Handbook N-P - Fulton County Public Library

Ov
Mary E. Mr. and Mrs. Overmyer are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have been
for over thirty years.
[T. B. Helm, Fulton County Atlas, A. L. Kingman, 1883, p. 58]
OVERMYER, MICHAEL [Rochester, Indiana]
MICHAEL OVERMYER SHOT
NO SUSPECTS
A few minutes before seven o’clock on last Wednesday evening the residents of west
Pearl street and vicinity were startled by the loud report of a pistol, followed by the exclamation,
“I’m dying! I’m dying!” At the moment the shot was fired Miss Lily INGRAHAM opened the
north door of Elijah MILLER’s house, which is in direct range with the road to the beginning of
Pearl street, and seeing the flash of the revolver, called to Mr. MILLER, who secured a lantern,
and accompanied by Miss Ingraham and his niece, Mrs. Michael OVERMYER, started to the
bridge which is about fifteen rods distant and crosses the road at the termination of Pearl street,
from which place continually came groans of distress. When about twenty-five feet from the
bridge they discovered the form of a man lying face downward in the soft earth. As soon as turned
over he was recognized as Michael OVERMYER, the husband of one of the persons discovering
him, and after one or two gasps expired.
The agonizing screams of the wife who had started out to assist a fellow being whom she
thought to be in trouble, without a suspicion that the one whose life was fast going out was her
husband, rang out on the still evening air until they could be heard to Main street.
The coroner and Sheriff GAST were immediately notified and repaired to the scene of the
tragedy, where a large crowd of excited individuals had gathered. The sight there witnessed was a
sad one. Lying in the road with clothes covered with mud his coat and vest open disclosing a hole
in the right breast of his shirt surrounded by a crimson stain, with the bride of less than a month
clinging to it, was the corpse which still contained the warmth of life.
A revolver with two of the chambers empty was lying near. The corpse was removed to
the residence of Mr. Miller where the undertaker proceeded to prepare it for burial.
The next morning a postmortem examination of the body was made by the Drs. GOULD
who found that the ball had entered the right breast a short distance below the nipple and about
two inches from the median line passing between two of the ribs and piercing both auricles of the
heart and lodging in the pericardium. The ball was of thirty-eight calibre and fit the empty shell in
the revolver picked up near the corpse.
At the Coroner’s inquest the following facts were elicited in regard to the deceased and
the circumstances surrounding the killing:
Michael Overmyer was born in Ohio, his father being a farmer. When he was a small boy
his father concluded to dispose of his property and immigrate to this state, but after bargaining his
farm away he grew disatisfied and despondent to such a degree that the man to whom he had sold
was moved to permit him to resume possession. He continued to occupy the property for about a
year when the desire for a change again came upon him, and by increasing the price first agreed
upon the farm was again sold to the original purchaser. His household goods were packed
preparatory to moving to this county, when he was again seized with a fit of despondency. A short
time before they were ready to start on their journey Mr. Overmyer went to pay a neighbor a
farewell visit, taking his gun along. Soon after he was found in a field dead from the effects of a
gunshot wound. No one witnessed the shooting, but the general supposition was that he concluded
to die on his native soil rather than go to the new state. The widow soon after married a man by
the name of RAMSEY, and Michael was taken to raise by John JOHNSON, who resides in
Richland township. When about twenty years of age he married a daughter of the late William
TRIBBITTS, who died eight years ago leaving one son, who has since made his home with the
Johnson family that raised his father. Michael made a sale of his household goods and stock for
which he realized about six hundred dollars. One-half of this was used to defray the expenses
incurred by the sickness and burial of his wife. Since that time he continued to labor for the