“Sylvanus Daulton, former marshal of Rarden, who figured in numerous controversies, faces a kidnapping charge, filed today in Portsmouth Municipal Court.”
“Paul Williams, investigator for the office of Everett Burton, Scioto County prosecutor, said Daulton was charged with kidnapping Mrs. Florence Hoffer, 51, of Rarden.”
“He said the warrant was issued on information of Orvie Hoffer, 12, who told officials Daulton forced her mother into his car Friday morning. She said her sister, Louise Hoffer, 18, also went away in the car. Paul Hoffer, son of Mrs. Florence Hoffer, signed the affidavit.”
“Daulton reportedly was driving a car bearing Indiana license plates.”
“Mr. Williams said the prosecutor’s office was informed Daulton visited the Hoffer home Friday morning and talked to Mrs. Florence Hoffer and Louise Hoffer.”
“He said Orvie Hoffer told officials her mother and Daulton scuffled and Mrs. Hoffer was forced into Daulton’s car. No word has been received of the Hoffers or Daulton since the car left, the family reported.”
“Daulton was wounded and a prisoner was killed in a shooting affray several years ago at Youngs. near Rarden.”1
Ex-Marshal Is Sought as Key in Twin Killing
“The bodies of a 51-year-old Rarden mother and her 18-year-old daughter were found Sunday in Adams County.”
“The discovery touched off a search today for a former Rarden marshal who Saturday was charged with kidnapping the mother.”
“Police and sheriff’s officers are searching for Sylvanus Daulton, 54, charged with the kidnapping.”
“The bodies of Mrs. Florence Pearl Hoffer, a widow, and a daughter, Margaret Louise Hoffer, were found about 4:30 PM Sunday at Tranquility Wildlife Preserve, in Adams County.”
“Both had been shot in the head and left in the barnyard of an abandoned farm.”
“CR Burns, Scioto County chief deputy sheriff, and Eugene Fulton, Adams County sheriff, issued a nationwide alert Sunday night for the arrest of Daulton.”
“A kidnapping warrant was issued Saturday morning by Portsmouth Municipal Court against Daulton. The affadavit was signed by Paul Hoffer, 25, of Rarden, son of Mrs. Florence Hoffer.”
“Juanita Hoffer, 12, granddaughter of Mrs. Florence Hoffer, told officials Dailton appeared at the Hoffer home Friday morning and took the women away in his car. She said Daulton quarreled with the women and forced Mrs. Hoffer into the car.”
“Daulton, who relatives of Hoffer’s said claimed to be second cousin of Mrs. Hoffer, was the father of a 2-year-old girl, born to Louise Hoffer.”2
“While a motive for the abduction and murders was not determined immediately, officials believed it followed an argument over Daulton’s support of the child.”
“‘Daulton wanted Louise to sign a paper,’ Juanita Hoffer said, ‘and she refused. They were quarreling and went to the car. Grandma went out to the car. Daulton tried to hit her and Louise stopped him. Grandma tried to hit Daulton. He opened the rear door of the car and they looked inside. Louise got into the front seat and Daulton forced grandma into the car.'”
Didn’t See Guns
“The girl said she did not see any guns but relatives quoted her great-grandmother, Mrs. LC Monroe3, 77, as saying Daulton wore four guns under his coat and had one in the car.”
“Mrs. Monroe was eating breakfast when the trouble occurred at the home. She is hard of hearing.”
“Deputy Burns said he is also searching for Mrs. Sylvanus Daulton, who was seen around Rarden Friday morning and met her husband in West Union about 10:30 AM Friday. They left in her car and have not been seen since, officials said.”
“How Mrs. Daulton fits into the picture is not fully determined. Officials are checking a report that Daulton left their Fort Wayne, Indiana, home and she followed with two men, reported to be a brother and a son. The two men reportedly left West Union Friday morning in Daulton’s car.”
“It was learned that Attorney Ray Switalski of Portsmouth, counsel for Louise Hoffer, wrote Daulton recently concerning failure to pay for support of the child and pointed out Daulton could be cited for contempt of court.”
Center of Controversy
“The center of bitter controversies in Rarden community for several years, Daulton moved to Fort Wayne a couple of years ago. There he worked as a special policeman and plant guard.”
“He was found to be the father of the Hoffer girl’s child by Scioto County Common Pleas Court and ordered to pay for her support. He left the area after the trial.”
“Rarden, which was torn apart by many controversies during Daulton’s tenure as marshal, was an armed camp Sunday night. Friends and relatives of the Hoffer family armed themselves when the report of the finding of the bodies reached the small village, 25 miles northwest of Portsmouth. Chief Deputy Burns assigned a detail of deputies to patrol the area.”
