William Adin: Murder X3

William Adin was born 17 Feb 1819 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire,  England . 

He lived in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Barbary "Barbara" McCoy a widower of William McKay. They had started a peanut stand and then a grocery store which Barbara ran while William was a expressman, he delivered packages to Cleveland  businesses  something like our UPS today. 

On 4 Dec 1875 William awake as usual at 4 AM, he was 56 years old, he dressed quietly and went down to the kitchen and lit a fire. Thinking it was too early to wake his wife he ventured down to the corner where the firehouse stood and talked to (Enginehouse #8) fireman Otto Schuardt, which he did often, always complaining about his family troubles, and everyone knew about them. He said his wife was stealing from him for years and his step-daughter Hattie McKay put her up to it. He ranted for an hour. He did have the money for the tax bill or his bank loan. Hattie McKay told at least one person that he had unsuccessfully tried to "ruin" her several times. He had also tried to get her fired from her job at the millinery store. He did not like her independence.

Hattie had moved out with her mother 14 Dec 1874 when she filed for divorce, Barbara was granted temporary alimony and eventually won a supplementary lawsuit for recovery of her possessions from the house. William begged her to come home and she finally gave in but her daughter refused to go back and she stayed with the Mrs. & Mr. George Benson, living on Forest St. (East 37th St., near Central Ave.). William called it the house of ill fame. 

He wasn't going to stand for it any more. He was going to have a "settlement for all past wrongs," by God, and he "might just as well settle first as last" and he believed in fact, "that he would settle with her right now--this morning!" 

William went back home and started in on his wife wanting money for the taxes. Saying she stole from him and she called him a lair and he Picked up an ax and a claw hammer in a corner of the kitchen, and William furiously and methodically beat and smashed her to bloody death with powerful blows of his deadly implements. He then headed to the Benson House. Elizabeth benson was shaking out the tablecloth as he passed her to get into the house and to the kitchen where he found Hattie. George Benson had already left for work. William pulled out his bloody claw hammer and began hitting her in the head. Neighbors who heard but did not see his mayhem, later described the noise it made as sounding like "someone breaking coal on the floor." Hattie never had a chance: the first blow knocked her to her knees and her stepfather continued his work until her skull was a splintered wreck with her brains actually oozing out. Adin seems to have been aiming strictly for the top of her head; Hattie's other injuries, including a broken jaw and facial injuries were incurred as she desperately tried to turn away from his relentless hammer. Elizabeth Benton somehow became aware of the trouble in her kitchen. Forcing open the door, she confronted William as his encrimsoned hammer rose and fell. As he later resentfully recalled, she "flew at me like a cat," desperately trying to halt his assault on Hattie. Turning his back on the prostrate and unconscious Hattie, he snarled, "You are the cause of all this!" and proceeded to hit Elizabeth again and again . . . and again with his heavy hammer. When she stopped moving or making any noise, he returned to hammering Hattie. A few seconds later, Mrs. Benton revived and tried to crawl out the door, only to be dragged back into the kitchen and beaten some more by the methodical William. He finished his daily business and went home as if nothing happened.

Here are some newspaper articles:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60506877/william-adin/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60507030/william-adin/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60506227/william-adin/

Here's a in depth story of the crimes:

http://web.ulib.csuohio.edu/speccoll/bellamy/chapt8.html

He was found guilty of murder and was executed 22 June 1896 in Cleveland, OH.

Here's a photo of pretty young Hattie she was only 23 years old.

Below is Hattie's will, her brother John McKay was executor 

Here is his execution reported in the newspaper, there are several but they are all short.

The newspaper article on William Adin cost for his trial.

  Here is the link to all their Memorials on Find A Grave, they were all buried together as a family.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52472408/william-adin

Sad story, Barbara should of stayed at the Benson home and followed through with the divorce, she might of lived longer. It was senseless and cruel and unnecessary. He knew what he was doing and he did it will a cool sense of calculation. 

Here is where their store and home would of been not sure which corner so I screenshotted both. I did save them on Google Maps, look for Criminal Genealogy.