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Taken directly from The Vindicator:
“Sudden Deaths. A strange case that is being rigidly investigated at Struthers. Coroner Tucker called to examine the remains of an employee at the Struthers Furnace.
“The sudden deaths in precisely the same manner, and no apparent reason therefore, have occurred within six months at Struthers. Last fall, a foreigner employed at the blast furnace in Struthers left his fellow workmen and entered a closet nearby. In a few moments, a companion discovered his dead body.
“Friday afternoon word was received in this city that a Slavonian laborer had been killed at the Struthers Furnace, and Coroner Tucker and Gillen’s Ambulance responded. Upon arriving at the furnace, the coroner learned that Joseph Needlect, a Slavonian, who had been employed in unloading coal cars, and just as the other man had done, six months before, left the car and entered a closet.
EDITOR S NOTE:
This story was originally published on Oct. 19, 2019 by the Ohio History Connection. Richland Source has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Ohio History Connection to share content across our sites.
Under the shadow of nightfall on Oct. 16, 1859 (thatâs 161 years ago this fall), famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) abolitionist John Brown led 21 men across the Potomac River into the Virginia village of Harpers Ferry. Brown, an ardent abolitionist, believed that slavery could only be ended through violence so he was building an army. He brought his tiny army of 21 to Harpers Ferry to collect weapons from a federal military arsenal in town, and to hopefully recruit the many free black men in the vicinity to their cause.