Believing a history of the first hanging in the county to be of interest to our readers, at this time especially, we reproduce the following from the issue of the Northwest of Aug. 17th, 1865. Hon. J. M Haag was at that time editor of the paper, who it seems defended the accused:
"John Cowell, convicted of the murder of William W. Treadwell, was executed at this place on Friday last the 11th inst. Not wishing to influence through a public, in one way or the other, the trial of this man in whose defense we were, as an attorney, interested, we have heretofore said very little about the record of crime which the trial developed, and for the closing scenes of which Henry county was unfortunately selected.
WILLIAM W. TREADWELL, the murdered man, was a resident of Hudson, Mich., where he had been engaged in the business of banking. In order to give public confidence to the institution, his father, a man of wealth and character, gave his son the use of his name. The young man soon acquired the reputation of a safe, honest and upright businessman, and the community in which he resided selected his bank as their depository. The man of wealth, the small businessman, the poor war widow with her scanty means which she wished to guard carefully, selected Treadwell to take care of their treasure. With the confidence which he had established among his fellow bankers, he was enabled to draw upon them, in the aggregate, for a very large sum. After having accomplished this, he closed his bank and ran away with the funds, swindling the community, bankrupting his father, and making paupers of the widow and orphan. A heartless and unfeeling wretch, he richly deserved the dog's death that he died, and for him the only regret is that Cowell was not his authorized executioner.
John Cowell, the murderer, was a young man of about twenty two years of age, of medium size, light build, and of rather boyish appearance. He was born and raised in Erie county, in this State, where his father now resides. His education was very limited, and he seemed to have a very indefinite idea of either moral or religious obligations. He had been arrested for horse stealing in Michigan, had be tried and found guilty, and was in the jail at Adrian awaiting sentence, where Treadwell was also confined awaiting his sentence for swindling. On the 1st or July, 1864, the two together escaped from the jail and traveled together into this county, where, on the 4th of the same month, Cowell to possess himself or about nine hundred dollars which Treadwell had with him, took his life, relieved society of a deep-dyed and heartless villain and committed the crime which cost his own life. The evidence was all circumstantial, and in our opinion, hardly justified the verdict of guilty; but that divinity shich shapes our ends directed the minds of the jury aright. He was one or the strangest characters we ever met. In the relation we sustained to him as one of his counsel, we were compelled to have frequent interviews with him, and never left him with out being strengthened in our conviction of his innocence.
THE ARRANGEMENTS.
The place selected for the execution was just outside of the jail, where Sheriff Barnes had an enclosure erected twenty two by thirty-two feet and sixteen feet high, the Jail forming one side or the in closure. The gallows was on the south west corner of the enclosure, and was in every respect perfect in construction.
THE EXECUTION.
About ten o'clock on the morning of the execution we visited the prisoner. He appeared perfectly easy, and expressed satisfaction at seeing us, talked of the execution and inquired of our health with the coolness of everyday life. While in the jail, the Sheriff brought in the clothes in which he was to executed, and told him it was about time to dress. He arose from his chair and walked into another cell, remarking to the Sheriff that he was considerably agitated, and said that if the crowd in the main room of the jail was removed he thought that he could dress himself. The crowd then retired, and he proceeded to dress himself. He was then left alone with his father and the Rev. Father Carroll, his spiritual adviser. At twenty minutes past twelve he was taken to the scaffold by the Sheriff, accompanied by his spiritual adviser. The warrant for his execution was read to him, and the Sheriff then inquired whether he bad anything to say before he proceeded to execute the sentence of the Court. He replied, "No, sir; I am guilty!" The Sheriff then asked if be wished to be understood that he was guilty of the crime of which he stood condemned. He replied, "Yes, sir; my punishment is just." He then knelt in prayer with his spiritual adviser after which the Sheriff proceeded to place the cap over his head and to adjust the rope around his neck. During all these proceedings be was the most collected among those present, and it was only after the sheriff and the Rev. Father Carroll bid him farewell that he showed the least emotion. At sixteen minutes before one o'clock the trap was sprung, and John Cowell was launched into eternity. In eleven minutes after the trap fell he was pronounced dead by the physicians in attendances, and at one o'clock he was cut down, placed in a coffin and delivered to his friends. Sheriff Barnes, in the discharge of his painful duty, acquitted himself most creditably. Every arrangement was perfect, and we do not think could have been improved in any respect."