Amish Dilemma

by Sioux Dallas

  She then turned to the people in the court. “Mr. Startz, and all of your sons and friends. I offer a deep, heartfelt apology for the horrendous behavior of these other young men. It is apparent to me that they lack proper home training and I strongly advise their parents to talk to them about harassing and fighting people just because they are different. I’m going to dismiss all of you, but leave it up to the Amish whether they wish to press charges.”

  Jacob shook his head. “Your honor, that is against our religion. We must forgive or our Lord cannot forgive us.”

  “That’s all I need to hear.” She looked at the town young men. “If I hear even a hint of any of you being involved in anything like this again, you won’t have to wait to determine whether you will be sued. I will bring you up on charges.” She glared at their fathers. “And I might even include the parents in that. Go in peace.”

  She hit the pad with her gavel. “Deputies, follow the Amish out first and make sure they leave safely.”

  Sheriff Fleming stood up to follow them also. There was relief and anger flowing among the crowd leaving the room.

  Judge Pierson waited until the bailiff came back in and nodded to him.

  “The rest of you may be dismissed. I want all of you to think carefully about the golden rule.”

  She left her bench and thankfully went back to her office.

  Chapter Six

  Jenna Mae had waited with Charity while the men were at the court house. Both women were weak with relief when Mrs. Fleming pulled into the driveway and Jacob and Lawrence got out. Jacob tried to pay her, but she refused.

  “Danki. Gott segen eich,” Jacob told her sincerely.

  “Thank you, Jacob, and God bless all of you. I was sure it would turn out the way it did.”

  She backed up and drove off while Jenna Mae and Charity tried to hug Lawrence at the same time.

  Adam hurried in from the field to welcome them and hear about Lawrence’s problems.

  All of the Startz children were present. Matthew, Alicia, Maeve and Joseph gathered around their brother to hear about all of Lawrence’s adventures as Maeve called it.

  Charity was so relieved and flustered she could hardly think. “Everyone kumme esh (come eat). Don’t baddere (bother) with the shoes.”

  Charity was so excited and happy that she could hardly talk. “Kumme, sitz and eat yourself full,” she told everyone. “I have bohnesuppe (bean soup) and cornbread. There is bread pudding aplenty.”

  There was the silent prayer before they ate. Jacob was so pleased to have his son home without the trouble he had expected, that he broke tradition and prayed aloud.

  Charity had pickled beets, corn on the cob and a cabbage salad. The food was delicious, but it was more so because of the joy and relief.

  Two weeks went by with the usual work, Samshdawk visiting and Sunndawk service. The entire community was at peace and all was going well. One Freidawk morning, Kyle thought he would please his father and get up early to do the barn chores. At five he was up and dressed and out to the barn. He greeted the gauls who nickered with pleasure knowing he was going to feed them. The kees lowed hoping they would be fed and milked soon.

  Kyle went to the back of the barn and had to light a lantern. He swung it up and then gasped almost dropping it. He caught it knowing if he dropped it there would be a fire. What he saw was unbelievable. A body. A man lying on his face in the hay. It was someone from town because he was not dressed as the Amish do.

  Kyle was still standing there not moving when Amos walked in. “Gott in himmel, buwe. (God in Heaven, boy). Are you trying to burn the place down?” He could see Kyle was trembling.

  He could not answer his dad; just pointed. Amos hurried over to see what had Kyle so upset. “Was is letz do?” He then saw the body and ran closer to see better. “Who is it?”

  “I don’t know, daed. He’s on his face.”

  “We must not touch. The sheriff will want to see everything as it is.”

  Oliver came in, yawning broadly, to help get the kees ready for milking.

  Amos took him by a shoulder and would not let him see the body. “Oliver, we must call the sheriff.”

  “How daed? We don’t have a phone.”

  “Run to our Englisch neighbors, the Morrisons and ask them to call the sheriff for us.”

