Handbook N-P - Fulton County Public Library

Ov
farmers in that neighborhood, having worked for Ezekiel OVERMYER for the past year until the
first of January, when he went to Huntington to seek employment. He remained one month, when
he returned to Fulton county, and on the 14th of February was united in marriage with Margaret,
daughter of E. OVERMYER, his former employer. Although of the same name they were not
related. While at Huntington he bargained for a house and lot leaving a horse he had taken with
him in part payment. He had also engaged to work in a trunk factory, and on last Wednesday he
and his wife packed two loads of household articles which were hauled to the C. & E. depot by
Schuyler OVERMYER, a brother of Mrs. Overmyer’s, and George MILLER a cousin. Mr.
Miller’s son owed Michael for a buggy, and on the way to town Mr. M. offered to pay him, saying
that as he was just beginning housekeeping he would likely need the money, but Michael refused
it stating that he had enough cash to pay $200 on the property bargained for, and buy some articles
that were yet needed to complete their household outfit. But Mr. Miller insisted upon his taking at
least a part of it, and went to the bank and got $15 and gave it to him. In corroboration of this
statement his wife said that she had had possession of his pocketbook, and, although she had not
counted the money, she saw there was quite a large number of bills, and that he told her that
morning when he placed it in his inside vest pocket that it contained over $300. After placing the
goods in a car the three men separated, Mrs. Overmyer having previously gone to the residence of
her uncle, Elijah MILLER, who resides a short distance south of the west termination of Pearl
street. Michael then went to the home of Peter BIDDINGER, who married a sister to his first wife,
where he remained for supper. While here he seemed in his usual spirits, laughing and joking with
his boy who was stopping there. Mr. Biddinger lives in the northwest part of town, and after a
short after-supper talk he (Overmyer) started to go to the residence of Mr. Miller to join his wife
where they were to remain over night before starting for their new home in Huntington. This was
the last time Michael Overmyer was seen alive.
The revolver found near the body was recognized as the property of the deceased, which
he carried continually, and it was still in the leather sheath which was open at the end. The $15
paid him by George MILLER was found in his vest pocket where it had been placed, and $2.35 in
silver was found in his pants pocket but the pocketbook was gone. He was 34 years old, five feet
eight inches high and of a stout build; was temperate in his habits, was of a quiet and orderly
disposition, and stood well in the community in which he resided.
The coroner’s verdict was that he came to his death at the hands of an unknown
individual whose object was robbery.
[NOTE: a further article indicating that there were no suspects]
[Rochester Sentinel, Wednesday, March 18, 1891]
MICHAEL OVERMYER DEATH ACCIDENTAL
A brother of the murdered man called at the Sentinel office Thursday to say that the
report that his father committed suicide is false. In this he is corroborated by Mrs. THOMSON, of
Kewanna, who gives the Herald the following report:
Michael OVERMYER’s father had sold his farm in Ohio and was preparing to move to
this state. A few days before they were ready to start on their journey he took his gun and went
half a mile through the woods to see his cousin about some business affair and returned home with
his gun loaded. His boys were watering the horses at the well in the yard and wanted him to shoot
the load out of the gun before going into the house. This he declined doing saying that it would
scare the horses and the boys could not hold them but after they had taken them away he would.
He turned and going to the house sat down on a bench upon the porch. The day had been rainy and
the porch floor was slippery from the moisture that had fallen upon it. After the boys took the
horses away, he arose from the bench and started to the front of the porch to fire the gun off. As he
stepped forward he slipped and threw the gun down as a support to keep himself from falling
when it was discharged, the load passing into his bowels inflicting a wound from which he died in
about eight hours. His wife was standing in the doorway watching him when the accident
occurred.
[Rochester Sentinel, Wednesday, March 25, 1891]