A Violent Temper Brought Tragedy to Former Bryan, OH Resident

A Violent Temper Brought Tragedy to Former Bryan, OH Resident

By Pamela Pattison Lash

Here is another example of how different old newspaper accounts of the same event need to be closely scrutinized to yield the truth, if possible.

Bryan Democrat (Bryan, OH), 14 February 1884

Shot His Wife and Himself

A dispatch from Homer, NY, February 5 says: “At 1 o’clock this afternoon a lame carriage-trimmer named James E Lines, aged 50, shot his wife, and immediately after killed himself with an English bulldog revolver.  He had been in Denver, Col for three years, and returned three weeks ago Saturday.  This morning he asked his wife if she would go to Denver with him and she said she would.  He then ordered his valise packed, saying he was going at once.  Some words passed between them and his daughter-in-law, with whom they were staying, knowing him to be of a violent temper, became alarmed and rushed from the house.  Suddenly afterward three shots were heard and Mrs. Lines rushed from the house to a wagon shop across the street, where she fell, and was carried back to the house by some workmen.  She was shot twice, one bullet going through her head above the right eye, coming out in the left cheek, the other passing through the back of the neck.  She is yet alive, but is not expected to recover.   When she was taken to the house, Lines was found kneeling on the floor of the sitting room with his face on a chair-seat.  He was dead, having put a bullet through his brain.  He leaves two sons and one daughter, all married.  He had for years been a drinker, and his brain is supposed to have been affected thereby.  If Mrs. Lines dies, it will be the first murder which ever took place within the limits of the town of Homer.”

Lines formerly lived in Bryan.  In the summer of 1863 he was a salesman in Judge Dobb’s store, corner of High and Butler Streets.  Subsequently he worked at his trade – carriage-trimmer – for A. Kenninger for several years.  He also worked at Toledo, Kendalville, South Bend, and other places, his family remaining here.  He was one of the swiftest workmen in his line and earned enormous wages, frequently running over $100 per week, but his extravagant habits and dissipation kept him poor.  While here he invented and patented a clothes-pin upon which he expected to realize a princely fortune with which he built several castles in Spain – but he never occupied them.  He was intelligent beyond his calling, but possessed of an ungovernable temper which coupled with unfounded jealousy of his wife led many of those who knew him best to anticipate that someday he would commit the double crime which the telegraph now announces.  Mrs. Lines was an excellent woman, held in high esteem by all who knew her.

The Cortland County Democrat, 8 February 1884 (online at newspapers.com)

A Tragedy in Homer

James E. Lines Shoots His Wife and Then Puts a Bullet Through His Head.

A Full Account of the Sad Occurrence

Mrs. Lines Still Alive

During the afternoon of Tuesday news came from Homer that James E. Lines, a well-known citizen of the village, had shot his wife and killed himself.

The family lived at the corner of Fulton and Grove Streets.  Percy Lines, the older son, his wife and child of four years, were the occupants of the house and the mother, who seems to have always been the especial friend of the children, was making that place her home.

The Tragedy

Mr. Lines, who had visited Cortland during the afternoon of Tuesday, returned to Homer and about 1 o’clock entered the dwelling of his son Percy.  Nothing unusual was noticed in his appearance either by his family or those whom he had met upon the street.  In the house he found his wife, his daughter-in-law and her little child.  He had an ordinary sized valise filled with his clothing which was already packed in a bedroom opening out of the room where the tragedy occurred.  Immediately after entering the house he went to the parlor bedroom, and brought the valise out.  Passing across the room he took from the cupboard a pistol which he placed in the valise saying, “I am going away.”  He then asked his wife, who was sitting in the kitchen with her daughter-in-law, to come into the parlor as he wanted to talk with her.  His daughter-in-law, who saw him place the revolver in the valise, was alarmed and immediately took her child of four years old from an adjoining bedroom and ran from the house to the nearest neighbor.  Mrs. Lines complied with the request of her husband and passed into the parlor.  There the brutal husband demanded that she should return with him to Denver, Colorado, where he had been living for the past two years.  What further conversation was had can only be conjectured, as Mrs. Lines has made no statement other than the fact that her husband shot her.  It is evident from the appearance of the room, however, that the brutal wretch seized his revolver and attacked the defenseless wife.  He discharged the pistol five times, two shots wounding Mrs. Lines.  One ball entered the forehead over the right eye passing downward obliquely behind the yes and nasal organs and out the left cheek, showing that the unfortunate woman must have been shot while sitting or in a reclining position.  The other wound was through the back of the neck in close proximity to the spinal cord, but which is apparently uninjured.

