| Description |
: |
From "Athens Home Coming," Athens Ohio, 1904. (out of copyright.)
Alexander came to Athens County when he was five years old. In his twentieth year he went to California and engaged in mining and merchandising. In 1859 he returned and engaged in business at Coolville and Guysville. He helped organize a company and entered the Union Army as First Lieutenant, Company C, 18th Regiment O. V. I. At the battle of Stone River he was shot through the body in an infantry charge. In March 1863, he returned home. In 1863 and...
Read More
|
From "Athens Home Coming," Athens Ohio, 1904. (out of copyright.)
Alexander came to Athens County when he was five years old. In his twentieth year he went to California and engaged in mining and merchandising. In 1859 he returned and engaged in business at Coolville and Guysville. He helped organize a company and entered the Union Army as First Lieutenant, Company C, 18th Regiment O. V. I. At the battle of Stone River he was shot through the body in an infantry charge. In March 1863, he returned home. In 1863 and 1865 he was elected treasurer of Athens County. In 1868 he became a member of the drug firm of A. W. S. Minear and Co. In 1871 elected County Auditor, which he held for nine consecutive years. In the year 1881 he became a member of the firm Kurtz & Minear.
The Death of Shaw Minear.
The sudden and accidental death of our much esteemed fellow-citizen has caused a prevailing inquiry as to the facts which surrounded and accompanied his decease, and it seems necessary and proper that a brief statement of the circumstances should be given to his hundreds of personal friends.
He possessed a sound and capable intellect, and in his entire business and official life discovered a well governed mind, and his moving secretly for some considerable time about his own premises on the early part of the night of May 5th, just preceding his death, seems strange, until the condition of his health, mind and former occasional conduct is explained. It will be remembered that in the battle of Stone River, in the heroic discharge of duty, he received a most severe and seemingly mortal wound, from which his recovery appeared almost a miracle. As a result his general health and his nervous system received an irreparable shock and injury, the effects of which, for the last few years, have been alarmingly increasing. For some months he has failed to be able to eat or sleep in a degree necessary to maintain physical health; and his personal health has been gradually and continually failing, and with consequent periodical mental depression, which he took great pains to conceal. During these periods of enervation he walked much in the night when he should, if possible, have slept. At such times he uttered ominous words, which were not well connected, but expressed most irregular and gloomy thoughts. He talked of his own decease and of the decease of others of this family. A few persons were permitted to know of the sad condition of his health and mental irregularity, and a thoughtful and careful course was pursued, most entirely by his wife, to arouse him from his condition; and it was hoped but with great anxiety and fear, that his health might improve and his mind cease to be so shaken and depressed.. Finally, but a few days before his death, through the encouragement of his wife, aided by other dear friends, Mr. Minear expressed the belief that he would be able to maintain himself against his mental depression, which he freely admitted in confidence to one of this most intimate friends was unaccountable to him, and which it seemed he could not prevent.
The writers of this had agreed, should he again relapse, some more effective measures should be resorted to, as without an improvement in health and mind the matter had become imminently serious. But the relapse came sooner than was expected and with it the fatal accident.
At other times known ONLY to his wife and elder daughter and the confidants of his wife, Mr. Minear had acted much as he did on the night of the fatal accident. All this was kept a secret from young Carr. He only knew that in some instances Mr. Minear had seemed entirely unlike himself, and appeared to be laboring under some unhappy mental irregularity for the moment. He knew nothing more.
It is perfectly plain to the writers and a few others, that on the evening of the accident the deceased was led and controlled by some aberration of mind which induced him to act in a manner so strange and ordinarily inexplicable. No doubt the young man took him for a dangerous person and in a nervous manner discharged the gun, after calling repeatedly to the supposed burglar, and after his running. The gun was discharged in the dark and without aim, yet it proved to be one of those stray shots that are said “sometimes to kill generals.”