Both Shot in Head
“The time of death of the women was not fully determined, Dr. RL Woodyard4 of Manchester, Adams County coroner, said both had been dead between 24 and 96 hours. Officials believe both were killed within an hour after the abduction.”
“Dr. Woodyard said both were shot in the head and all indications pointed that they were slain in the yard where found. He said there was no sign of a struggle in the yard.”
“Mrs. Hoffer’s left jaw was fractured, he said. An animal had disfigured Miss Hoffer’s face and chest. The bodies were lying in tramped down weeds about 20 feet apart. It was not determined who was killed first.”
“It was estimated the women were captives in the car about 30 minutes. The car traveled about 15 miles. The Hoffer home is on Hoffer Hill, two miles south of Rarden.”
“The game preserve is southwest of Route 73, about five miles west of Peebles.”
“Officials believe the car followed Route 73 from Rarden to Tranquility-Seaman road intersection, turned left and traveled three or four miles to Haines road, turned left and traveled about a half-mile to where the road dead-ends into the barnyard.”
Student Finds Bodies
“James Foster, 20, a junior at Ohio State University, discovered the bodies. A geology student, he frequently spends weekends with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Foster of Peebles and searches the hills for rocks and fossils.”
“Accompanied by June Chenoweth of Peebles, he drove to the Tranquility Preserve, about 10 miles west of Peebles and southwest of Serpent Mound. Leaving Tranquility-Seaman road he traveled about a half-mile up Haines road, trying to reach a ridge of hills.”
“Reaching the dead-end road at the Haines farm, Mr. Foster got out to check signs and found the bodies when he walked behind a barn.”
“‘I thought the lady had suffered a heart attack,’ he said. ‘The area is abandoned, so I drove to West Union and notified Sheriff Fulton. When we returned someone in the party discovered the body of the girl.'”
In Isolated Section
“Joseph Myers, who lives in the area, also came upon the bodies and notified the sheriff’s office. The scene is in an isolated section of Adams County, far off the main roads.”
“Mrs. Hoffer was lying face down with her head resting on her right arm. Miss Hoffer was lying on her back.”
“Dr. Woodyard said the bullets entered the side of the heads. He was to conduct post-mortems to determine if they were shot more than once. There was some indication, he said, that both were shot twice.”
“The murder scene is not far from the former home of Daulton. His father James Daulton, lives not far from the scene. He has other relatives living in the area. It is near the May Hill area.”
Trouble Years Old
“Troubles between Daulton and the Hoffers started about two years ago when Daulton was marshal at Rarden. Neighbors said he did not have a place to live and Mrs. Hoffer let him stay at her home about one month.”
“Neighbors reported he shot several times at members of the family and was seen crawling through weeds toward the Hoffer home.”
“Miss Hoffer filed a paternity charge in Common Pleas Court and Daulton was found guilty. After that he left Rarden and went to Fort Wayne.”
“Sheriff Fulton said Daulton arrived in West Union Thursday night and stayed at the home of a friends, John Hayslip, former marshal. Daulton left the Hayslip home at 6:30 AM, and returned about 10:30 AM Friday.”
Arrive in West Union
“Sheriff Fulton said he learned Mrs. Daulton and two men arrived in West Union Friday morning and Mr. and Mrs. Dalton met at the home of a Mrs. Ames, where they sat on a sofa whispering.”
“The two left together in a station wagon, Mrs. Daulton driving. The two men left in Daulton’s car.”
“Residents near the Hoffer home reported a station wagon traveled by the Hoffer home several times Friday morning. Residents near May Hill reported seeing Daulton drive up and down a road nearby.”
“It was learned he stopped in front of his father’s house Friday and left a package on the fence.”
“Sheriff Fulton said the elder Daulton expressed fear of his son. He spent several months at the Fort Wayne home, the sheriff said, and reported hearing his son threaten the people at Rarden.”
In Pike Killing
“Sheriff Jesse Foster of Pike County said Daulton was accused of shooting and killing a neighbor, Clark Conley, April 5, 1950. Conley was shot in the back and died three days later. A jury trying Daulton for murder failed to agree. He was not retired.”
“‘Daulton came to my office with a warrant for arrest of Conley,’ Sheriff Foster said. ‘He claimed Conley drove by his house and shot. I was unable to serve the warrant immediately. Daulton left my office and 30 minutes later returned with Conley, who was wounded in the back. Daulton claimed he shot in self-defense.'”
“About three years ago Daulton shot and killed John Newman, a Rarden youth, who had just returned from Army service. Daulton was wounded. The grand jury investigates and ignored a murder charge.”