The daughter-in-law had been but a moment at the neighbor’s house when she discovered Mrs. Lines rushing from the rear of the house, her face covered with blood.  She only ran a few steps when she fell on her hands and knees, but recovering somewhat from her fright she arose and made a further attempt to escape and screaming at the top of her voice….

Murder, Murder

but after a few steps again fell in the snow.  Her screams were frightful and her appearance with blood streaming down her face and person was terrible to behold.  Her cries for assistance were heard by a young man named Fred Springer, who was standing on the sidewalk a few doors above and who immediately ran to her assistance.  By this time a general alarm had spread through the shops of Gage, Hitchcock, & Company, and Mr. Will Hitchcock, hearing the reports of the pistol and the cries of the woman, rushed from the office and with the assistance of Mr. Springer brought Mrs. Lines to the office.  The woman when found was on her knees in the snow.  She was partially conscious but wild with terror and fright, waving her hands and exclaiming, “Oh, my God! My husband has killed me.”

In the meantime another shot was heard from the dwelling.  Mr. Hitchcock summoned the employees of the works and surrounded the house to prevent the escape of the murderer.  No more disturbance being heard, a shutter was carefully raised and Lines was discovered on his knees before an ordinary cane seat sewing chair, and by his side was a heavy Colt’s revolver of 42 caliber.

The parties, headed by Mr. Andrew Henderson, immediately entered the house and examined the kneeling man.  It was a frightful spectacle.  The unfortunate man had evidently kneeled as though in prayer, and then with the terrible weapon which he held placed at the side of his head just over the right ear and fired.  The bullet passed completely through his head and undoubtedly killed him instantly.

Immediately after the discovery of the body, Mrs. Lines was assisted back to the house, medical aid summoned, and the willing hands of kind friends and neighbors cared for the unfortunate woman.  (Much long detail contained in newspaper, not carried here in that newspaper.)

I did not find any patent concerning a clothes pin but I did find the following:

Specifications and Drawings of Patents Issued from the US Patent Office

Wagon-Dashes, James E Lines, Homer, NY, filed 16 August 1876.

A description and set of drawings accompany this patent.  Witnesses for this patent were Jxs. A. Nixon and Wm. B. Randall

Other newspapers throughout the country had carried this story; I chose this one as it appears to have been copied by many other papers.  One can see the inconsistencies of this account:

Russell Register (Seale, AL), Thursday, 21 February 1884, p1 c5

At Homer, NJ, James E Lines, a carriage trimmer, became involved in a quarrel with his wife, from whom he had lived apart for several years, and shot her twice, inflicting fatal wounds; then he killed himself.  Lines was a man of violent disposition, and his wife had refused to go with him to Denver, Colorado, where he had been living.

This is what I have been able to verify:

James Elizur Lines (17 December 1833, NY – 5 February 1884, Homer, Cortland Co, NY) was the son of David Harpin Lines and Julie Ann Morse.  He married Estella Blake on 19 November 1854 in CT (specific place unknown).  The couple had three children – Percy C, Augustus A, and Lilly.

Sources

1850 Pompey, Onondaga Co, NY – James E 17 NY blacksmith with Dean Family

1855 Utica, Oneida Co, NY – James 21 NY harness maker pos bro to Sarah DeLong

1867 Williams Co, OH Personal Property Tax – James of Pulaski Twp

1870 Bryan, Wms Co, OH – James 36 NY/ Stella 33 VT with three children

1875 Denver, Colorado City Directory – James carriage painter with Woeber Bros, Western Hotel

1880 Cortlandville, Cortland Co, NY – James 47 NY/ Stella 43 VT – carriage trimmer

1888 NY City Directory – Stella S widow of James E, living at 1693 Lexington Avenue

Families of Ancient New Haven, Donald Jacobus, V5 p1105