  Amish children are taught not to question. Oliver took off in a run and then stopped quickly, his bare feet raising dust.

  “What shall I tell them is wrong. Why are you calling him?”

  “Just make the call and tell the sheriff it’s very important.”

  Oliver took off as fast as he could run. He was back soon and anxious to know why the sheriff was needed.

  “Never mind, buwe, just go in and tell your mamm that we’ve called the sheriff.”

  Sarah came hurrying out anxious to see what was going on. Amos met her at the door and whispered to her. She gasped and started to walk closer to the body, but he would not let her.

  “We must not get close. There might be something the sheriff could use to determine who killed him.”

  “Who is it?”

  “We don’t know yet. He’s on his face and we must not touch him.”

  Sirens were heard and soon Sheriff Fleming rushed in with a deputy car close behind him. He hurried out of the car leaving the door open.

  “What is it, Amos? What’s the trouble?”

  “Kumme, look in the sheiyah.”

  They walked into the barn where Kyle was still standing as if he were too afraid to move.

  Sheriff Fleming looked worried and moved close to the body. “Who is it?”

  “I don’t know. I would not let anyone touch anything until you got first look.”

  “Thank you. That’s wise. Too many times people destroy clues without meaning to do so.”

  “Herb,” he called to a deputy. “Bring the camera and latex gloves.”

  The sheriff took pictures of the body and all around it as well as the distance from the door to the body. Pulling on latex gloves he and the deputy carefully rolled the body over to the back.

  “Well, I’ll be -- Amos come look.”

  Amos and Kyle moved carefully closer to look at the face of the man.

  Kyle gasped. “It’s Darren Kennedy. He’s the one that has been causing me and others so much trouble. Who killed him and how did he get here?”

  “Well now, son. Those are my questions. What do you know about this?”

  “N-n-nothing. I didn’t even know he was in here.”

  “A dead person doesn’t just walk in and lay himself down.”

  Amos was more disturbed than ever. “How was he killed?”

  “The medical examiner will tell us that. Did either of you hear anything during the night that was unusual?”

  “Nee,” Amos shook his head. “We didn’t know until we came out to do our work and found him.”

  The sheriff turned to Kyle. “Son, I know you could not kill anyone, but since this boy went out of his way to cause trouble for you his family will probably accuse you and demand action. I know your religion does not encourage having an attorney or going to court, but you’d better be prepared.”

  The Medical Examiner and his assistant pulled up with a van and a stretcher. Warren Barker had been ME for several years and was well acquainted with the Amish and their beliefs. “Who would do this and put the body in your barn?”

  “I don’t know, Warren,” Amos replied sadly. “I’m hoping you can tell us something that will help.”

  “Amos, I’ll do the very best I can.”

  The medical report came back that Darren had ingested a powerful poison. His father denied having any around their house and loudly declared that, “Those Amish have a lot of poison around their barns and fields.” The ME determined poison had apparently been mixed in a muffin recipe.

  Sarah was appalled. “I would never, for any reason, put poison of any kind in my food. He got it somewhere besides here.”

 
Adam was worried for Kyle. He knew how sometimes circumstantial evidence can look bad. He knew people would remember the fight in town and claim that Kyle was angry and either gave the poison to Darren or had someone do it for him. Anyone who knew anything about the Amish knew they would not even defend themselves and they certainly would not commit murder.

  Bishop Eash called a special service for the congregation to pray together and give moral support to the Snader family. Benjamin Lapp and Joseph Lehman came to Amos after the service and told him they were with him.

  “We’ll be ready to help you any way we can,” Benjamin explained. “If you need us to go somewhere with you and give support, we’re ready.”

  Joseph placed a hand on Amos’ shoulder. “If you do have to hire an attorney and Bishop Eash approves, we’ll make sure you have the money.”

  Amos and Sarah were grateful for such good friends, but they knew that the entire Amish community stood together in any difficult situation.

