The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-22


penniless. He then proceeded to the interior of
the country where he has been doing all sorts Of
work. Finally he located in Southampton town
ship, Cumberland county, where he fell in love
with and eventually married a young girl named
Fry, who, 1t is alleged, had borne none too pure
q character previously. Since that he had been
working on the railroads, and toward the latter
put of December, 1868, he fell in with one
ii 5Ury Stahm, who was then engaged on the
South Mountain Railroad. Titus says he was
then on a spree. He, however, induced Stahm
to quit his work, with the idea of going to the
upper part of the county. They proceeded to
the residence of Mrs. Fry. about three miles
south of Shippensburg where they remained
for some days. Titus had no money, and he
borrowed some from Stahm to buy flour and
meat for the family. In II few days he wanted
more, but Stahm refused to lend him. saying
that he only had about forty dollars, which he
would want in the event of his getting sick or
hurt. Titus then went away TO get some things,
and while he was gone Mrs. Fry regaled the
ears of Stahm with some of the doings of her
son-in-law. When he had returned she ex-
pressed desire to have some wood cut.
The two started out for ''the Pines"
and on the road stahm repeated
what he had been told by Mrs Fry,
matters during which Stahm remarked that
he had got into bad society and intimated that
Mrs. Titus was no better than she ought to be.
The dispute continued and Stahm picked up a
rotten stick, with which he struck Titus, who
returned the blow, by crashing in the side of
the head of Stahm with the pole of the axe.
He then used the blade of the weapon and near
ly severed the head from the body. He then
dug hole alongside of a pond, and having
stripped the body of all clothing, he buried it and
covered 1t with mud and snow. The clothing
he hid in pile of rails He returned to the
residence of his mother-n-law, who asked after
Stahm. He replied that they had had some words
and that Henry had gone to Shippensburg and
taken the cars. This was on the 3Oth of De-
cember. The next day Titus took his wife to
Shippensburg and spent some $50 or $40 in cloth
ing for her and himself. On Friday he packed his
carpet-bag and went to Shippensburg, with the
intention of leaving. His mother-in-aw then
suspected that all was not right, and started in
the direction which her son-in-law and Stahm
had taken on the day they had left to cut wood.
She alarmed the neighbors, and the body was
found. A Mr.. Mains mounted q horse and went
to Shippensburg where he caught Titus as he
was getting on the train coming east. He was
taken into custody, and on the next day. Satur-
sent quarters At the primary hearing which
took place before the Coroner he freely admitted
that he had killed Stahm, and stated that it was
done in a fight.
Letter from Titus EmbodyinE "A Confession
Shortly after being incarcerated in jail, Titus
sat down and penned the following epistle-
Mr.. -. Dear Sir:-I seat myself down to
the task of writing you a few lines. / am very
much troubled and grievously tormented to the
hOtf of NV hoo fnr tIa ina hou
mitted is a fearfully great one. / am very much
afraid that the great and good God is angry with
me and never will forgive me this great sin. |
can find no rest by day or night, Tor my dear
friend is ever before my eyes with the blood
gushing from the wounds cut in his dear body.
Oh how bad feel! l fear my life will be too
short to prepare to meet my great offended God,
who redeemed us all with His precious blood.
| One hope is left me-His great promise to one
! of the two malefactors who were crucfed beside
Him on the cross and to whom He said, This
day thou shalt be with me in paradise"
But the Holy Scriptures remind me of how
angry God was with Cain when he slew his bro
ther Abel, and how God asked of Cain where
his brother was: and how God said, "Where is
thy brother that his blood cries from the earth
| to Me on high"
| never can deny to my fellow-men the great
crime have committed, although | might de-
| ceive them. / know / never can deceive Al
mighty God, for He did see me, and knows all
| did No sooner had | committed the crime
than / heard tho voice of God asking me,
| adam Titus, what hast thou done, and where
| is thy friendy
My conscience tells me, even more than can
| bear, and if | was only prepared to meet my
| God, my death would be welcome refuge.
| What brought me to commit this great crime
| was nobody else than the devil for my friend
| and had never quarrelled before.
All / can do is TO prepare to meet angry
and offended God, and bid wicked and sinful
| world adieu.
Farewell to you, and my best love to all my
| fellow citizens, friends, and enemies in Ship
pensburg.
Your deeply afflicted friend, ADAM TITUS.
Titus Tried and Condemned.
| His trial fixed to follow that of DIR.
| Schoeppe, and on the retirement of the jury ia
that case Titus was arraigned and Immediately
entered plea of guilty An effort was made to
have him withdraw that and plead not guilty,
but he refused, saying that he was truly guilty.
1t then devolved upon the Judge to determine
the grade of murder, and he accordingly heard
all the testimony in the case, and finally decided
that it was murder in the first degree. He was
then sentenced to be hanged, and Governor
Geary appointed the day of execution.
His Conduct Since He Was Sentenced.
| Since his sentence was pronounced he has
kept himself busily engaged in writing and
| reading. He is fine penmen and has written
many letters to his friends in Germany,
and occasionally he has dropped a letter TO his
wife. The Rev. Messrs. Field, of Chambers
burg, and G. A. Kuppernagle, of Harrisburg,
Catholic clergymen, have been in attendance
with him since the summer until quite recently
when Mr.. Field was compelled by sickness to
remain at home. To both of these gentlemen
he has admitted his guilt and when told that q
petition had been signed by residents of Carlisle