The New York herald., 1867-03-21
A MURDERER TO Be HANGED d PENNSYLVANIA.



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The PartIculaSs Of the Crime for Which He II
10 bc Punished.
Alexander B. Wiley viii bs hangd at Wikesbarre The
county seat Of Luzerne county, Pa, to-day he was
convicted OF the murder Of Alice Elwee and sentenced
70 be executed last Friday butwas respted by the
Governor until Thursday the 2lstnst The particulars
Of the murder are thus given In the Philadelphia
Bullsia.-
On the 1ath dav of Nav last dcruel murder-the as
sassination OF married womanby her paramonr-was
committed ON the mountain blk of Plymouth. about
three miles southwest or this borough. Philadephia
has unfortunately been afflicted Eith many crimes and
heinous murders committed ythin its precints but
since tho days Of Arthur sprnd has fortunately not
mot with scoundrel who glorled in his crime OF de-
libersts murder Is docs Aiexaher B. Wiley, who viii
meet With his Just deserts to-n3rrow:
married woman, named Nd McEiweo was shot deao
BY Alexander B. Wiley while 50 was engaged peacefully
In her household dutea Thekarties IL true, Of
the lowest character but thecruety OF the act occa
stoned sympathy for tho vicm IL appears that pre-.
vious and subsequent to her rrage Mrs McElwee had
been on terms Of peculiar btimacy with Wiley. The
maiden Of the victim Us Alice Gardner and be-
fore her marriage she lived a servant with McEwees
family, during which time r seducer paid improper
attention to her, and NO doU made her his mistress
Previous TO giving succncccount OF the tragedy 1t
Is necessary TO refer to
Alexander B. wiley is onl twenty years Of age,
having been born the Let ay or January, lS4 tho
townsbipo Of Dallas, in Luz}ne county. His father,
IepfeSeQtf, a0fQ1ern
serted. The original name the family was Wiley. but
he changed It TO Waldron. The family known by
the nsme OF Waldron until fthn few years past The
father died in the poornoud about four weeks slnce
the mother this aftei0on near the prison gate,
within which Of her sns are confined the for
murder and the other for lorse stealing She
object OF pity. Her careforn countenance indicated
imbecility, almost bordebg insanity She was
dressed very meauly Y0d can SEQ her prototype any
day upon SAippen street, O much better in Baker or
Bedford Streets Phladclpth Her appearance Indicated
the climax OF the result OF life Of dissipation,
poverty and crime. She E poor wandsrer In the
streets Of Wilkesoarre. Hr sons, the murderer and
the 0bber have spent mOSof their time In dlenesg and
dissipation They have gahed their living by midnight
robbery They have alwat been hostile each other
in 1859 the murderer Vile then only eighteen years Of
3ge) indicted for theobbery of the Pennsylvania
Coat Companys Office Of bm $4,000 10 q, ,0oo but he
managed 10 escape convicIon.
On the 17th OF March Of last year he admits that in
company with Others he inferred the house OF Samuel
Hungerfod in lower of this county, and robbed
him OF s327 in money knd various other articles Of
value. Mr. Hungerford hd wife were quite aged and
nfrm people He tie party that stood by the bed
side with revolver threenug to kill them II they
sisted You will remerbcr the excitement which this
affair occasloned at thd time. One OF the parties
caught and convicted but 1t not until after his
conviction for this murer that Wiley voluntarily ad
mltted to the District Attorney his participation
in this and othor crimes. He actually goated them
as matters worthy OF rerd that he had committed
the more desperate act bf murder. In 1852 Wiley
listed In Company - Of The One Hundred and Forty
third regiment OF Pennsylvania Volunteers. He
OF tho few that dsgracel the United States Army. He
deserted eight times froh his regiment, court
tailed and sentenced to je shot, but managed in some
way to escape conhnehent and came home with his
regiment At tho time return at the close OF the
DE
Before he enlisted the One Hundred and Forty
third regiment he MAJ the acquaintance of Alice Gard
ner and had paid somd attention TO her, and an nt-
macy sprang up between them. He went to the
nth day Of February, 1865 they were married, after
only two wceks' codrtship Wiley at the we'd
Ding appearing he most OF the time unconcerned about
the NATTER but time during the evening he said
tn MCEwee, "Dsmn you, you have got my girl away
from me, but yol shall not live with her year, The
sna no: mucS w poss sse ua in taken
time. At subsequent time Mrs. McElwec
VAS complaining abont her clothing being scanty;
other III to wea and Wiley said TO her. sShe would
1--we to wear ihgt out" These expressions, like many
mrd ~ h Were apr s spoken N
house with M. Miller up on the mountain back OF
Plymouth There were only two rooms on the lower
floor, one usedas kitchen and The other bedroom.