“Daulton said he was transporting several prisoners to jail when one grabbed his neck and he rolled out of the car. He claimed Newman grabbed one of his guns and shot him and he drew another gun from a pocket and killed Newman.”
Family Widely Known
“The Hoffer Family is widely known in the area and Hoffer Hill road was named after their ancestors, pioneers of the community.”
“A senior in Rarden High School, Louise Hoffer was all dressed up Friday morning planning to have her photo taken with her class.”
“Mrs. Hoffer was clothed in her usual chore outfit with apron and jacket.”
“Juanita Hoffer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orvie Hoffer, who live up the road from Mrs. Florence Hoffer’s home, stopped as usual Friday morning to wait for the school bus. Juanita and her cousin rode to school together.”
“Mrs. Monroe, mother of Mrs. Florence Hoffer, was eating breakfast. The baby, Deborah Hoffer Daulton, 2, was playing.”
‘The family’s happy hours were shattered when Daulton appeared and started an argument with Louise Hoffer and her mother. Some officials believe Hoffer threatened to take the girl and the mother interceded and insisted she would go too.”
Feared For Daughter
“It is known that Mrs. Hoffer feared for the safety of her daughter. The trio left the house about 7:45 AM Friday.”
“Juanita Hoffer spread the alarm and Scioto County deputy sheriffs, the Adams County sheriff’s office, state highway patrol and Indiana police were alerted.”
“Mrs. Florence Hoffer was the widow of Arch Hoffer, a railway employee who died 15 years ago.
“She is survived by her mother, Mrs. Catherine Mangus Monroe, who lived at the Hoffer home.”
“She is also survived by the following children, Orval Hoffer of Peebles Rt. 2, Orvie Hoffer of Hoffer Hill road, Paul Hoffer of Hoffer Hill road and Mrs. Mary Ruth Earls of Bethel, Ohio. She also is survived by the following brothers and sisters: James Mangus, West Portsmouth garageman, George Mangus, Rarden garageman, Cecil Mangus of Urbana, Ohio, Mrs. Dorothy Newman, wife of Leo Newman of Otway, and Mrs. Okie Graham, wife of Charles Graham of Otway Rt. 2. Her father, Henry Mangus, died many years ago.”
“Miss Hoffer besides her brothers and sisters, is survived by the daughter, Deborah.”
“The bodies were taken to the Ellis Funeral home, West Union. The bodies were identified by Paul Hoffer and George Mangus.”
Double funeral services are to be held at 2 PM Tuesday at New Baptist Church, Hoffer Hill, Rarden. Reverend Oscar Payne is to conduct the services. Burial is to be in the church cemetery, by Trefz Funeral Home, Peebles.”
“The bodies will be returned to the funeral home tonight from the Cincinnati Central Hospital where autopsies were performed today.”
“The caskets are to remain closed.”
“The body of Sylvanus E. Daulton, 53, was found in southern Clinton County Monday in the muddy waters of the East Fork of the Little Miami River.”
“Clinton County Sheriff Floyd Foote said Daulton, wanted for a double slaying in Adams County, apparently ended his own life by firing a .38 caliber revolver into his left chest. The bullet struck his heart.”
“Discovery of the body by law enforcement officers ended a search that started Saturday when the former Rarden marshal was charged with kidnapping a Scioto County woman, Mrs. Florence Pearl Hoffer, 51.”
“The search was stepped up late Sunday after Mrs. Hoffer and her daughter, Margaret Louise Hoffer, 18, were found dead in the barnyard of an abandoned Adams County farm.”
“Daulton allegedly took the two women from their home on Hoffer Hill road south of Rarden Friday morning.”
“Authorities located Daulton’s wife, Mary Edna, at the home of a son in South Bend, Indiana, today. She claimed the body in Wilmington this morning and was to be questioned by authorities later today.”
“Daulton is known to have made several long distance calls from West Union Thursday night, and it is believed one of them may have been to his wife at their Fort Wayne, Indiana, home, Sheriff Fulton reported. She was seen in the West Union vicinity Friday morning, he added.”
“Daulton’s body was found lodged against a piling under a bridge on Route 134, about nine miles southeast of Wilmington. The body was almost completely submerged in three feet of water with only the left side of the face and left shoulder above the surface.”
“Sheriff Fulton said Daulton probably sat on the three-foot bridge railing, fired a shot and fell to the water about 15 feet below. A .38 caliber police special with only one shot fired was found on the bridge.”
At Road Junction
“The bridge is located at the Route 124 intersection about five miles north of the Highland County town of Lynchburg.”