  There was a quiet funeral for Darren. Only relatives and close friends were notified of place and time. Sheriff Fleming hoped the Kennedy family had decided to be low key and not cause trouble for the Amish. He was more at ease now that the funeral was over and there was no big demonstration.

  The sheriff and the deputies were quietly asking friends of Darren what they thought of him and why anyone would want to kill him; especially in this manner.

  There were no clues and nothing to give the sheriff the opportunity to arrest someone. He was getting discouraged. In the twenty-four years he had been in law enforcement, there had been only one other murder. There had been a lot of vandalism and annoying small crimes, but nothing this big.

  Shickshinny was a small town of a little less than a thousand people. It was in Luzame County which was not all that big.

  Three weeks went by and one day a deputy came with a citation for Kyle stating that he would probably be charged with the murder of Darren Kennedy. Kyle was taken in for questioning. When he arrived at the jail, Mr. Kennedy was there looking smug.

  “Now farm boy. We’ll be able to send you to prison for life. You people can not possible be as passive and forgiving as I’ve been told. You might as well confess. You were angry that my son got off without being charged and you can’t do anything against him publicly. I think you waited to get your chance to get to him hoping you would not be suspected.”

  Kyle said nothing. He thought to himself ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) He just stood saying nothing while Mr. Kennedy ranted and raved until he was red in the face and shaking. He looked as if he were going to attack Kyle at any minute.

  Deputy Monroe Porter stepped between them. “Now Mr. Kennedy. No one has been charged with a crime yet. We’re still working to find out what really happened. Why was your son killed and why was he taken to an Amish barn and left?”

  Sheriff Fleming was sad to see that newspapers and television reporters were hanging around the town hoping to get a big story.

  Kyle was questioned until he was confused and worried. Amos and Jacob were at the court house, but were not permitted to go in where Kyle was being questioned.

  Joshua Kime joined them one day and told them something he had heard.

  Angela Wilkins had been home from college but had to go back for an early session. It was common knowledge that she and Darren had dated and that Angela was crazy about him. Would she know anything?

  The three men asked to speak to the sheriff and told him of the attraction between the two young people.

  “Maybe she knows something that we haven’t found out yet,” Amos said hopefully. “Can you get her back here or could you send someone to talk to her?”

  “I don’t think I can get her back here, but I can send someone to talk to her. Come to think of it, she wasn’t present at the funeral. She probably couldn’t get away from college at that time.”

  Kyle was dismissed and allowed to go home. There was rejoicing in the home, but the dark cloud still hung over them.

  There was continued harassment of anyone wearing Amish clothing.

  A few loyal customers continued to shop at Amish owned stores, but business did suffer.

  Sheriff Fleming was frustrated at the lack of clues or evidence in the death of Darren Kennedy. He had not been able to get in touch with Angela because she had gone to Spain with a college group. Finally the third week of August she had returned and come home for a short visit. She was shocked and appalled to hear of the death of a dear friend.

  “I didn’t know,” she cried. “Oh, if I had only known that would be the last we would see each other I would not have been so angry at him.”

  “Why were you angry?” Sheriff Fleming asked.

  “Darren had said we would get engaged before I returned to college. When we discussed it he said he was not sure he was ready for a commitment. He was the one who always talked of an engagement and made plans of marriage. I stupidly had told some of my friends at college that I would return with an engagement ring. I was embarrassed, hurt and, I guess, a little angry.”

  “Would you be kind enough to tell me what you did discuss?”

  “There’s not much more I can tell you. I did bake some banana nut muffins for him because he loved them so much. He ate two and drank a cup of coffee at my house and took six home with him. Knowing what a sweet tooth he has -- uh had, he probably ate them the same night.”

  The Sheriff drew back in surprise and with a frightening thought. “Do you remember what you placed in the muffins?”

  “Yes, sir. I used a recipe my mother had always used. You can read the ingredients in her cook book.”