Lamentable as the accident is, no persons seem at fault. Had not our dear friend received the desperate wound in battle twenty odd years ago, he, according to the ordinary course of life, would have been contented and well, in the midst of a happy family this day. “Man proposes and God disposes.”
CHAS. TOWNSEND,
A. B. FRAME.
Athens Messenger (OH) Thursday, May 13, 1886. page 4, column 2
Distressing Death of A. W. S. Minear.
Rarely has an entire community been thrown into deeper and more universal gloom than were our citizens on Thursday morning of last week by the startling announcement of the tragic death at a late hour of the preceding night of their highly valued and esteemed townsman, A. W. S. Minear.
The circumstances immediately associated with and preceding the direful event are substantially as follows: on Wednesday morning of last week the deceased left Athens to attend to certain business requiring his attention at the village of Jacksonville, on the line of the Ohio Central railroad in Trimble township. He had expected before leaving that the transaction of the business which called him away would necessitate his absence until the following day, and so announced to his family. His calling at the MESSENGER office just before his leaving town enables us to say from personal knowledge that there was nothing in his appearance, conversation or manner indicating him at that time to be other than in his customary genial mental mood.
As afterwards transpired, he unexpectedly got through with his business at Jacksonville in time to enable him to return to Athens on the afternoon train, off of which he got at the water tank, half a mile northwest of the depot and from which point he walked across the country in the direction of his home, being met and spoken to by several acquaintances on the way. This is the last definite knowledge had of him until the occurrence of the shocking event which resulted in his death. Had he proceeded directly to his house he would have been due there about four o’clock in the afternoon, but instead of doing so, circumstances go to show that he hovered about the premises, moving at intervals from point to point, having been several times observed, without being recognized, in the vicinity of the house, by Clint Carr, a trusted young man in his employ at whose hands later on, and as the result of misapprehension as to his identity, he met his death. These suspicious movements on the part of the supposed stranger naturally awakened the apprehension of Carr as to his object and served to render him the more vigilant regarding him. Finally, sometime after ten o’clock, Carr, from his point of outlook at a second story window, again noticed the man in close proximity to the house and who on being challenged started to run, at which Carr hastily took up the shotgun which was lying across his lap and more at random than with deliberation, fired in the direction of the fleeing man, whom, following the discharge of the gun, he heard fall. Hastily going down stairs he was called to from her bed in a lower room by Mrs. Minear who had been awakened in alarm by the report of the shot and to whose inquiry Carr hurriedly related what had just transpired. He then procured a light and going outside, one can readily conceive the horrifying consternation produced by the shocking discovery that the frightfully wounded man was no other than Mr. Minear, himself, the heavy load of shot had penetrated the top and back of the head causing injuries that would necessarily prove fatal with a few hours. Mrs. Minear on receiving the startling announcement from Carr that the man shot was her husband, frantically jumped from her bedroom window and rushing to his prostrate form, raised his head on her arm and vainly essayed to get him to speak, but consciousness had fled never again to return.
The almost lifeless body was borne into the house and laid on a bed when Carr rode in swift haste for Drs. A. B. and J. A. Frame, who on reaching the house found Mr. Minear’s condition to be beyond the reach of medical aid, he continuing to steadily sink until his death several hours after the accident.
A communication from Hon. Chas. Townsend and Dr. A. B. Frame printed elsewhere, doubtless affords basis for correct explanation of the mysterious movements of the deceased about his premises on the fatal night, though the fact that he had been subject to periods of mental aberration will be a surprising revelation to even very nearly all of his most intimate friends.
A faithful obituary article printed in another column supercedes mention in this connection of the estimable traits which characterized our lamented townsman, public confidence in whose distinguishable and noble personal qualities has, during the course of his useful life, been reflected in the many positions of public trust and responsibility which he has faithfully and efficiently filled.
