Gladwin County MI Archives Obituaries.....SWANTON, JOHN HAZEN November 20, 1964
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Thomas Ladner tomdladner@yahoo.com April 29, 2008, 9:08 am

Gladwin County Record dated 11-25/1964 Column - 7 Page - 1  
SAGINAW MAN IS HELD IN SHOTGUN SLAYING

   An ex-mental patient has been arraigned on a first degree murder charge in 
the shotgun slaying early Friday morning of 62-year-old John Hazen Swanton, of 
Tobacco Township. Joseph Chobod, 54, of Saginaw, was arraigned on the murder 
charge in justice court before Justice of the Peace Jean Eagleson Saturday. 
Prosecuting Attorney George C. Johnson at that time asked for an examination 
for Chobod. 
   Johnson said today that he also plans to arraign Chobod during the December 
term of circuit court on a first degree murder warrant. A Saginaw attorney, 
who said he will defend Chobod, stated Chobod's wife had petitioned the 
Saginaw County Probate to have him recommitted to the Traverse City State 
Hospital as a mental patient.
   The attorney said Chobod, a Saginaw foundry worker, has been there three 
other times in recent years---twice for alcoholism and about a year ago as a 
mental patient. Chobod is accused of killing Swanton in the kitchen of his 
Guernsey Road home about 7:30 a.m. Friday morning with Swanton's 12-gauge 
shotgun. He also allegedly fired shots at two other persons, before driving to 
the Beaverton Dairy Bar where he was arrested by Beaverton City Marshal Paul 
Thorp about a half-hour after the shooting was said to have occurred.
   Upon questioning by Sheriff Victor Edick and Under Sheriff Walter Scott 
Chobod said he killed Swanton, a Dow retiree, because he had grown too 
big. "No matter what I said or talked about he was better," Chobod told them, 
Sheriff Edick said. After questioning Chobod was taken to the Clare County 
jail in Harrison for security reasons.
   Swanton's nephew, Lowell Brown Jr., of Rt. 2, Beaverton, who had slept that 
night on a couch in the living room, said he knew no reason for the shooting 
and there had been no arguing as far as he knew. There was evidence of 
drinking, Sheriff Edick said.
   No one seemed to know how Chobod came to be staying at the home. There 
apparently were no connections before between the two men that members of the 
family could remember. Brown said that the accused killer had hunted deer 
Sunday from the Swanton home. He apparently went home Monday and returned to 
the house Tuesday to stay and hunt. 
   Swanton's wife, Edrie, was babysitting for a daughter in Loomis when the 
murder allegedly took place. Brown gave sheriff's officers this accout of what 
happened after he was awakened by shots around 7:30 a.m. After being awakened 
he went into the kitchen where he saw his uncle's body laying on the floor. 
Chobod, he said, was standing to his right holding the shotgune and said, "ok, 
you're next, outside." Brown said he ran outside and down the road to get 
Swanton's son, Richard, who lives about a quarter mile away.
   The two returned in Richard's car and Brown went around to the rear door 
and attempted to get into the kitchen: When he opened the door Chobod was 
standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. As he raised the 
gun Brown said he ducked and backed out. A blast of buckshot splintered the 
door throwing pieces into the hair and back of Brown. A second shot struck the 
wall just to the left of the door.
   Richard sitting in the car on the road started blowing the horn. Apparently 
Chobod picked up his deer rifle and fired a shot in the general direction of 
the car through a front window. Officers believe the bullet struck a large 
tree in the front yard. Brown said he ran back to Richard's house and Richard 
drove. When they saw the alledged murderer drive by, Brown went to town for 
help.
   Chobod went to the Beaverton Dairy Bar where he entered and sat down with 
his rifle, a 300 savage. Marshal Thorp was called and went to the dairy bar 
with Robert Ostic, a city employee. Chobod offered no resistance as they took 
his rifle away and brought him to the county jail.
   From what Chobod told officers the shooting probably happened this way. 
Swanton had gone into the bathroom and as he came out Chobod fired at him. The 
shot was believed to have been a slug and narrowly missed Swanton, and left 
powder burns on his right ear. A second shot, which was buckshot, struck him 
in the groin. A third blast and believed to be the one that killed Swanton hit 
him in the chest.
   The body was taken to the Midland Hospital where a pathologist performed an 
autopsy. 

SERVICES HELD FOR HAZEN SWANTON

   Services were Sunday at 2 p.m. from the Hall Funeral Home for John Hazen 
Swanton, 62, of Tobacco Township, who died instantly of gunshot wounds at his 
home Friday morning. Born in Gladwin County on May 28, 1902, he was a retired 
Dow Chemical Company employee. Mr. Swanton had lived in the county for the 
past 21 years. He was married to the former Edrie Brown in Beaverton in 1922.
   Surviving besides his wife are four daughters, Mrs. Arthur Daniels, 
Coleman, Mrs. Robert Daily, rural Clare, Mrs. Martin Mason, Sanford, and Mrs. 
Loren Sersaw, Coleman; three sons, Richard of Loomis, of Beaverton, and 
Lowell, of Saginaw; one sister, Mrs. Shirley Brown, of Beaverton; a brother, 
Bradford, of Bay City; 28 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
   The Rev. H. A. Brannan, of Coleman, officiated and burial was in the Dale 
Cemetery. Gladwin County Record dated 11-25/1964 Column - 7 Page - 1  


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