An excerpt from The Face in the Window: Haunting Ohio Tales (which would make a great Christmas gift for yourself or others.) This is from 1886 Eaton, Ohio: ON A WINDOW: Strange Face Seen at Old Man Christman’s Home, Recalling the Circumstances of His Horrible Murder Two years Ago, and the Lynching of William Mussel. Special Dispatch to The Enquirer. Eaton, Ohio December 13. The murder of Daniel Christman, an old and wealthy farmer, two miles west of here, two years ago the 7th of this month and the lynching of William Mussel for the commission of the crime, a full account of which appeared in The Enquirer at the time, has been recalled to the minds of this community during the past two days by the mysterious and significant appearance of A FACE UPON A WINDOW-GLASS In the house in which Christman resided at the time of the murder, and which is occupied by his widow and daughter. The affair has assumed a very sensational shape and hundreds of people are visiting the house and looking at the picture. The most sceptical see something that resembles the features of a man: the majority can see a very strong resemblance to Christman and some recognize it immediately as the countenance of old man Christman. Old Mrs. Christman and her daughter say that they have seen it since last March, and it has filed them with such pleasure that they have avoided making it known to the public, from the fact that they did not want to be bothered with the people coming to see it. THE PICTURE Can only be seen from the outside of the house. Upon examination of the glass it is found to be perfectly clear, and in looking out through the glass nothing is seen. The glass has been in the window for nine years. There has been considerable lawing going on over the affairs of the estate, and as the Christman women lean strongly to the Spiritual belief, they take the singular appearance as a warning to their persecutors to desist. They do not seem the least disturbed about the matter and look upon it as a manifestation of disapproval by the old man over the way the business is being conducted. The affair is A FEAST FOR CRANKS. And it is liable to unhinge a few of them. It is surprising to hear the way people who have heretofore been looked upon as rational people talk about it and hear them express their views. The people seem as hungry to hear and talk about it as they were to hear about the murder and lynching. NOTE: William Mussel had worked for Christman, but had moved to Indiana. When he returned to Ohio after leaving his wife, the Christmans took him in. He repaid them by killing Daniel Christman Dec. 7, 1886 with several blows from an axe. When Mrs. Christman didn’t give him enough money, he cut her down with the axe and set the house on fire to cover his crime. Mrs. Christman recovered consciousness, smothered the fire on her bed, made her dying husband comfortable, and then walked a quarter mile to a neighbor’s for help. Christman died that night. After two weeks, Mussel was found in Indiana and brought back to face trial. A committee of some of Eaton’s most prominent citizens decided Mussel should die and a mob stormed the jail. Mussel was taken from his cell and strung up from the electric light tower, December 22, 1886.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 13:51:18 +0000
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