Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1866-04-26
THE FIRST EXECUTION.

penalty Of death on Friday last, were the
first persons ever executed in Cambria
county. They were old offenders having
operated together for several years in
stealing and robbing, for which crimes
! they served two terms in the penitentiary
| Imprisonment, it seems, failed to work a
reformation in their characters they pro-
/ gressed from bad to worse and finally ter
minated their careers upon the gallows.
/ Booser was rather a sharp, shrewd man,
while Houser was an ignorant German.
/ probably influenced and governed by his
. evil associate. Houser, if he participated
in the murders Of Polly Paul and Catha-
rne Munday, was no doubt led into it by
Booser. 1t is altogether likely that Hou-
/ ser had no hand in the killing; but there
can scarcely be doubt that he accompa-
! MED Booser and perhaps acted as watch
man or in some other capacity while the
+ bloody work was going on. 1t has been
said that there is honor among thieves !"
and it seems that there is honor even
among murderers. Booser, having pro-
/ babIy been instrumental i'll leading Houser
astray, seemed from the day Of his con-
yiction to be more anxious to save the life
/ of his companion than that of himself.
/ He always contended that the poor Dutch
7 mo .aV1t ti,.
that he was led forth to be executed.
Some eight days before his execution he
attempted TO commit suicide. and previous
! to making the attempt he placed in tie
I hands of his spiritual adviser a letter set
/ ting forth that he was guilty to some ex-
tent, but contending that his associate was
( entirely innocent. This effort, however,
/ was regarded by many as trick, and
failed to procure respite or pardon for
/ Houser, and the two convicts were execu-
ted on Friday last. Sheriff Myers being
/ the officer upon whom the duty deyolved,
asked no man to be the executioncr, but
/ discharged the solemn duty with his own
/ hands in a feeling and creditable manner.
/ The Sheriff seemed to regard the task as
/ one of the most trying of his lfe-but
/ one which he, as faithful officer, was
bound to discharge. May it prove the
last dnty of the kind which he or any
other officer of the county will ever be
] called t,Do,, tO diS.Iaro,n
Three other letters besides the one
| published in our last issue, were handed
to Mr.. Wilson, by Booser,, the evening
before he attempted to commit suicide, Of
which the following are copies:
EEENsBURG, Apr. 9th, 1866
/ MIR. Wilson Il must tell you that l
( feel as though | cannot hold behind what
/ ! know, and / Will tell you in the second
/ letter. (The one printed last week. But
; l give you my hand and heart, and my
/ honest word that poor Houser and | nev-
cr did this deed. viii answer this before
! Jehovah for to be the truth, and | have
/ the best right TO know. Bat now, as it is,
/ they shall not lie on me any more. They
have lied enough on me already; and they
shall not have the pleasure to hang me up
like dog, and then say that Booser was
! hanged for killing two women. They
. shall not lie on me after | am dead. Mr.
Wilson, l have told you that l have been
! prosecuted of many people in my time,
and it is so, but l will put a stop to it.,
and now | beg you not to think hard of
it, for me doing so. Please do not think
an going to hell. No, found another
place. | found one that said, come. and
leave the world behind. l shall find an
easy death. | shall not be cursed of God
for being hanged on wood One died on
the Cross for Us all, yes, this is the One
that said, come, and | can scarcely wait.
| have overcome all my trouble. | am
I ready, yes, | saw more last night than l
ever did. l cannot describe to you how
happy I was, and | feel sure of it, that |
shall have more pleasure there than ever
had, and | now beg of You to feel salts
fled with what / tell you to be the truth,
And now, Mr.. Wilson, | know that YOU
feel sorry for me, but be sure that | am
happy, and believe that you are not sat
isfied in regard to our guilt, and you arc
right You can tell by the letters you
have seen with me.
Yours, most respectfully,
DANIEI. BOOSER.
Mr.. WILSON What you preache ed tc
! me tonight revived me very much and