“Officers from four counties started converging on the area after receiving information that Daulton’s brother-in-law, Weaver Bracken of Springfield, had driven him to the bridge about noon. The body was discovered at 4:55 after a 40-minute search.”
“Sheriff Fulton reported Bracken said he did not know Daulton was the object of a nationwide search until he read a newspaper account of the murders after his return to Springfield. He then contacted Clark County Sheriff Arthur Shuman who passed the word to Adams County.”
“Daulton, Rarden town marshal during several controversial years, was found by Scioto County Common Pleas Court last May 28 to be the father of Louise Hoffer’s 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Deborah.”
“Paul Williams, investigator for Scioto County prosecutor Everett Burton, said an argument and the possibility of court action over Daulton’s alleged failure to make support payments for the child may have provided him with a motive for the killing.”
Had Combed Hills
“Until Daulton’s body was found Scioto County and Adams County deputies had been combing the hilly northern Adams County countryside. Daulton’s known friends and relatives were questioned.”
“Special alerts had been sent to authorities in Fort Wayne, Wheeling, West Virginia, Springfield and Greenfield, Ohio, where Mrs. Daulton is reported to have relatives, Sheriff Fulton said.”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation entered the search late Monday at the request of Prosecutor Burton and CR Burns, Scioto County chief deputy sheriff.”
“Authorities said Daulton was known to be carrying at least four weapons: a .38 caliber revolver, a .25 caliber automatic and two pen-type gas guns. However, they found no guns on the body when it was pulled from the stream. There was an empty holster on his belt.”
No Papers Found
“There were no identification papers on Daulton’s body. But Sheriff Fulton, who had known Daulton several years, and other officers were able to identify the body.”
“Only articles in Daulton’s clothing were a small leather purse with three $1 bills and some change, and a cigarette package containing several .38 caliber shells.”
“A motorist told Sheriff Foote he saw a man answering Daulton’s description sitting on the bridge guard rail about 12:15 PM writing on some paper. But investigators were unable to find any note or message.”
“Bodies of the two women were found by a college student about 4:30 PM Sunday in the Tranquility Wildlife Preserve, about five miles west of Peebles in Adams County.”
Shot in Head
“Mrs. Hoffer was shot six times in the head and body and her daughter three times. Mrs. Hoffer’s jaw also was broken.”
“Double funeral services were to be held today at Rarden for Mrs. Hoffer and her daughter.”
“Kidnapping charges were filed against Daulton in Portsmouth Municipal Court Saturday on an affidavit by Paul Hoffer of Rarden, Mrs. Florence Hoffer’s son.”
“Juanita Hoffer, 12, the elder victim’s granddaughter, told Scioto County investigators Daulton came to the Hoffer home Friday morning and attempted to make Louise sign a paper. She said Daulton then forced Mrs. Hoffer into the car. Louise apparently went without a struggle, authorities said.”
Kept on Move
“According to reported received by investigators, Daulton kept on the move in at least two states while he was at large.”
“Sheriff Fulton said he learned Daulton went to Wheeling, West Virginia, to the home of a sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Smith, who drove him to Springfield late Saturday. He stayed that night with another sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Bracken, and Sunday night with Mrs. Bracken’s son by a previous marriage, authorities said.”
“Bracken told investigators Daulton asked Bracken and the nephew to drive him to West Union. When they got to the bridge, Bracken said, Daulton asked to be let out of the car.”
To See a Friend
“He told Bracken, Sheriff Fulton reported, that he was going to walk across a field to see a friend about getting a car. Daulton reportedly told Bracken and the nephew he would meet them at the bridge later if he was unable to get the car.”
“Bracken told Sheriff Fulton he was frightened because Daulton was acting ‘unusual,’ and drove back to Springfield.”
“Sheriff Fulton said he also received a report that Daulton had been driven to Columbus Friday by a step-son, Harry Beechler of South Bend, Indiana Friday. Beechler is believed to be one of two men who accompanied Mrs. Daulton to West Union.”
“Highland County Sheriff Walter Reffitt was notified first when authorities learned Daulton was in the vicinity of the bridge. Clinton County authorities were called in when it was discovered the site was just across the line in that county.”
“Investigators first interviewed neighbors but were unable to find anyone who had seen Daulton. Hillsboro Police Chief William Woolard and Wilmington Police Chief Stanley Irwin had started to search the river bank for footprints when they found the weapon near the guardrail.”
“Sheriff Fulton, Deputy Troy Stamper and Investigator Williams were on their way to join the search party when they received a radio message on the discovery.”
