
Springfield and write while you are there I will answer, of course. Well,
I must close as it is Wednesday noon and almost time to go to work.
Drew is in his office taking a nap and will have to wake him up. Write
soon. Excuse this short letter, Will. P.S. don’t forget to write.
Now, the above is a copy ofthe last letter received by Miss Ella Sutton from Willie
Anderson and it s a fair sample of the others received during the time the
correspondence was carried on. Miss Sutton made the visit to Springfield
mentioned in the letter above, and only returned home last Friday,when she found
an envelope backed to her address in Willie Anderson’s handwriting. It contained
a photograph ofherself, given to Anderson some time since. The envelope bore the
postmark of Waynesville, August 28th, having been mailed on the morning after
the murder. If handwriting is an indicator of character we would judge that
Anderson was a bold youth, determined, and not easily baffledin his designs. Miss
Sutton was in the habit ofstopping with Mrs. Berryhill when visiting Waynesville,
and it was there that young Anderson wentto meet her, but she did not come home
until a later date than expected, so he did not see her.
The notorious triple murder case in Waynesville was becoming national news.
On Thursday, September 4th it was reported in the Union & Advertiser of
Rochester, Monroe Co., N.Y:
The body of Wylie Anderson, suspected of the murder of three women in
Waynesville, Ohio, was found yesterdayafternoon in an unoccupied water state in
Plainville, O., where he suicided by shooting.cxvi
 Friday, September 5th ~ After laying in his grandmother’s house overnightcxv ii,
Willie’s coffin was taken to Fanny and Paulina Butterworth’s house where there
was conducted a Quaker funeral servicecxv iii, and then Willie was buried in an
unmarked grave in the Anderson plot in Miami Cemetery at 9:00 A. M. far away
from where his mother, aunt and cousin had been buried the day before.cxix
According to the Cincinnati Daily Gazette (September 5th, 1879, p. 1:3):
The remains of the young matricide and suicide will be buried by Mrs. Martha
Anderson, thegrandmother, an aged and highly respected Quakeress, who gave
brieftestimony at the inquest, and who had been so kind in the treatment of her
son’s divorced wife, the unfortunate Mrs. Hatte, that the latter did not hesitate to
appeal to her for advice when D. R. Anderson made overtures for a remarriage.
She was very proud of the boy.

In the morning, Dan Anderson was conducted from the “lock up”cxx, had
breakfast at the Cornell Housecxxi and was escorted by Constable Manington to
his son’s final rites (Cincinnati Enquirer, September 6th, 1879, p. 1:6).
It was a heart rending scene his coming into the presence of the case containing
all that was left of the wayward and guilty boy; and it was the touching spectacle
of the strong man broken down when he saw the coffin lowered into the grave.
 Saturday, September 6th ~ Detective John T. Norris of Springfield arrived in
Waynesville early Saturday morning and made a complete examination of the
Anderson cottage. What he found, however, had been very much disturbed by
the Weeks family and others. Detective Norris’ conclusions and description of
the horror can be found in Appendix Two: Photographs and Documents.
Detectives Larry Hazen and his son William of the Cincinnati Police Department
also visited the village and examine the premises.
Daniel R. Anderson’s arraignment took place on this day at 10 o’clock at the
Wayne Township Council House in Waynesville. A telegram had been sent to
Lebanon to Prosecuting Attorney Allen notifying him to appear for the trial and
prosecute the examination of Anderson, but he had gone to Wilmington in the
meantime and did not receive the telegram until after he returned home to
Lebanon about the time the trial began. He rushed to Waynesville in his buggy
but was too late and Daniel R. Anderson discharged due to lack of evidence.
Justice J. Wilson Edwards opened the court.
No one appearedas prosecutor, and there was not theleast evidenceagainst him.
Mr. Anderson, however, desiring to make his vindication thorough, requested
permission to havehis witnesses examined,which was done, proving conclusively
that he slept at the Kentucky Housecxxii in Cincinnati on the night of the murder.
Mr. Fred Shoemaker, who occupied the same room with Anderson, swore that
Anderson sleptin the room all night, and another witness swore to having seen
him go to his room about 9:30 o’clock. Dan’s vindication gives universal
satisfaction, as no one believed him implicated from the start. Detectives John. T.
Norris and Larry Hazen have both been today looking over the scene of the
tragedy.cxxiii
A fuller account of Anderson’s examination was given in the Cincinnati
Enquirer:
Justice Edwards opened Court by remarking that Mr. Anderson had been
arrested on a warrant charging him with thecrime ofmurder, when in fact, and
to all appearances, there was no evidence to justify the arrest, and he therefore
had discharged him from custody before opening Court, “But” said he (Marlon
[probably “Marion” and not Marlon] D. Egbert, counsel for the accused, of
Lebanon), “Mr. Anderson insists on the witnesses being examined, so that he may
be thoroughly and completely vindicated before his friends and the public.
Thereupon he proceeded to business, and Fred Sho emaker, Frank Hamilton,
George Maple, Samuel Knight, Joseph Hamilton and A. D. Leak were sworn as
witnesses. The first called was A. D. Leak, residence Waynesville: Known D. R.
Anderson and son, and have been associated with him lately on the Southern
Railroad Bridgecxxiv at city; boardedat the same house, corner McLean Avenue
and Gest Street, kept by Botts, and called Kentucky House; was with him every

