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same. These plans were subsequently amended by Messrs. William Wells and Moses Hart. The contract for building the infirmary was let on May 17, 1854, to Orin S. Culbertson & Co., for $7,198, with an additional sum of $88 for excavating for foundations. Work was completed and the building was received from contractors on January 31, 1856. Variation from the terms of the contract involved additional expense of $1,260.67, thus making the entire cost of the work $8,458.67.

The Darke County Poor Farm was deeded by John Spray to the County Commissioners at the time above stated. It is located two and a half miles south of Greenville, upon both sides of the Greenville & Eaton Pike, upon the southeast quarter, and about twenty-nine acres of the southeast corner of the southwest quarter, and eight acres on the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 11, Township 12, Greenville Township, and about forty-one acres—part of the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 14, Township 11. The original building was a three-story brick structure, 40x84 feet, and 28 feet in height. In 1875-76, an addition was made equal to the original building, thereby doubling its capacity. There are now seventy-two rooms, including the cell department. A laundry has also been added, 20x30, two stories, and an engine-house 18x30 feet, separate from the main building. The basement is mostly used for culinary and other domestic purposes. The second story is comfortably furnished, and does not present that repellant, forbidding aspect supposed by many persons to be inseparable from the county house. The buildings are advantageously located on high ground, and command a fine view of the surrounding country.

The officers are a Superintendent and three Infirmary Directors. The following is the roster of Superintendents: Jacob Shively, who served three years; David Thompson, six years; William Thompson, five years; Crawford Eddington, seven years, and J. N. Braden, who is now serving on his third year. The Superintendents are annually elected. The first Directors were C. Harshey, John S. Hiller and Joel Thomas. The present Directors are William Shaffer, J. A. Kelch and Samuel Emerick.

The first inmate was received March 1, 1856. That year, the average number received was but eighteen. On March 1, 1880, the number of inmates was 106. There are accommodations for 130. The infirmary building proper has cost $11.500. The present value of buildings, farm and improvements is estimated at $30.000. The number of acres under cultivation is 190. The value of what was raised on the farm in 1879 was $2,400. The expense of keeping up the institution was for the same period $7,950. The balance in excess of income was therefore $5.550. The average expense for the last eight years above income has been nearly $7,000, as we are informed by the present Superintendent. Material improvements are being made upon the farm. Tile to the extent of 400 rods has been put down within the last two years. Fruit trees have been set out, and other advantageous progress made. The orchard product last year was 450 bushels of apples-an amount fully equal to the requirements of the infirmary. There were raised on the farm, 1,295 bushels of wheat, 578 of oats, 5 of clover seed, 3.300 of corn, 1,050 of potatoes, and 5,500 heads of cabbage. Sixty-eight hogs were killed, making 18,000 pounds of pork, and 9 beeves, making 4.250 pounds of beef. There are 42 head of cattle on the farm, 5 horses, and 140 head of hogs.

In proportion to the population of the county, negroes form much the largest per cent of the infirmary inmates. Next in number are the Irish, but it is a curious fact that the per cent of Irish women is very small. To quote the exact language of the Superintendent, "Nine out of ten of all the inmates who have come have been brought here through intemperance; some of them through accidents received while drunk." There are fourteen idiotic persons in the institution, four of whom do not know enough to feed themselves, and must be waited upon like small children. The health of the inmates has been uniformly good. A

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single death has occurred among the old occupants within a year. There have been four deaths in all, but three of these were brought thither sick.

The infirmary physicians are the Drs. Matchett. The entire number of paupers in the institution on August 31, 1879, was 114; the number admitted during the year was 193; the number of poor otherwise supported by the county was 150. According to the report of the Auditor, the total cost of keeping the infirmary poor was $8,314.49, and the entire expense of maintaining those otherwhere was $1,940.05, thus making an expense of poor for the year of 1879 a grand total of $10,254.54, or an average cost per day of each pauper to the county of 26 cents. It is pleasant to contemplate the humane consideration now manifested for these unfortunates as compared with their condition during the earlier years of county government. Prior to the establishment of the infirmary in 1854, there was no place where their helplessness could find kindness and care; under the prevalent custom of "farming out" the paupers to the lowest bidder, the unfortunate was made to suffer in many ways, and it did not conduce to wholesome fare, warm clothing and sufficient rest, with exemption from labor, and medical care when sick, to have been sold under competition to persons whose object was less the amelioration of their condition than the hope and intention to profit from the investment. The history in detail of this infirmary and others similar is encouraging proof of the development of charitable and noble impulses, which render the unostentatious benevolence and philanthropy of peace more to be admired and honored than the most glorious deeds of war.

The present jail and Sheriff's residence has been standing about ten years. The contract for building was let in September, 1869, to Jonathan Kenney, of Dayton, Ohio, for $39,750. Miles Greenwood, of Cincinnati, did the iron work, and Alexander Kerr, of Greenville, the carpenter and joiner work. The two buildings are connected by a hall, and their extent is ninety-seven feet in length by forty-four in width. The buildings are of two stories, with neat freestone finish. The residence is an elegant structure, and the jail is admirably arranged to secure the comfort and safe-keeping of prisoners. This property is situated upon Broadway. The court house is an ornament to the city, and an honor to the county. The edifice was completed in 1874 at a cost of $170,000, and the dedication was formally made on August 3 of that year. The material used in building is stone. The Corinthian style of architecture prevails, but with such additions and modifications as to render difficult any attempt at strict classification. In reply to inquiry, an architect classed it as "Corinthian with American treatment."