“Sheriff Fulton believes the pistol with which Daulton apparently shot himself was not the one used to kill the Hoffers. He said the two women had been killed with .38 and .25 caliber weapons.”
“Daulton has been involved in killings twice during his career as a Rarden lawman.”
“October 22, 1955, Daulton shot and killed John Newman, 24, of Rarden, who had just returned from the service, authorities said. A Scioto County grand jury ignored a murder charged filed against the marshal. Daulton claimed the youth was resisting arrest.”
Accused in 1950
“Daulton also was accused of fatally wounding a neighbor, Clark Conley in April 1950. The shooting occured in Pike County where Daulton was arresting Conley on a warrant.”
“Claiming self-defense, Daulton stood trial for the Conley shooting, and the trial ended in a hung jury. The case was not retried.”
“Authorities reported Daulton also had a record of convictions for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Highland County in 1928 and for burglary in Adams County in 1937.”
“Recently Daulton had been working in Fort Wayne as a merchant policeman for Reliable Detective Agency.”
“Daulton was born June 23, 1904, the son of James and Laura Inlow Daulton of Adams County. Thirteen years ago he married Mary Edna Woodruff.”
“In addition to his widow, Daulton is survived by his father, now living near Seaman; a son Ellis, somewhere in California; three daughters, Mrs. Mildred Sander, living in Oregon, Mrs. Gloria Dean somewhere in Ohio, and Mrs. Carole Leonhart of Fort Wayne; a brother, Ralph of Seaman; two sisters, Mrs. Faye Bracken of Springfield and Mrs. Chloe Smith of Wheeling, and two step-sons, Harry Beechler of South Bend and Emerson Beechler of Washington Court House.”
“Funeral arrangements are pending at the Reynolds Funeral Home in Wilmington.”
“Virtually the entire Scioto County sheriff’s force was called out for the investigation and search.”
“Deputies Carl Linder, Ray Reynolds, Richard Piquet, William Reeg, Carl Roth and John Vinson Jr. and Special Deputy Clarence Pack all worked on the case.”
“Chief Deputy Burns and Prosecutor Burton directed the local investigation. Assistant Prosecutor Howard H Harcha Jr. and Investigator Williams also worked on the investigation for the prosecutor’s office.”5
“A village feud touched off by a firecracker has come to the tragic climax of double murder and apparent suicide.”
“Former Rarden marshal Sylvanus E. Daulton is dead. So are a Rarden area widow and her 18-year-old daughter. All are believed to have died under the stormy marshal’s gun.”
“And the grim events of the last four days may well have had their beginning 3 1/2 years ago in mayor’s court of the tiny village.”
“General peace was an accepted thing by some 300 villagers, under Mayor AP Hoffer6 and his police force: Marshal Daulton.”
“The mayor had appointed the marshal during his second term. They worked together closely, especially as the marshal carried out the mayor’s orders to halt shenanigans by the younger set.”
“Then, on September 20, 1954, Mayor Hoffer and Marshal Daulton split over alleged favoritism shown the mayor’s son. The marshal claimed the son got off easier than others in a group arrested for shooting off firecrackers.
“From that minor incident a bitter feud steadily developed between supporters of Hoffer and those backing Daulton.”
“The feud ranged in and out of the courts as ouster attempts against both men failed. It reached fever pitch when Daulton was charged with murder after shooting a young man he had arrested in Rarden.”
“In the beginning, it appeared Daulton had the mayor completely on the defensive. His claim that Hoffer helped the same son escape arrest on an assault charge led to Rarden Council’s asking the mayor to resign October 5, 1954.”
“Mayor Hoffer refused and 27 petitioners, with Daulton as a central figure, took the ouster move to Common Pleas Court where it was thrown out.”
“Three months later, Daulton’s charge that the mayor was refusing to cooperate with his marshal and hear criminal cases prompted Council to ‘fire’ Hoffer and appoint its president, AR Gardner7, as mayor.”
“Hoffer ignored the action by Council and the strife-torn village found itself with two chief executives.”
“The situation might still have been laughable, but Mr. Gardner issued a search warrant to Daulton so he could get the village seal, keys and records from the Hoffer home.”
“In a matter of hours, Rarden became an emotional powderkeg. Daulton tried to get county officers to serve his warrant, they refused and the Hoffer faction held its own.”
“The turning point in Daulton’s popularity apparently came May 27, 1955, when 15-year-old Margaret Louise Hoffer charged in Common Pleas Court that Daulton was the father of her unborn child.”
“Daulton was to be hunted for murdering Louise and her mother, Mrs. Florence Pearl Hoffer, nearly three years later.”
“A week after the paternity suit was filed, Rarden Council met in special session and discharged the marshal. He ignored the action and continued his armed patrols of the village streets.”
