Mrs. Catharine Sames found at bottom well - son Henry hangs himself in wood shed - left Smithville in May for Ohio State. Below we print a despatch from the South Dayton, Ohio newspapers telling of the death by murder and suicide of two former residents of Smithville. Mrs. Catharine Sames who was murdered by her son Henry and her body thrown down a well came to the township of Gainsboro with her husband over half a century ago and settled on a farm a mile and a half east of Smithville, on the Smithville and St. Anns road. Her husband died nearly a quarter of a century ago. Four years ago the mother and another son Jacob moved into Smithville village where the sons engaged in teaming. Last May they all moved to Ohio and took up farming. Jacob Sames married a Miss Glintz whose family for some years resided on Yonge Street, South Grimsby.
South Dayton, Ohio, August 8th. - A murder and suicide were discovered on the Mill's farm east of the village this morning by John Berg, Jr. and Dewey Orcutt. Mrs. Catharine Sames, 70 years old, born in Germany, was found dead in the bottom of a 40-ft. stone well. The body of her son, Henry, 46 years, old, was found hanging in the woodshed. He was last seen on Wednesday and it is thought the deed must have been committed last Thursday. The coroner's autopsy, performed by Dr. John P. Risenberger and Coroner F.N. Rowe revealed that Mrs. Sames was dead before she was thrown in the well as there was no water in her lungs. Henry had, evidently, made two attempts upon his own life, before he was successful for a razor was found on the table near by and a slight gash on his neck with blood stains on his right arm showed he probably tried to cut his throat first. A broken rope in the form of a noose was also found tied behind the one used to do the deed. A burlap bag was tied over his head and around his throat. On Mrs. Sames the head was badly bruised, but no marks on her body. The house was searched carefully, but no reason for the crime could be found, nor any evidence of any scuffle. The family came here on May 11th from Smithville, Ont., where Henry and his brother, Jake, owned a farm jointly. This was sold and through a Buffalo real estate firm they bought from C.L. Gregory the Mills' farm but ...found he was not mentioned in the deed and there has been more or less trouble every since. About two weeks ago Jake went away and has not been heard of since. [He] was traced to South Dayton, where he got a cheque for $91 cashed and it is thought he bought a ticket for Buffalo. His wife has written to former friends in Canada but has been unable to find any trace of him. She is left alone with six children, the oldest 14 and the youngest a baby of 6 months. A week ago Sunday Robert Vogt, an Austrian living with Mr. and Mrs. Jake Sames, went to Henry's house to get him to come and help with the milking. This Henry refused to do, saying his brother had driven him off the place. A quarrel followed in which both Henry and his brother were assaulted. The appealed to the Sheriff who upon their testimony took Vogt to the Little Valley jail to await the grand jury.
