On its society page of February 25, 1903, after giving the highlights of the teenage dance in the village of Kyle and reports the snow drifting across the north-south roads so badly that they were impassable, the Hamilton Evening Democrat reported on this incident at the Wardlow farm:
The Hamilton (Ohio) Evening Democrat, February 25, 1903
One of our young and enterprising farmers had quite an experience with a small and mysterious animal the other morning about daylight. Mr. Wardlow, on going out to attend to some stock quite a distance from the house, saw a small moving object in the path ahead of him, coming in his direction. He cried “Shoo!” and “Get out!” but it was neither a sheep nor a dog, and didn’t understand but kept right on coming toward him. It had its banner raised high in the air, as though to defy the world, so Mr. Wardlow retreated and fortified himself behind a pile of rocks, and when the animal came within shooting distance commenced a bombardment of rocks, but he was a poor shot and the animal came forward until it was near enough to begin its own defense, and it wasn’t long until he had its enemy on the run. It was then Mr. Wardlow found the beast was a skunk, better known as a polecat. Mr. Wardlow’s hired hand says he was a half day hauling the rocks off the meadow, where Mr. Wardlow had his battle and was defeated, for he left the polecat in possession of the whole domain.
The Arsenic Affair
A Two-Dollar Terror #2
Now we know this fellow as Lorel Wardlow, the beleaguered husband who in 1917 was poisoned in a conspiracy between his wife and his farm hand, the subject of A Two-Dollar Terror #2, “The Arsenic Affair: The True Crime of Belle Wardlow and Harry Cowdry. 
After 25 years as journalist specializing in arts/entertainment and community reporting, I now divide my time between True Crime Historian and keeper of the community news and information blog Hey! Hamilton! I am also the blogmaster for the Butler County Historical Society and the Hamilton Parks Conservancy.
True Crime Historian 
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