The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-07-12
Execution Of Harden.

| Qep, WHO mas Deeu uttcSu noushs - r
op, was executed in the yard attached to
the Jail at Bclvdere, Warren County, N 4
J. The crime for which this man was
doomed to death has occupied so promi-
nept place in the public journals OF late
that i. is needless to repeat the details OF
the murder at this time. Suficit to say
that after long and ably conducted trial
be was found guilty of having admins
tered to his wife quantity of arsenic
which resulted in her death. He then
fed to Virginia, was suspected, sent for
and arrested, and on being brought back
was placed upon trial to answer for her
murder He was found guilty. and sen
fenced to be hung Cd the 26th day o.
June. From that day he was respited to
July 6, and on that day the sentence wa'
duly executed
i Jacob S. Harden was born at BlaIrs-
town. N. j., of very respectable parents,
both of whom are still living. lie has
two brothers and two sisters all OF whom
are residing in the immediate neighbof,
hood. Jacob, at the time OF bis execution
was little less than 23 years of age. lie
! commenced life as school teacher, but
} in consequence of the liberties he was IN
the habit of taking with his female pupils
J incurred the displeasure of their parents,
: aud was obliged to relinquish that calling
? He then became Methodist circuit
; preacher, and for two years or more traT-
ersed on foot the northern section of the
! State in which be was born, preaching in
J the various towns and villages on bis route
) He became quite noted as an exhorter
7 and was exceedingly successful as camp
5 meeting preacher. The title of Rev. dOe'
! not belong to him by right, he never hav.
ing been ordained as a minister, but ae
ted only as an associate or circuit preach
er. Since bis trial it has been ascertain
ed that bis iniquitous career vas com
. menced before he became preacher Of
the Gospel, and vas pursued By bin a
all times. The confession which be ha:
written and decided to have published fol
the benefit of his father, is said to contalr
E so much scandal that its publication a'
written has been deemed unadvisatle.-
1t has therefore been submitted to twc
clerRymeD who arc now eugate cd in reVi
sing it, After having shown himself Sc
competent as circuit preacher, he was
at length called upon to preside over {
, congregation at Mount Lebanon. With
much spparent hesitation on bis part, be
? accepted the call, and entered upon hi
duties.
! 1t was while so engaged at Mount LIE
; banon that he vas married to Miss Cath
arine Dorlop, young lady with whom
be had attended school There had been
much difficulty between Mr.. Harden and
Miss Dorlon previous to their marriage
and it was only in consequence of there
having been SO much scandal circulat, 4
in regard to them as to attract the attcn
ton Of the Methodist Conference that ht
; submitted to the union. Mrs. Harden Is
represented to have been o very pretty
woman, about 20 years of age, and was
to him loving and truthful wife. Scarce
ly had they been married for half year
when she suddenly sickened aud died
So peculiar were the circumstances atten
ding her death. that suspicion in mediate
y attached to Mr. Harden, and be subsc
quently fed to Virginia. where be was
discovered teaching school under an as.
sumed name. With the particulars o
+ his trial, which vas but recently coDclu
ded, our readers are familiar
!, On the night previous to the execution
the town of Belsidcre, where the murder
er was confined, was overrun with visit
ors Every hotel was overfowing with
people from the country and neighboring
towns, many Of whom were compelled tc
take lodgings upon the floor. The trains
Of cars coming into the place were crow
: ded with men, women, and children, al
Fastening to get as near as possible to
the Jail. On the morning OF Friday the
Court House, in which is also the Jail. was
surrounded by an anxious crowd, all ca
gerly seeking admission to the prison
yard. But few were successful, however
as the Jail yard would not accommodate
more than one hundred and ftty people
All along the side Of the park opposite
the Court House, temporary booths bad
been erected, where speculating Jersey
men and ambitious ur0hins dispensed
small beer and gingerbread to the hun
CRY crowd Great numbers of females
oongregatcd on the corners of the streets
near the Jail, and all the forenoon farm
wagons, with the owners family and
( "help" were continually arriving. The
) whole town wore gala day appearance
and the crowd rese embed that which used
to assemble in country towns on "Gener
, al Training" days.
The scafod on which Harden was ex.
ecuted was an entirely new one, erected
under his own supervision, and in full
view of the grated window of his cell. Ii
occupied the north west corner of the
yard, and took up nearly one fifth Of the
, space inclosed within the fifteen foot brick
, walls. 1t consisted of two uprights, the
, full hight Of the wall, with Gross piece
, at the top. A Eight of steps led to q
platform erected about midway of the
, scaffold. A few inches below this plat