Both families occupied the sleeping apartment
Wiley had been suffered to go and come 70 that house
when he pleased he seemed to be privileged there
coming and going by dav night as he chose. His
business was that OF higbwayman.
On the moruinr OF the 10th Of Nav 1885, about four
ening the way which he understood, and lying
down upon the floor went TO sleep About Ave o'clock
and jumped into Mes bed s ao sss
break and went TO the mines to work. usual
ing Wiley behind them About nine o'clock Wiley got
up and eat his beafasi, cut some wood, and did
snme small chores about the housA About half past
nine or ton O'Clock young woman named May Fracc
along aud called tho She her way
70 her home in Lehman township. She was acquainted
with the families. she stad there tne and 70 ap-
pears that there was some merry-making and frockiue
during her stay
Miss Frace had put on her hat and scarf and was on
the point Of leaving when Mrs. McEiwce tthe victm)
that she wished tell her A. this time Mr. McElwee
washing the cooking stove with washrag, STOPPING
over with her back towards Mis- Frace and wilcy:
Wiley sitting q chair. Miss Frace then asked
Wiley Ii he Was not tho young man who wrote . letter
TO her 10 be given another lady On the Instant and
without making any reply, Wiley arose from his chair,
drew a rsvoiter and pointed IL At Miss Frace 'rhe
young woman screamed and sprang 20 the door. He
then turned on his heel cooked TIE pistol and holding
6red The ball passed through the head, from the right
TO the lef temple. The poor victim fell upon her
back the 10or, towel In hand, and died instantly
without struggle not oven unclasping the hand that
held tue towel Wiley ran ont OF the hack door ex-
claiming, 'oh God on tod !" and nrd TO the woods
with tho revolver N his hand he again heard
OF until the oh day o. 20 tober following, when he
arrested and lodged IN jail.
the murder Wiley asked Mrs Miller TO mend is coat u
be had torn II on the night before she mended " for
him. and while doing she discovered his revolver
She took ont Of his pocket and said that loaded
II contained three nut Of the elk balls She wanted 10
shoot IL or hut Wiley said, "No you must NOT" She
what may want TO do with IT. Oh forgot 70 tell
you that had tall with tho devil last night and what
he tells me TO do always do it,
THE TRIAL ASp pKArH sESrYSy
Wicv was consigned 10 the Luzerne county jail until
his case came up for trial In December last As the
prisoner had counsel the court appointed Messrs
II. Fakes and h r. W. Palmer 70 conduct his defence.
The evidence elected the trial did not diner materially
from that given above. After being out four hours tho
jury returned verdict Of guilty OF murder IN the first
degree The prisoners counsel then rusorfed to
acscs by which they hoped 10 rescue their unhappy
client from The gaIIoxs They entered motion for
trial on the ground that tho constable Ia charge OF
the jury fell asiccp his post, and while he was
thus chlivlous ono Of the jurymen left the room
a few inmates before the verdict wae agreed rpon
The motion fcr a now trial subsequently denied and
on Monday January Wiley was sentenced 70 bo hung
When asked n he had anything 10 say WHY sentence Of
death should noe be passed upon him, the prisoner,
without betraying the least emotion, and without
the cas' treInor in hts voice, stated that he had
no intention Of killing the deceased; that but three
Of the six chambers Of the revolver loaded, he
supposed he wn only swapping the cap on one Of the
empty harrels The findings and sentence In the casc
were approved BY Governor gesry who appointed
Friday the 18th day OF March, for the execu.
ton The Sheriff had completed his arrangements
for this solemn event, and everything was In
readiness for IT. when the prisoner was granted
A RysrrrK DAN.
This boon vas accorded tho unhappy man Al the
earnest solicitation OF the Rev. Father Ftzsnmons Of
the Church of the immaculate Conception and OF sew.
era others who manifested interest In his spiritual
welfare subsequent 70 his arrest and especially during