“Mayor Hoffer took this opportunity to issue a warrant charging Daulton with illegally carrying a gun.”
“The charge was dismissed in Common Pleas Court after five councilmen reversed their ouster votes against Daulton and accompanied him to court as his witnesses.’
“‘We found we’ve played right into Hoffer’s hands,’ they said. ‘We must have law and order in Rarden.'”
“A stalemate developed in August 1955 when the county election board disqualified Mayor Hoffer’s bid for reelection by declaring his candidacy petitions invalid.”
“But the feud raged more bitterly after the fatal shooting episode October 22, 1955.”
“Daulton had arrested three young men, among them John R. Newman, 24, for alleged disorderly conduct in Rarden. The marshal said they ‘jumped’ him while he was escorting them in his car to the county jail.”
“The marshal was wounded with his own gun, but he drew a hidden gun and killed Newman.”
“A second-degree murder charge was filed against Daulton by the victim’s father, Alton Newman, after another ouster movement against the marshall started.”
“County officials were asked by 116 petitioners, nearly half of Rarden’s population, to end a ‘reign of terror’ in the village by removing Daulton. The action came November 7, 1955.”
“The petitioners referred to Daulton as ‘this threat’ and declared ‘human lives are being placed in jeopardy by allowing SE Daulton to continue carrying guns…'”
“Former governor Frank Lausche had received information on the situation at Rarden. Governor C. William O’Neill, then attorney general, was asked for a legal opinion on the ouster action.”
“The anti-Daulton movement apparently was chilled by the grand jury’s ignoring the Newman murder charge on Friday, January 13, 1956. In steering clear of the situation, the jury urged Rarden villagers to retain legal counsel in putting village affairs in order.”
“With Mayor Hoffer fated to leave office and Marshal Daulton glad to be free of the murder charge, a cold war of waiting began at Rarden and the village eased out of the news columns.”
“Daulton’s name came up again May 26, 1957, when entry was filed in Common Pleas Court declaring him to be the father of Louise Hoffer’s child and ordering support payments.”
“The controversial marshal disappeared from the local scene and was not to be heard from again until Friday. He had been contacted by Miss Hoffer’s attorney about delinquency in support payments since a lone $30 check in December 1957.”
“Perhaps Daulton came back to Rarden to resolve the matter. Whatever the reason, his return to the now-peaceful village hurled it again into an ugly limelight.”8
“Scioto County investigators are checking a few more angles before closing their investigation of the Sylvanus E Daulton case.”
“They were slated today to question Mary Edna Daulton, wife of the former Rarden marshal who apparently committed suicide while being sought in the deaths of a Rarden mother and daughter.”
“Paul Williams, special investigator for Prosecutor Everett Burton, said there are a few points he wants to clear up in the story Mrs. Daulton gave Adams County authorities Tuesday afternoon.”
“Chief Deputy Sheriff CR Burns and Mr. Williams were to question Mrs. Daulton at the Trefz Funeral Home in Peebles. Her husband’s body was moved there Tuesday.”
“Adams County Sheriff Eugene Fulton said he feels after talking to Mrs. Daulton that she is not involved in the kidnapping and double slaying that launched the search for her husband.”
“Sheriff Fulton reported she said she did not learn of the crimes until Fort Wayne, Indiana, detectives checked her home there. She admitted being in West Union the day of the crimes, the sheriff said.
Body Found in Creek
“Daulton’s body was found Monday in southern Clinton County in the muddy East Fork of the Little Miami River. Officers said he died from a self-inflicted heart wound.”
“Authorities had been looking for Daulton since Saturday when he was charged with kidnapping Mrs. Florence Hoffer, 51. The search took on new impetus Sunday when Mrs. Hoffer and her daughter, Margaret Louise Hoffer, 18, were found dead in an abandoned barnyard in the Tranquility Wildlife Preserve in Adams County.”
“Daulton allegedly took the two women from their home on Hoffer road south of Rarden Friday morning.”
“Sheriff Fulton reported authorities have recovered notes written by Daulton and left in a drawer at the home of a sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Weaver Bracken of Springfield, where he spent last Saturday night.”
“Daulton did not mention the crimes in his notes but did refer to ‘this trouble,’ Sheriff Fulton said. According to the notes, the sheriff reported, Daulton told no one of his plans and no one was involved with him.”
“Daulton claimed in his notes he had been given a ‘dirty deal’ by jurors and witnesses when he was found guilty in Scioto County Common Pleas Court last May on a charge of fathering Louise Hoffer’s 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Deborah, Sheriff Fulton said. The notes referred to ‘two lying witnesses,’ the sheriff added.”