  “Please show it to me.”

  She took him into the kitchen and showed him the recipe in the book.

  “And you used all of these ingredients?”

  “Of course. Why do you ask?” She was puzzled.

  “Angela, the Medical Examiner determined that he had ingested a large dose of rat poison possibly in muffins.”

  She shrieked. “We don’t even have any of that in our house. I would certainly be too careful to use a poison of any kind.”

  “Calm down. I’m not accusing you. I’m only telling you what was found in his stomach.”

  “Oh, please. I hope you won’t think I had something to do with his death. I would never be that cruel to anyone. Are you suspecting anyone?”

  “He was found in an Amish barn; in fact in a barn of one of the young men he, and his buddies, had fought in town one day.”

  “That’s something else we disagreed about. I told him I did not approve of what he did. I know the Amish would not lift a hand in anger against anyone. It’s against their religion. Now what happens?”

  Sheriff Fleming looked at her. “I’m going to continue to question his friends, if they are his friends, and hopefully someone will remember something they had thought was not important.”

  “Would you like for me to talk to them?”

  “Oh, no. thank you, but this is police business.” He started to go to the front of the house preparing to leave, but stopped and looked thoughtful.

  “I would like for your parents to approve of your involvement, but as you’re in their age group, maybe some of the young people would talk more freely to you than they would to us. If your parents approve, I’ll get with you and give you some questions to ask.”

  “Please let me help. I’ll do anything you say.”

  Before the Sheriff could talk to Angela’s parents, there was another calamity in the Amish community. A tremendous thunder storm came up suddenly with powerful thunder and lightning.

  The water back of Adam’s filled and ran over the banks. People were keeping their children in for fear they’d get caught in the rising water.

  There were two big cracks of thunder and several lightning flashes running horizontal across the sky. Then a big streak of lightning came down and hit the barn of Tobias Hershberger. He and his two oldest sons, Mordeca
i and Joshua ran out to get the animals to safety. The hay and wood were burning rapidly. Tobias was burned on his back when a burning timber fell on him. Mordecai drug his father out and called his sister, Silvia, to come see to their father.

  Tobias’ wife, Marcella, had already rung the big bronze bell to alert the neighbors that there was trouble and they needed help. In spite of the weather, eight buggies, full of people were soon there to help any way they could. The women ran in to help prepare food for the workers if it was necessary.

  Isaac Slabough shook his head. “There is no hope for the sheiyah, but all the gediere are safe.”

  Abraham Zook said, “There’s nothing more we can do here until it stops raining. We always help each other. Don’t worry.” He patted Marcella’s shoulder. “How is Tobias?”

  “Danki for asking. He is burned but not too bad for me to put a salve on his back and keep his down for a few days.” She shook her head. “That will be the hard part.”

  “Nee,” Jacob laughed. “Keeping him out of his clothes for a few days will be the hard part.”

  “Ja, I may have to tie him down--- on his stomach.”

  No one wanted to eat, so soon the Hershberger family was alone.

  On Sunndawk the service was held in the home of Benjamin and Angela Lapp. The Bishop reminded everyone of the Hershberger loss and said that there would be a barn raising on the following Deensdawk if it was dry enough. Everyone was thrilled to think of getting together with one of the few social events they had. They called it a frolic.

  Chapter Seven

  The day promised to be bright and clear, but humid and hot. August was holding the heat of the summer. An Englisch neighbor, David Bolling, was in the construction business. He offered a big truck and drivers to help haul any material needed. He also offered to furnish some picnic benches and tables for as long as they were needed to serve food.

  Dr. Jonathan Alicea and his wife Catherine came to be available in the event there was an accident. He also had a tool belt on and was willing to work. Catherine was wearing brown slacks and a yellow blouse, but was willing to work with the women. Their sons, Conrad and Marshall, offered to do what they could. Would Catherine be accepted?