Whatever it may be termed, it presents to the eye an ornate and imposing appearance. Ascending the stone platform, you push aside a door and enter a corridor extending down the center and length of the building. Furnaces supply uniform and agreeable temperature; offices are located for public convenience. Large iron safes stand to the left as you pass from the front entry. The first rooms to the right in order are the offices of the Board of Commissioners, the Auditor and of the Treasurer. These are spacious, convenient, and fitted up with necessary furniture and apparatus. The treasury vault with inclosed safe would seem to place the public moneys in actual security. On the left from the front, are the offices of the Recorder and Probate Judge, and the Probate Court room. Ascend from either side by winding stairways, and there are found on the second floor the offices of the Sheriff and the Clerk, together with the court room and its attendant consultation and jury rooms. On the third floor are located the Surveyor's and Prosecuting Attorney's offices, and other needful rooms. The structure is surmounted by a fine tower, in which is contained a clock that is as nearly perfect in construction as modern science and artistic skill can produce. Whether borne upon the ear in the hours of night, or calling the industrious populace to resume or cease from toil, by day, the musical, measured strokes which knell the passing hours, teach a constant lesson of punctuality, diligence and transient existence.

We close our chapter with a brief statement relative to the trial and conviction of Monroe Roberson for the murder of Wiley Coulter, since it has attracted general attention, and is remarkable in the annals of the courts of Darke County. Crime has had its votaries here as elsewhere, but in no undue proportion. Murders have been committed, and there have been trials, convictions and escapades, but this becomes historical from the fact that it is the first instance where the dread conclusion has been a sentence of death on the gallows.

The difficulty between the two men that led to the murder occurred at Niptown, a point nine and a half miles from Greenville. Following some hard language, Coulter, while attempting to make his escape, was pursued and fired upon by Roberson. Three several and deliberate shots were discharged, and Coulter fell to the ground mortally wounded, and soon died. His assailant was taken to Greenville, tried at the February term, 1880, and sentenced to be hung on July 18 of the same year. The doomed man was a native of Tennessee, forty-five years of age, had served in the army, was a hard drinker and had lived about twelve years in the county. His victim was his wife's brother, who had lived from childhood in the family, and was at the time of his death, about twenty-three years old. The jurors impaneled for this trial were Stephen Eubank, G. W. Fox, C. T. Pickett, Samuel Cole, George Suman, Milton Coble, Samuel Noggle, B. F. Gilbert, James Benson, Cornelius Fry, William Bleare and James Johnson.

The attorneys for the defense were Messrs. Anderson, Allen, Calderwood and Charles Calkins; for the State, Prosecuting Attorney H. Calkins, and Messrs. Knox and Sater. The case was tried before Judge Meeker, whose charge to the jury is a plain, direct statement of the laws on murder. The prisoner was adjudged guilty, and sentence pronounced upon him. The community, while desirous that crime be punished, differ in regard to the mode, and no inconsiderable portion of the better class are averse to hanging.

DARKE COUNTY FROM 1816 TO 1824-PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT.

Turning again from the seat of government to the farms which give villages and cities their vitality and importance, we follow the early progress of agriculture from the organization of the county up to and inclusive of 1824. We may speak somewhat of the arduous labors of the early settlers, describe their log cabins, recall their old-fashioned furniture, their homespun attire, their rough, kind manners and their open-handed generosity. The comfortable hewed-log home has been demolished to make way for the frame or the more durable brick. The fence of rails will soon disappear, and already the work of log-rolling is a memory, and the making of rails exceptional. Village, town and city have been built to supply the demands of trade and commerce, and the people of the present time, worthy offspring of noble sires, have carried forward the works of civilization.

Glance again at the points of settlement, the vantage-ground already won. Below Ithaca, in the southeast, lived Lucas and Robbins. At intervals along Miller's Fork, near Castine, were Ellis, Freeman, Park and Robert Phillips and J. F. Miller. On the east bank of the Whitewater stood the cabins of Brawley, Purviance, the McCluers, Broderick and Jacob Miller, Zadoc Smith and the Wades. Near Fort Black, by the lake, were the Rushes, Henry Hardy, Tibbs, Falkner and possibly the Kunkles. On the Middle Fork were the Tillsons, Harlans, Emerson, Helpenstein and Gert. Approaching the town, we find Spencer, the Edwards families, Wilsons and others. Further to the north we come to Cloyd, Pearson, Cassaday and Kettring. About Palestine, dwelt Samuel Loring. In the northern part of German Township lived Ludwig Clapp, reputed credulous and superstitious, William Asher, of the same mind, Moores and Rush and John McNeil, Rarick, Snell and Miller, on Crout Creek and its vicinity. East of the West Branch dwelt Martin Ruple, Arch. Bryson and John W. Whittaker, while lower down were the small clearings made by John Hiller and Daniel Potter. Mud Creek passed

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