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Frederick Mewhirter

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Frederick Mewhirter

Birth	:	25 Apr 1823
Death	:	14 Dec 1897
Burial	:	Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate	:	42.3976200, -82.1578000
Description	:	Frederick Mewhirter was born on 25 Apr 1823 in Green TWP, Harrison Co., Ohio, the son of Mary Anne (Reed) and (John) Barr Mewhirter. He was named after his mother's father, (John) Frederick Reed. His father died when he was very young, and his mother raised her two sons, Frederick and William on her own. When the boys were grown, the family -- sons, wives, children and mother Mary Anne moved westward, to become some of the first white families to settle in Waveland Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. In the first election of Waveland Township in 1855, Frederick was elected... Read More	Frederick Mewhirter was born on 25 Apr 1823 in Green TWP, Harrison Co., Ohio, the son of Mary Anne (Reed) and (John) Barr Mewhirter. He was named after his mother's father, (John) Frederick Reed. His father died when he was very young, and his mother raised her two sons, Frederick and William on her own. When the boys were grown, the family -- sons, wives, children and mother Mary Anne moved westward, to become some of the first white families to settle in Waveland Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. In the first election of Waveland Township in 1855, Frederick was elected Justice of the Peace. He was also one of the largest landowners in the township. On December 12, 1844, Frederick married Elizabeth Haworth Scott in Jennings TWP, Van Wert County, OH. Elizabeth died April 12, 1859. They were parents of four sons: John Barr Mewhirter (1846 OH-1859 IA), Charles Fremont "Free" Mewhirter (1849 OH-1927 WY), Franklin Pierce (1852 OH- 1933, CO), and Robert Fulton Mewhirter (born 1856 IA -after 1910 WY) and one daughter, Isabel (1847 OH-1852). Frederick married again to a relative of his first wife, Hannah Smith on January 1, 1860 in Lewis, Cass Co., Iowa. They became parents to several more children, including James Hiram, Frederick Newton, Henry Jesse, and others. On 18 Jul 1875, Frederick murdered Dr. Joseph Hatton. According to the book "History of Pottawattamie County" Hatton had attended Hannah Mewhirter in childbirth, and "it was alleged by Mr. Mewhirter that Dr. Hatton in the treatment of his wife was guilty of malpractice, which resulted in permanent injury to the lady. A suit was brought for this alleged misconduct on the past of the physician in the courts of Cass County, and on some preliminary question the decision of the court was against Dr. Hatton. An appeal was taken to the Supreme court. During the pendency of these proceeding, it was claimed that the treatment of the lady by the physician so preyed upon the mind of Mr. Mewhirter that his mental faculties became impaired to the extent of limiting his responsibility for acts that would otherwise be criminal." The following newspaper article was printed in Iowa in 1906: The most brutal murder committed in the county was the act of Fred Mewhirter, who, without apparent excuse or justification, and without giving the victim the slightest chance for his life, killed young Dr. Joseph W. Hatton near the Mewhirter home, in the northern part of the county. Dr. Hatton was the younger brother to Dr. J. B. Hatton, long a resident of Montgomery County and now practicing in Des Moines. Fred Mewhirter was a farmer about fifty-two years of age. He was married and had a family – some of his children being grownup. About a year previous to the murder, Mewhirter had called Dr. Hatton to visit his wife. She did not recover as quickly as he expected and Mewhirter brought suit in Cass County to recover for injuries to the health of his wife, alleging unprofessional conduct and malpractice on the part of the doctor. A study of the trial records reveals the main facts of the shooting as follows: Dr. Hatton on the 18th of July, 1875, went to visit a patient living about a mile from the Mewhirter's place. He was accompanied by his father, a man about seventy-two years old. Mewhirter, who was at a near neighbor's at the time, learned that the doctor was in the vicinity, and at once left for his home, cursing Hatton and making threats against him. In returning from the visit, Dr. Hatton and his father passed near Mewhirter's house. The following from the trial records is an exact quotation of the incident of the murder as told on the witness stand by the elder Hatton; "After we got around the willows, we saw the defendant going through the fence across the first track of road to second road and came in front of us. We were driving on a trot and Mewhirter came down the road with his gun and, as he raised it, the doctor said, "Stop". This was all the doctor said when the gun went off. I don't think it was a second after Mewhirter raised the gun until he shot. We had a two stepped buggy and my left foot was on the upper step. When the gun went off, the doctor fell over my right thigh and it scared the team, which went on. I got out near Mewhirter's gate and looked back and saw the defendant behind, standing in the path, with gun presented like he was going to shoot again. He did not, but looked back again and said, "O, I have killed you." The shot took effect in the abdomen and the doctor lived about two weeks. Due to Frederick's imprisonment, and to save the family farm, Hannah and Frederick divorced on April 27, 1897. Frederick died later that year, and was buried in the small family cemetery, Smith Cemetery north of Griswold, Cass County, Iowa. Frederick Mewhirter was admitted (prisoner #2105) Ft. Madison Prison, Lee Co. IA, 6 Jan 1876. He was transferred (prisoner #2064) to Anamosa Prison, Jones, IA Apr 1891 because of medical condition, where he died in 1897.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Frederick Mewhirter's memorial?
Frederick Mewhirter's memorial is located at: Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada.
When did Frederick Mewhirter death?
Frederick Mewhirter death on 14 Dec 1897 in
Where are the coordinates of the Frederick Mewhirter's memorial?
Latitude: 42.3976200
Longitude: -82.1578000

Family Members:

Parent

Mary Anne Reed Mewhirter

(1798 - 1885)

Spouse

Elizabeth Scott Mewhirter

(1824 - 1859)

Hannah Smith Mewhirter

(1835 - 1898)

Children

John B. Mewhirter

(1846 - 1859)

Henry Jesse Mewhirter

(1868 - 1956)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Maple Leaf Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3976200, -82.1578000

2. Saint Anthonys Roman Catholic Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3983000, -82.1529100

3. Christ Church Memorial Garden
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4037490, -82.1834960

4. McIntyre Burying Ground
Harwich, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4272700, -82.1438500

5. Thamesview Lodge Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4024910, -82.2054690

6. Reynolds Cemetery
Harwich, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3872500, -82.1034100

7. Van Horne Cemetery
Vosburg, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4600200, -82.1163200

8. Arnold Cemetery
Louisville, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4638134, -82.1202579

9. French's Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4723070, -82.1779280

10. McVicar Cemetery
Darrell, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4784700, -82.1687700

11. Dolsen Cemetery
Pain Court, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3746800, -82.2640400

12. Charing Cross United Church Cemetery
Charing Cross, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3193016, -82.1159515

13. Saint Thomas Anglican Cemetery
Pain Court, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3751400, -82.2773300

14. Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Cemetery
Pain Court, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3899389, -82.2899947

15. Crow Cemetery
Raleigh, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.3664000, -82.2868840

16. Bethel Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4882400, -82.0872400

17. Jack's Hill Cemetery
Dover, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4338800, -82.2916500

18. Field Cemetery
Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4912670, -82.0837330

19. Green Cemetery
Kent Centre, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.5125050, -82.1375630

20. Nazrey Negro Cemetery
Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4856140, -82.2728380

21. Gadd Cemetery
Kent Bridge, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4925860, -82.0432740

22. Lenover Cemetery
Howard, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4948330, -82.0375520

23. Clark Cemetery
Howard, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4425090, -81.9882850

24. McBrayne Cemetery
McKays Corners, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 42.4425000, -81.9882100