His funeral, one of the largest that has ever occurred in Athens, took place at ten o’clock Saturday morning at the M. E. Church under Masonic and Grand Army auspices, the membership of both of which local organizations were fully represented. The services were deeply impressive and were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Riker and his pastoral predecessor, Rev. S. D. Hutsinpiller, of Columbus. The latter during his very interesting remarks on the sad occasion, feelingly and eloquently referred to the many amiable, generous and trustworthy characteristics of the deceased, which in every relation of life challenged confidence and warm esteem.
His loss will long continue to be poignantly felt by our community who cherish profused sympathy for his family in their grievous bereavement.
Athens Messenger (OH) Thursday, May 13, 1886. page 5, column 3
IN MEMORIAM
Alexander Watson Shaw Minear was born in Harrison county, Virginia on the 6th day of December, 1835. He was one of six children of Jonathan and Nancy Minear, and in the order of birth the fourth. His brothers are Lafayette, Emery and Parril, and his sisters are Vilender Cook and Amanda Curtis; all living except Lafayette.
When the subject of this sketch was two years old his father, with his family, emigrated from Virginia to Iowa; but remained there but a few months, when this family came and dwelt permanently at Coolville, Athens county, Ohio. There Shaw Minear, by which name he has always been well known, was brought up, and educated in the common schools of the place and in Coolville Academy, a school in keeping with those early times. He went to California in 1857 and remained until 1859. In his youthful manhood he manifested a disposition for and skill in business, and engaged successfully in merchandising and in flour milling, in the midst of which he won Fanny Warren in her early teens, a lady as worthy in character and pleasing in manner as she was youthful. On the 11th day of April 1860, their mutual love was consummated in marriage. “And all went merry as a marriage bell,” but in the beginning of their happiness “the alarming drum” roused the citizen “ere the morning star,” and the Republic called for armies of her sons to preserve her from dissolution. That cry was heard and answered by Shaw Minear, saying “Here am I,” and he entered the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, an offering for his country. As an officer of the line, he served in the “fore-front” of action on fields I need not now pause to name; until on the 31st of December 1862, at Stone River, in that heroic contest, and on that bloody field, in a gallant charge, “he foremost fighting fell,” desperately, and apparently, mortally wounded, a musket ball having pierced his chest through and through. From that dire extremity mysteriously the hand of destiny brought him forth to a degree of health again, to die of a gun-shot wound caused by an unhappy accident.
He by public sufferance was twice elected Treasurer of Athens county, an office which, by limitation of law, he could hold no longer, and served therein from September 1864 to September 1868. So well done were his services as Treasurer that the public would not allow him to rest from his official labors, but he was three times elected Auditor of his county, and served in that responsible place from November 1871 to November 1880.At the time of his death he was Trustee of the Children’s Home of Athens county, and a Director of the First National Bank. Each and all of these places he filled in all things failing in nothing in the full measure of official duty. In the sphere of his action his record is complete. Of him it may be said the measure of his humble fame is full. In character he possessed, in a large degree, the noblest virtues – integrity, gentleness, benevolence and forbearance. In intellect – capability, industry and prudence.
In the exercise of his normal faculties he was a kind and loving husband and an indulgent and affectionate father. As a neighbor he was, all in all, without imperfection – complete. In manner – modest, unassuming and unostentatious. What he was, he was because he was, and what he did he did for its own sake.
“Can storied urn or animated bust,
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can honor’s voice provoke the silent dust,
Or flattery soothe the dull cold ear of death?”
Oh, no! But it is sweet to the members of his family and friends to have his virtues remembered. Many were his acquaintances. Multitudes were his friends, and very numerous are his mourners. His neighbors and the public lose by his death, but the saddest of the sad are his widow and his daughter – Minnie L., in earl womanhood, Resy, in young childhood, and the exact counterpart of her father. As for their loss there is no measure, so with them sympathy is without limit.
Athens Messenger (OH) Thursday, May 13, 1886. page 1, column 2 |
