OHMERCER-L Archives

From: "Barbara Jean Green" <>
Subject: Re: Mary Secaur...murder
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:17:07 -0400
References: <22009182.1114022957064.JavaMail.root@web6.mail.adelphia.net>

http://www.heidelberg.edu/~dkimmel/murder/mary.htm
Mary Secaur

Mary Secaur was a 14-year-old half-orphan (her father was still alive in
Lancaster, Ohio, but unable to care for her or her brother) who was living
near relatives with the Citterly family.

Day describes her as "large and well-developed for a child of her age." Many
of the contemporary accounts of this poor girl describe her as
"well-developed," but their rationale for this including this detail is
cloudy. The men writing these accounts seem confused as to how to handle
her, swinging between describing her as an innocent child and as a
near-woman.

Day, for example, describes her in innocent terms:

Her mother died some three years ago, since which time she has been living
in the family of Mr. John Citterly, of Liberty Township, Mercer County,
Ohio. She was a gentle, tractable child; being dutiful and of a kind and
loving disposition, she had so ingratiated herself with Mr and Mrs Citterly,
and so won upon their affections during her stay in the family, that, having
no children of their own, they had determined to adopt her and make her heir
to their estate. And not only had she, by her gentle ways and winning
manners, conquered for herself a place in the affections of the Citterlys,
but she had by the same process secured the good will and esteem of all her
acquaintances, and she was the universal favorite of all--both old and
young--in the neighborhood.

The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, however, painted a different picture in
its original story about the murder: "It appears that the girl had a
lover--he was arrested for committing the deed, but proved an alibi." The
"official" version of the story, represented by Day's account, leave out the
lover detail but do include the information about an original subject. If
she had a lover, why cover that up in the official narrative? If not, why
include it in the Tribune story? The Tribune stories of the murder tend
toward the sensational and often include "facts" not included in other
versions.

I prefer to think of her as a normal 14-year-old girl who was brutally raped
and murdered by some evil person or persons. It makes me very sad to think
of the terror of her last moments.

Copyright 2000. David Kimmel. Heidelberg College. Tiffin, Ohio. All rights
reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduction

A 14-year-old girl raped and murdered, her body eaten by hogs. A county
outraged. Suspects rounded up and arrested. A dramatic hearing. A mob. Two
young men lynched. A death-bed confession. This is the story the
Secaur-McLeod-Kimmel murders, a murder-mystery without a clear culprit.

Below you will find a variety of materials related to the case. I recommend
reading the summary first and then wading into the various pieces of
evidence provided. The typescripts of the evidence (as well as the pictures
of three of the main figures in the case) come from J.H. Day's Lynched!
(1872), probably the most authoritative (which is not to say unbiased)
source available. Much of Day's book was copied directly from earlier
accounts published in the Mercer County Standard, and comparison between
those two sources and material also published in the Celina Journal leads me
to believe that the evidence provided from the hearing and from the various
affidavits can be trusted as authentic (which does not mean that what they
say is true, mind you).

This is a draft of this site. Please check back later for updates and
improvements. I have much more material than I had time to include, here.
Overview

Summary of the Case

Characters

Mary Secaur

Alexander McLeod

The Kimmels

Scene of the Crime

Where's Liberty Township?

Township-Scale Map

Photos of Sites Related to the Murder

Evidence

Location of the Body (not for those with a weak stomach)

Coroner's Testimony (not for those with a weak stomach)

Case Against the Kimmels and McLeod

Andrew Jaxton Kimmel's Testimony

George Kimmel's Testimony

Jacob Kimmel's Testimony

Absalom Kimmel's Testimony

Alexander McLeod's Testimony

Confession

1926 Confession of Thomas Bradwell Douglas

Reference

Complete text of Lynched! (a very large file)


----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 2:49 PM
Subject: Mary Secaur
> I am doing some research into the 1872 murder of Mary Secaur. If anyone
> can provide any information, I would be grateful. Matt

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