day at meal time; and with him at night off and on from the 26th of August last;
recollectofbeing with him; saw him on Tuesday night, or the night of the same
day; was with him up to half-past nine; might have been away a few
minutes between times, but was with him most of the evening.
George Maple called ~ Have been working in Cincinnati with Dan; have
associated with him every day frequently; recollect of seeing him on Tuesday
week; saw him at work on the trestles right aboveme; saw him Tuesday night at
supper; saw him afterward opposite my room door, with several others; sat
there an hour and a half or two hours, and then I went to bed, probably about
nine o’clock, leaving him. William Leak and Frank Hamilton still sitting there;
saw him at breakfast next morning at a quarter to half past six and all the next
day.
Mr. Shoemaker: Same business, and was working with Anderson every day.
That day and night he was there. He and I roomed together all Tuesday night.
Never made such a statement as that he wasnot therethat Tuesday night. Never
heard of such a thing before. Saw him Wednesday morning and we worked
together all that day. Ifthat assertion was ever made ~that I said he was not in
his room all that Tuesday night ~ it was entirely unfounded. Am perfectly
satisfied that he was never away from there except at the time he was in
camp.cxxv
It was reported in the Cincinnati Commercial on September 6th that:
A pile of vile literature was found today belonging to Willie Anderson. It
contained papers with flashy heading atrocities, pictures of fights by hand and
axe, where daggers, bowie-knives and pistols flash and gleam in the grasp of
men and boys whose faces betokened nothing but the basest instincts. Upon
such mental pabulum poor young Anderson’ mind was fed.
A fuller account that was printed in the Cincinnati Commercial on September
7th, 1879 can be found in Appendix Two: Photographs & Documents.
 Monday, September 8th ~ The body of Willie Anderson was exhumed and
examined by Dr. Robert Furnas to determine the character and size of the ball
and the extent of the wound. No explanation why was given.
 Thursday, September 11th ~ The woodshed behind the rented cottage of Willie
Anderson was searched and rope which had been presumably used in suicide
attempts was found but the rope had been cut in a number of places. This may
indicate that Willie had tried to commit suicide but had cut the rope when his
courage failed. Perhaps this is how he cut the top of his hand.
 September 17, 1879 ~ The following sympathy was expressed by The Western
Star of Lebanon, Ohio for Dan R. Anderson:
Daniel R. Anderson, who was accused of complicity in the triple murder at
Waynesville, was in town last Saturday. He seemed much broken, and said that
since the death ofhis boy he had nothing to live for. While here he was taken sick
and had to go to bed. The ordeal through which he had passed was too much for
him. He recovered sufficiently to be removed to Waynesville during that night.
There are many good words for Dan, now that even theshadow ofsuspicion does
not attach to him. He has always been a generous, kind-hearted and honorable

