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- note on Find a Grave:
John Fox was murdered by Elias Primmer during a robbery at his home. His wife, Nancy, barely survived.
Nobody knows for sure, but evidently it was rumored that this couple had some cash on hand, at any rate Elias Primmer must have thought so. To get this money must have been on his mind for some time, because the events of the day of February 28, 1856 seem to bear out that considerable forethought had been given to it.
It was after dark that Elias Primmer knocked on the door, and asked for lodging for the night. Mrs. Fox was feeble and was reluctant to take anyone in, and it was only after Primmer told Mr. Fox that he was the son of Peter Primmer, an old friend of John Fox, that they agreed to let him stay.
Primmer, no doubt, had not intended to reveal his identity. Probably it was in his ill-begotten plan to be taken in, get the old man and woman drunk with the liquor he had bought earlier in the day at South Perry, and then rob them of their money. Now this was changed. They knew who he was, and it would be necessary to resort to a more drastic and horrible means.
This aged couple granted the man their hospitality, the man who was a stranger to them except for their acquaintance with his father. They granted admittance to their small and humble home to this man, his gum cane, his carpet bag, his torn two dollar bill, and his striped trousers.
Before retiring, Primmer offered his hosts some of his liquor. Twice he gave the bottle to Mr. Fox and then they prepared for bed. Primmer requested that he be allowed to sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. After about one hour, when Primmer felt that the old couple were both asleep, he quietly got up from his bed on the floor and went outside. No doubt he was making sure that all was clear, and that no one was around. He was gone only a short while when he returned, took a drink of liquor from his bottle, picked up his gum cane with which he struck Mrs. Fox three blows.
Contrary to Primmer's belief, Mrs. Fox had never gone to sleep. She heard Primmer get up and go outside, and then come back in and take a drink from his bottle. Mrs. Fox was lying on the front of the bed, and the blows were partly stopped by the head of the bed, and partly by her up-raised arm. Only her presence of mind saved her life. She rolled off the bed and then under it.
Primmer thinking that she was either dead or stunned, proceeded to pick up a piece of stove wood and murder the old man. At least fifteen blows were made. His skull was fractured, both his arms were broken, one in two places, and all the time Primmer was demanding his money.
He then took a blanket from his bed on the floor, and covered the window next to the road to make sure that no one would see in. Next he began searching for the money, and found a chest under the head of the bed. In his haste he over looked most of the money that was in the box. He next went to the clock which was on the mantle and opened it, but found nothing. However, when he opened the door of the clock, he touched the pendulum and stopped it. It was exactly twenty minutes past nine.
Coming to the conclusion that there was no more money to be found, he hurriedly began to destroy what he thought would be all evidence of the crime. He piled everything that he considered had been seen by people on his day's journey on the floor about two feet from the front of the fireplace and set fire to it. The things included the woman's carpet bag with the torn two dollar bill in it, even the striped pants that were so conspicious and which had attracted the attention of everyone who had seen him that day, the chest or box from which he had found, and taken on a small portion of the money that was in it, a drawer which he had jerked from a stand in the room in his frantic search, papers and books among which was a copy of the Bible. On these he piled some kindling wood from near the fireplace to make sure that everything would burn. He lit the fire, and staying only long enough to feel sure that all evidence would be consumed, he silently left.
The turn of events at this time makes this story sound like it was taken directly from a horror movie tale. But it is not. It really happened as it is told. It proves that the best laid plans, if these plans were well-laid, often do not turn out as they are supposed to.
Nancy Fox was not dead. After the blows on the head, she rolled over to the back of, and off of the bed on to the floor, and then rolled under the bed. She heard the blows falling on her husband, and the demands being made for the money. She knew that Primmer was searching for the money, and knew that he was going to try to burn the house with everything in it. She heard him leave.
It was only her presence of mind that kept her from screaming out during this ordeal and remaining quiet until after the fiend had gone. Slowly she then crawled out from under the bed, and reached for a pail of water on a stand nearby with which she put out the burning flames. Without strength enough to go for help she remained the rest of the night along with her murdered husband until her son stopped in the next morning.
Primmer showed up early the next morning in Logan no doubt spending most of the night walking from the Fox residence. He seemed to be in no fear that anyone knew or would ever know about his violent crime. He was confident all evidence against him had gone up in flames.
Mr. Primmer was quickly arrested and charged with murder.
Probably the most dramatic witness to appear and face Primmer in the court room was the woman that he had meant to kill. Feeble and weak from old age she took the witness stand. She told how he came on the night of her husband's death "between daylight and dark" and that he taled (talked?) very nice. How he gave the old man liquor, and after they had all gone to bed, she heard Primmer get up and go outside and then return and take a drink from his bottle. How he picked up the gum cane and hit her with it, saved only from a mortal blow by her upraised arm, and bedstead. How she had rolled over to the back of the bed and on to the floor, then under the bed where she lay and heard blow after blow falling on her husband, and all the while Primmer was demanding of him to tell where his money was.
She told how she lay under the bed until after Primmer had left, and that she then crawled out and with a pail of water from a stand she had extinguished the fire. Not being able to go for help she waited throughout the long night until her son, William, stopped in the next morning to see how they were.