“The notes also contained instructions for Daulton’s funeral and burial, Sheriff Fulton said.”
“Daulton had been in the are about two weeks ago, reportedly to see about payments he was ordered by the court to make for support of Louise Hoffer’s daughter.”
“Mrs. Daulton told Sheriff Fulton her husband left for West Union because he was afraid he would lose his job with a Fort Wayne detective agency if charged with contempt of court for not keeping up with his support payments.”
Talked with Wife Thursday Night
“She said she talked to him twice by telephone Thursday night and he told her to come to West union by bus Friday to pick up his 1951 model car. She said she was driven there in a station wagon early Friday by Harry Beechler, a son by previous marriage, and a friend of his, Sheriff Fulton said.”
“Mrs. Daulton said she was unable to find Daulton in West Union and drove on to Rarden and past the Hoffer residence while searching for him. She finally located him in West Union later that morning at the home of Inez Ames, the sheriff said.”
“The widow said she and her son’s friend returned to Fort Wayne in Daulton’s car while her son drove Daulton to Columbus in the station wagon.”
“Mrs. Daulton said her husband told her he was going to Columbus to look for a job. Daulton told Beechler he was going to Wheeling, West Virginia, to collect some money owed him by another brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Smith.”
“Mr. Williams said Scioto County authorities are interested in learning what Daulton told his wife supposedly when he cried and whispered to her at the Ames home. Sheriff Fulton said he didn’t get a clear answer from Mrs. Daulton on that point.”
“Mrs. Daulton told Sheriff Fulton on her way back to Fort Wayne she picked up a package Daulton left for her at a grocery store near May Hill, near the Adams County home of his father, James. She said it contained a .38 snub-nose revolver, shaving gear, a pair of gloves and other personal belongings.”
Had Multiple Wounds
“The Hoffers were found with multiple gunshot wounds in their bodies. There was evidence Mrs. Hoffer had been beaten, Sheriff Fulton said.”
“Sheriff Fulton said there are no plans at present to conduct ballistics tests to determine if the gun found near Daulton’s body was the same used in the killings. The gun was found on a bridge on Route 134 about five miles north of Lynchburg. Daulton’s body was submerged and lodged against piling under the bridge.”
“A controversial character during is years as Rarden marshal, Daulton had been working recently as a merchant policeman in Fort Wayne.”
“Daulton’s body was taken to the Trefz Funeral Home from the Reynolds Funeral Home at Wilmington. Funeral services are to be conducted at Peebles at 10 AM Thursday by Reverend David Phillips. Burial will follow in Locust Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home tonight.”9
Convincing Story Told by Widow of Daulton
“Scioto County authorities said today they have no evidence to tie the wife of Sylvanus E. Daulton into the kidnapping and double slaying that touched off a nationwide search for the former Rarden marshal.”
“Paul Williams, special investigator for Prosecutor Everett Burton, said the case will not be closed officially, however, until ballistics tests can be run on guns Mrs. Daulton has offered to turn over to authorities.”
“Chief Deputy CR Burns and Mr. Williams questioned Mrs. Mary Edna Daulton, Wednesday afternoon at Trefz Funeral Home in Peebles. Funeral services were held there today for her husband.”
“‘I’m virtually convinced she had nothing to do with the crimes,’ Mr. Williams said. ‘She cooperated during our questioning and I don’t believe she held anything back.’ There are no plans at present to file any charges, Mr. Williams said.”
“Deputy Burns and Mr. Williams questioned Mrs. Daulton to clear up some points in the story she told Adams County authorities.”
“The search for Daulton ended Monday afternoon when his body was found in southern Clinton County in the East Fork of the Little Miami River. He was dead from a .38 caliber bullet wound in the heart. Authorities said he committed suicide.”
“The search for Daulton, who had been living in Fort Wayne, Indiana, recently started Saturday when he was charged with kidnapping Mrs. Florence Hoffer of near Rarden.”
“It was stepped up late Sunday when Mrs. Hoffer and her daughter Margaret Louise Hoffer, 18, were found in the Tranquility Wildlife Preserve in Adams County.”
“Daulton allegedly took the two women from their home on Hoffer Hill road south of Rarden Friday morning.”
“Mrs. Daulton said she went to West Union Friday morning after her husband called her from there Thursday night and asked her to come and pick up his car, Mr. Williams reported.”
“Mrs. Daulton said she went to West Union Friday morning after her husband called her from there Thursday night and asked her to come and pick up his car, Mr. Williams reported.”
