The Indian and the Watch (Defiance County History 1883 Page 157)

William Lewis House   East Defiance, Ohio    2015

William Preston, Grave, Edgerton, Williams Co., Ohio

Double Log Cabin    (Auglaize Village Defiance County Historical Soc.)

    At an early day, when Defiance could boast of having a log jail and the Sheriff lived in a double log cabin in East Defiance, where stands the brick residence owned by William Lewis (Baker House now), one of Defiance early pioneers. His Honor the Sheriff William Preston, had an Indian in the lock-up for stealing a watch. The custom of the Sheriff was to hang the key to the jail at the entrance of his double log cabin, and as court convened but a year several young men, thinking it rather expensive to the county to keep the Indian until next term of court, proceeded to the Sheriff residents, took the key from the porch and let the Indian out. Several young men  being station at convenient distance, with whips in hand, whipped the Indian out of town. The next morning, the sheriff took down the as usual, and started for the jail with breakfast for his prisoner, found no Indian. The boys had locked the door, and returned the key to its proper place. Frederick Bridenbaugh, Allen Brocher, James Spofford, and others were te boys who had the fun.