William and James Fox, both sons of John Fox; John Kinser, Mary Stump and Fanny Cupp, all neighbors of the Fox family told how they had stopped in on the morning following the murder, and that they had found the house in disorder, a burned place on the floor. The satchel, the cane, the bloody club were there. A pocketbook, with some paper money in it, among which was a torn two dollar bill, the striped trousers, all the things that Primmer thought would be consumed in the flames of a fire that never burned.
The jury, after deliberating twenty-four hours, returned to the court room. After the roll was taken, the court inquired of the jury if it had agreed upon a verdict. The jury answered that it had, and delivered in writing the following verdict::
'We the jury find the defendent, Elias Primmer, Guilty of Murder in the first degree as charged in the indictment.'
The prisoner then through his counsel demanded that the jury be polled. The request was granted and the verdict stood. The prisoner was remanded to jail to await sentence.
On July 15 the prisoner was brought into court by the sheriff, Henry Barker. The counsel for the defendent was present and the defendent was placed before the bar and was asked if he had anything to say as to why sentence should not now be pronounced. The prisoner answered, by his counsel, that he had nothing to say except to appeal to the court to extend the time as long as possible for the execution.
On Wednesday, November 26, 1856, Elias Primmer suffered the last dread penalty of the law.
For months his name had been a familiar word to every ear in the county. The incidents of his crime, and the approaching execution had been the common theme of conversation. The awful nature of the crime for which he was to suffer, coupled with the fact that there never before had been an execution in Hocking County gave additional zest to
the horror and the interest felt by all.
At an early hour on Wednesday morning the roads leading to Logan were thronged by crowds of men, women and children, some from adjoining counties though most of them were residents of Hocking County.
The gallows was prepared within a boarded enclosure, twenty feet wide, twenty-eight feet long, and eighteen feet high. There was no scaffold, but the rope was passed through a beam and over two pulleys. A balance weight of a strong box filled with earth weighing about 300 pounds was fastened to the other end of the rope. This box was suspended by a cord, the cutting of which would permit the weight to fall.
The night preceding the execution, until nearly two o'clock, was spent by the prisoner in prayer with the Reverend Martindale of the Methodist Church. Toward morning he slept a little. He ate scarcely any breakfast and seemed very much depressed, but before eight o'clock had regained his composure, and spoke more freely. He wrote a final letter to his wife, and then asked that the relatives of the murdered man be brought in.
William, James, Peter, and Samuel Fox were introduced to his cell and the prisoner asked forgiveness which was freely given.
By this time it was a few minutes after ten o'clock, and he requested that the execution might proceed at once. He was dressed in his shroud, and after being allowed a short time to collect his thoughts, he walked with firm though rather hasty steps to the gallows which was within the same lot on which the jail stood.
He was closely guarded by a file of special assistants, chosen by the sheriff. On being placed beneath the gallows, Deputy Sheriff Davy asked him if he wished to say anything to the crawd. He replied 'No.' The Sheriff, Mr. Barker, inquired if he wished a few moments respite, which he declined.
'The fatal noose was then placed upon his neck, the cap drawn over his face, and at precisely twenty minutes before eleven, Sheriff Barker cut the cord, and poor Primmer passed into the presence of his God.
At fourteen minutes past eleven o'clock the body was examined by Drs. Krieder, Williams, Hoffman, and Pullen, who pronounced it dead. It was then taken down, placed in a neat but plain coffin and delivered to his friends.
During the time of execution a band of volunteer militia stood guard to prevent the intrusion of the crowd. Armed as they were with the most efficient weapons they were sufficient to prevent the intrusion of the crowd, but the moment the corpse was removed and the enclosure thrown open, it was thronged by eager hundreds anxious to pick up some relic to treasure as a previous remembrance.
But the great center of attraction was the rope with which he was hanged. This is not only a relic, but also possesses the more valuable quality of curing fits, and preventing the approach of witches and evil spirits. We have not the least doubt of its efficacy if properly applied.
It will be many a long, long year ere the winter fireside will cease to hear repeated the story of the trial and execution of the first person ever hanged in Hocking County.
One still wonders how the human mind works, why a person will do what he does. Are some of the motives that make people do good often the same as those that make people do evil? The desire for money will often make people strive to get it, and in their striving their character is enhanced and they become better, more useful citizens. In others it will lead them to any means to acquire it; to lie, to steal, and even to MURDER.
Time, like Sandburg's 'Leaves of Grass' has ways of healing things. The lives of the people involved are all but forgotten; the terrible deed itself is not known by many people, and also would be soon forgotten if some local historian would let them die, as he probably should do.
We are told that John Fox was one of the early settlers of Laurel Township, raised a family who bought farms and lived in the area during the latter part of the century. John Fox is buried in the little cemetery of the United Brethren Church across the creek from the village of South Perry. His grave is marked and on it in large letters is
carved the word MURDERED.
Nancy Fox lived a number of years after the untimely death of her husband and is probably buried in the same cemetery; however, no marker can be found for her grave.
Elias Primmer was taken to a plot of ground on top of a hill above where the Primmer family lived. It is said that his was the first grave there, but later other members of the family were buried on the same plot. The hill is to the left of State Route 180 as one goes up the Stoody Hill and is in section two of Laurel Township.
John and Nancy Fox are my great-great-great grandparents.
Bio by: Khariss
Created by: Jerry Thayer
Added: Feb 22, 2011
Find a Grave Memorial ID: 66006233
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1780 - 1856 (75 years)
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