“She also told investigators she followed her husband because she was worried ‘he might do something to himself.’ She said he was despondent after receiving a letter from Attorney Raymond T. Switalski of Portsmouth, counsel for Louise Hoffer, concerning Daulton’s failure to pay for support of Louise’s 2 1/2 year old daughter.”
“Daulton was found guilty in Common Pleas Court last May of fathering the child.”
“Mrs. Daulton said she had no knowledge of the crimes for which her husband was wanted until authorities contacted her at the home of a son, Harry Beecher, in South Bend, Indiana, after Daulton’s body was found.”
“Mr. Williams said ballistics test probably will be run on a .28 caliber snub nose revolver, which was in a package Daulton had his wife take with her from West Union, and a .25 caliber automatic.”
‘Mrs. Daulton said the .25 caliber weapon was at the Fort Wayne home during the entire time the crimes were committed in Adams and Scioto counties. Mr. Williams said, however, there have been reports Daulton was carrying a .25 caliber automatic and that .25 and .28 caliber bullets were used to kill the Hoffers.”
“Mr. Williams and Deputy Burns also questioned Mrs. Daulton on a conversation she had with her husband at the home of Mrs. Inez Ames in West Union Friday morning after the kidnapping and after the murders were believed to have been committed.”
“The widow said she had asked her husband to go home to Fort Wayne with her but said that he said, ‘I can’t go home now.’ She said there was no mention of the kidnapping and slayings.”
“Mrs. Daulton said she and her husband left West Union Friday in a station wagon and that her son and a friend followed in Daulton’s car. Near May Hill in Adams County, she said, she got into the car with her son’s friend and returned to Indiana. Her son drove Daulton to Columbus in the station wagon, she reported.”
“Daulton later went on to Wheeling, West Virginia, and Springfield, staying with relatives in both places.”
“The local investigators also looked over two notes Daulton had left at the home of a sister in Springfield.”
In one note he wrote, ‘This is to certify that no one knows anything about my trouble or had anything to do concerning it but myself.'”
“The note made no specific reference to the kidnap-murders. It was signed, ‘Just the unlucky one, S.E.D.'”
“In the other note, Daulton states, ‘I read the papers and found that people in and around Rarden and Portsmouth can still lie.'”
“Daulton was a controversial figure during his years as Rarden marshal. In 1955 he was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Rarden youth, but the grand jury ignored the charge.”
“Mr. Williams said the .25 caliber weapon in Mirs. Daulton’s possession is the one used in the 1955 shooting. The ballistics tests will be handled by Adams County authorities.”10
Notice of Appointment: Case No. 37809
“Estate of Margaret Louise Hoffer, deceased.”
“Notice is hereby given that Raymond T. Switalski of Room 224 Masonic Temple Building, Portsmouth, Ohio, has been duly appointed administrator of the Estate of Margaret Louise Hoffer, deceased, late of Rarden, Ohio.”
“Creditors are required to file their claims with said fiduciary within four months.”
“Dated this 23rd day of May 1958. Kenneth Cranston, Probate Judge of said County.”11
The Estates of Florence and Margaret Louise Hoffer
“Attorney Raymond. T. Switalski, administrator listed assets of $2166 in real estate for the estate of Florence Hoffer and $1300 in real estate for the estate of her daughter, Margaret Louise Hoffer. Mrs. Hoffer and her daughter were slain last March in Adams County. A search for the alleged murderer, former Rarden marshal Sylvanus E. Daulton, ended when his body was found in the Little Miami River in Clinton County. He was an apparent suicide victim.”12
The Headstone of Florence Hoffer and her Daughter Margaret Louise Hoffer
- Daulton is Accused in Kidnap Case. (1958, March 22). Portsmouth Times, p. 18.
- Burns, L. W. (1958, March 24). Ex-marshal is sought as key in twin killing. Portsmouth Times, pp. 5–5.
- Lucretia Catherine Monroe Mangus. Other sources state that the maiden surname was Purdue
- Dr. Richard Lee Woodyard
- Huber, M. (1958, March 25). Rarden ex-marshall is found dead. Portsmouth Times, pp. 1–12.
- Aaron Paul Hoffer
- Alpheus Roscoe Gardner
- Roberts, T. (1958, March 25). Village feud has a tragic ending for three victims. Portsmouth Times, pp. 1–12.
- Mrs. daulton questioned in dual slaying. (1958, March 26). Portsmouth Times, pp. 1–15.
- Convincing story told by widow of daulton. (1958, March 27). Portsmouth Times, pp. 1–13.
- Notice of appointment. (1958, June 4). Portsmouth Times, p. 16.
- (1958, July 2). Portsmouth Times, p. 4.
