William Manington & Lewis F. Manington ~ Justice of the Peace & Constable of Waynesville in 1879

Two brothers involved in law enforcement had their hands full in Waynesville in 1879! William and Lewis F. Manington were two of the sons of Joseph and Lydia Lynch Manington. Joseph and Lydia were married October 1, 1818 in Wayne Township, Warren Co., Ohio. They had seven children. The name is often spelled as "Mannington", in various documents.

William Manington was 53 in 1879, the year of the apparently accidental killing of Captain William Rion Hoel and the Anderson triple murder in Waynesville. He presided during the inquest concerning the death of Captain Hoel. He also took part in the inquest concerning the Anderson trip murder. He was a retired shoemaker and a Justice of the Peace. At the time of these events, the Mannington household also included his niece, Clementine, and his mother, Lydia Manington.

His wife was Elmina R. Lickins who was 43 in 1879 and they had four children living at home: Anna (18), Isaiah (14), Fanny M. (9) and Ella (2). See, 1880 Census, Place: Waynesville, Warren, Ohio; Roll: T9_1075; Family History Film: 1255075; Page: 473B; Enumeration District: 79; Image: 0360. William and Elmina Lickins Manington were married on December 15th, 1836 in Butler Co., Ohio.

William was also a Trustee and the clerk of the Board of Trustees of Miami Cemetery.

One of William's brothers, Lewis F. Manington was Constable of Waynesville and a farmer in 1879. Lewis F. Manington fought in the Civil War in the 79th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the 1870s Lewis F. Manington and his family had moved to Spring Valley where they were employed in the bagging factory of the Messrs. Walton. It was there in 1871 that Lewis Manington lost one of his arms in a factory accident. It was reported in the Miami-Gazette, January 18th, 1871:

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT SPRING VALLEY: Last Wednesday morning while Mr. Lewis F. Manington, who for some time has been in the employ of the Messrs. Walton at Spring Valley, was engaged in feeding the carding machine in the bagging factory, his right arm became caught in the works from which he was unable to extricate it until so mangled that it had to be amputated just below the elbow joint. Mr. Manington’s sufferings must have been intense; yet he bore them manfully, and during the amputation was not put under any soporific influence. The surgical operation was performed by Drs. Carey and Elgin of the village, who deserve credit for the skillful manner in which it was done. Mr. Manington is, we are glad to say, doing well, and will in a short time, it is hoped, be about again. We tender him our sympathy in his sad affliction ~ the more so as he had after repeated misfortune, begun to recruit when again afflicted by this sudden casualty.

Lewis Manington had a prosthetic arm. It was reported in the Miami-Gazette on August 2nd, 1871 that “Lewis F. Manington has obtained a new arm instead of the one he lost some months since.”

In April 1879 Lewis F. Manington, 46 years of age, was elected Assessor and Constable of Waynesville (Miami-Gazette, April 9th, 1879). Besides having to deal with four murders, it would also be a year of personal tragedy for Mr. Manington. It was reported in the Miami-Gazette on December 31st, 1879 that his daughter Beulah fell and severely injured her spine. It was not a mortal accident, although that was at first feared. Shortly after the turn of the new Year it was reported in the same paper that his sister, Mrs. M. A. Appleton of Springfield, died of consumption (January 14th, 1880). In mid-August of 1880, the Lewis Manington family moved away from Waynesville to Jamestown in Greene County where he commenced a career in hotel keeping (Miami-Gazette, August 25th, 1880).

Lewis (36) and his first wife, Sarah Jane Van Camp (35), in 1870 were living in Wayne Township with their eight children: Emma (18), Robert (17), Joseph (15), Florence (14), Beulah (12), Eliza (10), Walter S. (5) and Howard (3) [1870 Federal Census, Roll, M593_1277, page 115, Image 636]. Sarah was reported to have been suffering from cancer so bad that she was confined to bed and unable to care for herself in the Miami-Gazette, February 2nd, 1870. Lewis Manington remarried on October 12, 1871 to Mary Ellen Smith. It was reported in the Miami-Gazette, October 18th, 1871:

MANINGTON~SMITH~At the home of Mr. Shaffer, near this place, October 12, 1871, by Elder C. M. Robertson, Mr. Lewis F. Manington and Miss Mary Ellen Smith. Lewis remembered the printers in his joy, and receives in return their best wishes for his happiness.

At the time of the 1880 Census, the Maningtons were still living in Corwin, across the river from Waynesville. Lewis was 47 and his second wife, Mary, was 26. His daughter Beulah who worked as a domestic servant was 18. His grandson, Harry, was living with them (Year: 1880; Census Place: Corwin, Warren, Ohio; Roll: T9_1075; Family History Film: 1255075; Page: 472D; Enumeration District: 79; Image: 0358.).

Lewis F. Manington requested membership in the Society of Friends (Miami Monthly Meeting) 5th mo. 28th day 1884. However, he requested to leave membership on 7th mo. 22nd 1885. See, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume V, Ohio by Hinshaw (Baltimore, MD.: Genealogical Publishing co., Inc., 1994), p. 96.

The following obituary for Lewis F. Manington is in the possession of local historian Dorothy Carter. Unfortunately, it is undated although most likely from the Miami-Gazette:

The funeral of ex-constable L. F. Manington which took place according to announcement, in the G. A. R. hall last Wednesday afternoon, was largely attended. The W. R. Hoel Post in full force escorted the remains to the hall; the pallbearers were Wm. Cook, F. W. Hathaway, D. R. Anderson, H. Kilbon, D. A. Brown and John Biggs. The music by the M. E. church choir was solemn and appropriate. Rev. R. K. Deem offered a feeling and beautiful prayer and also read several selections of scripture. Comrade Cartwright announced that by request of the deceased, his old commander, Col. Doan, of Wilmington, would speak upon this solemn occasion. Col. Doan responded by saying wealth could not have procured his services or presence at that time, but he was there because the sleeper was his comrade. He based his remarks upon the works, “If a man die, shall he live again?” His discourse was touching and pathetic, and he accorded to his dead comrade the praise of being a brave soldier, and a kind comrade, who on one occasion when the “boys” were on half rations, shared his last “hard tack” with his hungry colonel. The speaker cheered the mourning friends with the assurance that in the last few months of Mr. Manington’s life he had given evidence that he was a child of God, and that there was a hope of life beyond the grave for him.