man, and there is much sympathy expressed for him. We hope that thealleviating
hand of time will throw a veil offorgetfulness over the bitter cup ofsorrow he has
drained.
It is also reported in the Miami-Gazette on September 17th, that “Mr. D. R.
Anderson carries with him proof, over the signatures of his employers, Messrs.
Knight & Fletcher, that he was on duty at the works on the 23rd, 25th, 26th, 27th,
28th, 29th 30th and 31st of August and Sept. 1st, while Mr. Shoemaker, Dan’s
room-mate, swears that Dan occupied his bed that tragic Tuesday night.”
 Saturday, October 11th ~ It wasn’t until this day that the room in which Willie
kept much of his possessions was put back in order. It was reported in the
Cincinnati Enquirer that:
At the printing office whereWillie worked for two and a half years, and up to the
time of the massacre, he was in the habit ofconsidering one ofthe threerooms his
own for depositing his various effects. Until within a day or two his room has
remained in the chaotic state in which he left it, but on Saturday it was set in
order, and an article found which startled and shocked all present. This article
was a mask made of dark-blue heavy cloth, with holes for the eyes and mouth.
Strong twine strings were attached to the top and bottom to fasten themask to the
top of the head and around the neck. The thing had evidently been used, as
around the mouth aperture,on the inside, there is still the perspiration dried upon
the cloth. The article had not longbeen made, from the appearance of the cutting
of the cloth. The knots werepeculiar as ifthe work ofan expert, and the coat~ an
old one ofWillie’s~was found, with its back cut out. The mask was found folded
carelessly and lay upon a bundle of paper. The article at once suggested its
similarity to those hideous masks worn by the villains in pictures of “The Boys of
New Y ork” and “Y oung Men of America”.cxxvi The discovery of this thing would
seem to dispel the theory ofWillie’s becoming suddenly enraged and committing
the triple murder. The preparation of the mask indicates a deliberate and
premeditated deed of violence, if, as seems probable, it was worn by him on the
fatal night. The length of the string intended to encircle the head would, it is
thought just about fit the boy’s head. A constant watch is kept for any bit of
manuscript or other revelation left by him in his place of employment, but so far
the mask is the only thing found bearing any probably relation to the mystery.
If the original intent had been to kill the three women there would have been no
need to where a mask. However, the mask may have been worn during the
robbery.
 Wednesday, November 12th, 1879 ~ The coroner’s verdict was published.
This information is taken from the Cincinnati Inquirer:
From the Enquirer; George W. Carey, Coroner of Warren County, has at length
submitted his verdict in the triple murder case to the authorities at Lebanon. The
document is ably prepared and one of the most voluminous, perhaps, ever
returned. It contains forty-one pages, giving an exhaustive history of the case,
including diagrams of the ill fated house, the woodshed in which Willie tried to
hang himself, and all the places in the housebearing any reference to the affair.~
but Corner Carey is not clairvoyant, and he can throw no new light upon the
case, which in all probability will forever remain a mystery.
THE VERDICT:

I, the undersigned,Coroner ofWarren County, Having duly inquired into as to by
whom and what means Mary Hatte, whosedead bodywas found at Waynesville,
Warren County, Ohio on the 3rd day of Sept. A. D. 1879, came to her death; after
having examined said body and heard the evidence, I do find that the deceased
came to her death by blows from a hatchet driven through her skull and into the
brain, either ofwhich blows would, no doubt, have caused death. I do further find
from the evidencethat Willie Anderson, her son, is supposed to have committed
the deed. Whether he had an accomplice nor not it not know, as Willie committed
suicide before the officers of the law could arrest him. “George W. Carrey,
Coroner
The verdict is substantially the samein the cases of Mrs. Clementine Weeks and
her daughter, Myrtle Shaw.
 Wednesday, March 10th, 1880 ~ Daniel R. Anderson was under arrest again,
and would appear before an “Examining Court” on March 15th at 1:00 P.M., Hon.
Joseph W. O’Neall, Judge in Lebanon, Ohio. The following 37 people received
summons including the Detectives, Sergeants and the Lieutenant involved in the
case from the 3rd Street Police House in Cincinnati. Most of these witnesses
appeared for the defendant, Daniel R. Anderson’s case (See Appendix:
Photographs & Documents):
John F. Missildine ~ Waynesville
John R. Sides ~ Way nesville
Mrs. John R. Sides ~ Waynesville
Lee Cummins ~ Waynesville
Dr. E. F. Dakin ~ Waynesville
Mrs. Miriam Williamson ~ Waynesville
Miss Elizabeth W. Brown ~ Waynesville
Mrs. Amanda Gallimore ~ Waynesville
Lewis Smith
Jack L. Leak ~ Waynesville
Louis Mannington ~ Waynesville
J. Wilson Edwards ~ Waynesville
Drew Sweet ~ Waynesville
Dr. James W. Haines ~ Way nesv ille
Stacy P. Kendall ~ Way nesv ille
Mrs. Sarah Dav is ~ Way nesv ille
Mrs. Dav id Stacy
Joseph Hamilton ~ Way nesv ille
Daniel R. Ebright ~ Waynesville
George Brown ~ Waynesville
Mrs. T. Sweet ~ Waynesville
Robert Shaw ~ Corwin
William Reason ~ Henpeck
Det. Lawrence (Larry)M. Hazen ~ Cincinnati
Det. WilliamP. Hazen ~ Cincinnati
Sergeant John Quinn ~ Cincinnati
Sergeant John Dunn ~ Cincinnati
Lieut. Theodore Gibner ~ Cincinnati
James I. Gentry ~ Cincinnati
John W. Henley ~ Cincinnati
Fred Shoemaker ~ Cincinnati
R. Bott ~ Kentucky House,Cincinnati
Frank Hamilton ~ Lebanon
George Maple ~ Lebanon
Dav id Ogden ~ Lebanon
Two other witnesses summoned were H. Dresden of Cleveland, Ohio and the
Passenger Conductor on the Little Miami RR, a Mr. Holman.cxxv ii The court met
on the 15th and the 16th and decided that there was probable cause for holding
the defendant Daniel R. Anderson and he was placed in jail.
 Tuesday, March 19th, 1880 ~ At the Grand Jury no indictment was found
against Daniel R. Anderson. The defendant was order released.cxxv iii
The Cincinnati Commercial, Wednesday 24, 1880, had this to say about the Grand
Jury: Dan. Anderson, who was committed to jail by Squire Lippencott, of
Harveysburg on the 13th of this month, was released today, the grand jury failing to
find a bill against him. Of course, public opinion is very much divided upon the
question of his guilt or innocence. There are a great many of our people who think
him entirely innocent, and several Warren County men who were working with him
on the Southern bridge, and boarded with him at the Kentucky House, are positive

