The Litchfield County post., 1827-08-09
COUNTY POST.
LrTCHFIELD, AUGUST 8, 1927.

The trial Of Jesse Strang for the murder of MIR.
John Whipple, commenced in Albany the Goth
ult and closed the next day by the urys returning
verdict of guilty, against the accused-Although
murders in parts of country are becoming
quite common, yet in the northern and middle states
they are Of so occurrence that much anxiety is
felt by the public when individual is known to pos
scss sufficient dcmon-ike hardhood to destroy the life
of fellow creature in cold blood The case of Srang
is one of peculiar atrocity. He murdered gentleman
of wealth and responsibility, who had never injured,
scarcely knew him and whose interest clash
ed with his in no other way than that the hus-
band and the other the vile paramour of Elsie ID.
Whippe. After having satiatcd his Internal passion,
in numbering the husband of his Mistress he returned
to the house, where he WAS known only servant,
and actually sat Of the coroners jury upon the
body of the deceased. The account of this trial occu-
pics six solid columns of the Albany Argus. We have
extracted such parts of the testimony appear us
most interesting in the case. Strang convicted
upon confessions made sometime since, and upon Cir
cumstanial cvidcnce.-The first witness on the
part of the prosecution, was A. l.. Van Rensselaer,,
who testified that he resides at Cherry Hill, a farm
about one mile south of the Albany Bank, where wit
ness still resides with his mother Catharne Van Rens-
Between the hours of nine and ten in the
ming of the seventh day of May last, he in room
the second floor Of the house at Cherry Hill in
pany with Mr.. John Whpple the deceased. Mr.. Whip
pie was sitting at table arrang ing accounts
he sat the side Of the table; witness sat at
the table the east side of it; the table stood
seven eight feet from window on the west side
of the room: not directly opposite the window, but
| rather south of straight line. Whilst sitting the
table, he heard rain, and raised his eyes to the win
hf,-s l,ys f,N
face; the person had black hat and something
shining IN his hands witness sprung from his chair
and exclaimed Oh Scarcely had he made the eNca-
nation, when he heard the report Of gunsaw Whip
pie rise from his chair, and heard hi IN eXclaim, Oh
Lord Witness left the room to go down stairs, and
Whipple followed him and fell on the second step OF
the stairs, and expired almost Immediately. Witness
seized gun that hung in the hail. to go in pursuit OF
the murderer: but prevented from going out by
his family. In few minutes he went TO where the
deceased was lying; he was then gasping his las,
breath. The shot through the north pane of the
window, and the ball entered the left of the de-
ceased There is shed on the west side Of the house
on which the person must have stood who fired the
pece the shed extends south of the north side of the
window; from it person might look directly and not
dagonaiIv into the room. 1t was moonlight night
though where the person stood who fred the gun il
was shaded: is positive the person had hat OH; did
not recognize him Strang; could form op!Uion
Of the features of the person he saw, except that the
face white.
The prisoner at tho bar, Jesse Strang, was hired
by the father of witness to work his farm, the
28th day of August last Sirang represented his
name to be JOSEPH Orion, by which name he went
until his commitment upon the present charge, and
that he was an unmarried man. Shortly previous
to the 9TH Of May, Strang told witness there were
persons lurking about the house for no good; he
said he had seen them at the courtyard gate, and in
the courtyard, which is the west side ofthe house,
that he did not think they after him, (Strang or
the witness, as witness was frequently ont late and
there was necessity for proving about the house
for him; but he thought they were after Whppe, as
he often home with his pockets full of money.
Told witness not to mention it 10 any Of the family, as
they might be alarmed at it; witness did, however, tell
his mother, his sister, Mrs. Whpple, and all the fam
M Strang told witness this story three or times
For time previous to this, Whippe had been no.
sent from home, and expectedt to return. Ga the
18th of April Strang said he was going to Troy lie
left home and gone all night; he returned mex,
day. Cannot say that Mrs. Whpple was from home
that night. Sometime within fortnight previous T.
| the 9TH OF May, witness in town with Srang,whr
priced some rifles Edward Fay's, in Bcaver-sireet
and also called at one Moores for the same purpose
He said he to buy good rifle before he went
TO Ohio, from whence he said he had come. lie boast
Cd OF his skill as marksman On the 9TH of Mav,saw