that he was at his hotel on that fatal night. On the other hand there appears to be little
if any cause for Anderson’s obtuse statements in regard to many of the minute details
of his family relations, his whereabouts and his actions. He has been twice arrested
and subjected to the inquisitionary by friends and foes, has been implored to help
ferret out the mystery, and yet,on this, his second acquittal, he walks out of his prison
cell with a pleasant smile upon his lips and not a word to say either in praise of his
friends or denunciation ofhis persecutors. He says he has no theory to advance why
he has been subjected to these arrests; he does not know whether it is because he is
considered guilty, or whether it is because he is being used as a blind to catch some
other person. All he knows is that he was arrested, was held for nearly a month, and
that today he has regained his liberty.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday March 24, 1880,p. 4. col. 8, had this to say about
the Grand Jury: DAN ANDERSON A FREE MAN ~ GID CARSONcxxix INDICTED
FOR MANSLAUGHER~VACATING THE OLD COURT-HOUSE ~ THE GRAND JURY
ADJOURN TODAY . Lebanon, Ohio, March 23, ~ The special Grand Jury called to
meet on last Friday did not complete their labors until about ten o -clock today. The
jury returned nine indictments, all ofthem for minor offenses except one. In the case
of Dan Anderson the jury failed to find an indictment against him, and Dan was today
discharged from the prison. The Hazens are severely censured here for the re -arrest
of Anderson without any evidence against him. Gid Carson, the old man arrested a
short time ago for killing his wife at Waynesville was indicted for manslaughter. . .
The county offices, books and records are being removed today from the old Court
House to the lower rooms of the Opera House, preparatory to remodeling and
improving the Court House building . . .
 Wednesday, March 31, 1880 ~ The Western Star had this to say about the
Grand Jury which sat upon Dan Anderson’s case: It was one of the best Grand
Juries ever seen in Warren County, composed of men of perhaps more than the
ordinary intelligence (Miami-Gazette, March 31, 1880). It was also reported in
the Gazette the same day that:
DAN. ANDERSON’S RELEASE. ~~ In our last issue we stated that an inquisitorial
trial had been held before his Honor, Judge O’Neall, to seeifthere was sufficient cause
to remand Anderson over to the custody ofthe Court to await the action of the Grand
Jury. It was found from the testimony that there was a probable cause, and on
Thursday, the 18th, Dan was once more placed in his cell. A special Grand jury was
called on Friday, and on Tuesday morning it arose, and with its rising Dan Anderson
was again permitted to enjoy his freedom and pass from the confines of his cell in our
County Jail. It is strange, indeed, that not one of those twelve Jurors would believe
the testimonyofSergeant Quinn, revealing a mystery that had long been sought for,
that Anderson had confessed the murder to him. Quinn will have hard work to make
any one believe him, even though it w as not denied by others. Dan Anderson had
friends in this county who were his associates and fellow workmen at the time the
murder was committed, and their disinterested testimony goes further than a bribed
and money interested detective force can ever enter into the minds of twelve
competent jurors.
This is another chapter in Dan Anderson’s life that has made for him friends instead of
enemies, and the public generally do not believein this hounding down of a man’s life,
however much the desire may be among them to bring to justicethe guiltyparty. This
is now the second time he has been arraigned, and he says he wouldhavebeen content
to have lain in his cell for a time if he could have had an open trial, when every thread
and film oftestimony that seemed to be against him might havebeen tightened and he
have broken them before a public tribunal. Dan has not acted unwisely in anything

Murder in Waynesville: The Anderson Tragedy

Murder in Waynesville: The Anderson Tragedy

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