Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-03-16
Execution of Bonner and Bodenburg.

of the execution of the Peightal family
murderers, at Huntingdon, on Wednesday.
The crowd in attendance was immense
The intended wife of BCdenburg,
young girl named Kerper, from near Altoo-
M, visited him in ;he evening, and an al
/ fecting scene was witnessed as the parties
took final leave of each other. She also
convcrsed with Bohner, and impiored him
to tell the truth and saye Bodenourg
Bohner merely replied to her, in substance
that they had lived together and they
would have to die together
This morning. the last on earth tor the
doomed men, we visited them about 81
O'Clock In answer to our inquiry, as to
how he felt, Bodenburg said mot good,
and he said he had passed restless night,
and had not slept any He was weeping
bitterly. Bonner was lying on his couch
reading his Bible, but shortly afterward
arose, and engaged in conversation with
the visitors, answering all questions put to
him. His conversation was as usual, shat
cred and wandering from one subject to
another, without any seeming realization OF
his situation. At o'clock the room was
cleared of all visitors, and the prisoners
were left alone with their spiritual advis-
els.
The crowd outside was immense, and
every available position, from which a
glimpse of the scaffold could be obtained
was Occupied. including trees, roofs, chin
neys, &c. Inside the walls we're about four
hundred people, including the Sheriff and
assistants, the jury, and the representa-
tives of the press. a large number OF whom
were in attendance.
The irons were removed from the priso-
ners, neither of whom manifested much e.
motion during their removal. Bodenburg
merely calculated, BLESS God, I'm free =
and AT 124 O'CLOCK PRECISELY, the doom
ed men were brought from their cells tor the
last time, and conducted to the scaffold.
Bohner, in charge of Deputy Sheriff Fouse,
headed the procession, and was followed by
his fellow culprit in charge of Capt. ii. Clay
Weaver, and these in turn followed by the
Revs. Steckel Clark, Wilson. and other
attending clergyman, to the scaffold. The
prisoners were assisted ia mounting the
| ladder, but manifested little trepidatiOn, and
ascended with little difficulty.
A prayer in German was then offered by
Rev. Sykes, of Martinsburg, Blair county,
after which Bodenburg proceeded to read
in German the paper Ia confession) already
published, to which Bohner listened with
the most profound attention, and in an
swer, remarked that they were both guilty
and both ought to die togethen or words
of that effect Bo1enburg responded in
a very earnest and excited manner, 'sh anne
on you, Charley. You ought to be asham
ed of yourself TO talk 50 in your last mo-
ments Such conduct does not seem hu-
man.
The concluding prayer was then offered
by Rev j. g. Clark, and was a most fer
vent and eloquent petition to the throne of
Mercy in behalf of the unfortunate and
condemned culprits
On being asked if they had anything far
ther to say, Bohner merely re asserted as
truth the confession made by him last eve
ming.
The attending cergymen then each in
turn took an affectionate leave of the cul-
prits, and retired from the scaffola- The
ropes we're then adjusted by the Sheriff and
his Deputies, and while in the act of so do
ing Bodenburg calculated fervently, his
last prayer as follows ''Oh, Lord Jesus
Christ l am now coming to Thee, for
give my sins, and take my poor soul up in
to Heaven Amen, Amen" The re.
sponse was taken up and reiterated with
the greatest ferve1ey by the ministers, as
they left the scaifold.
+ The fatal caps were drawn over their ia
ces, the Deputies retired, and the prisoners
were left alone with the Sheriff, with whom
they both shook hands and expressed theii
thanks for his kindness, requested him to
remember them to his wife, Bodenbure
saying that he hoped to meet him in hea
ven. The sentences were yet trembling or
bodies of the murderers were dangling be
tween the heaven and the earth. The drof
fell at precis. ly 20 minutes of l O'Clock
The bodies remained suspended 25 min
utes, at the end of which time they were
. lowered down and placed in the collins a
the foot of the gaows. Both died easily
without any apparent struggle, there was no
on the part of either the slightest motor
of the lower limbs. Bohner's neck wa
broken, whilst Bodenburg died from stran
gulation.
The countenances of the men in deatl
were almost as natural as ever, with the ex
ception of slight discoloration in the fac'
of Bodenburg,
/ Thus died the guilty perpetrators of one
of the most inhuman murders in the annal
of crime, an awful example of the trut!
contained in the declaration that ''the wa,
of the transgressor is hard, and that th'
wages of sin is DEATH May it be long err
we are compelled 10 witness or to chronicl
|. another such scene.
31rm Aflrrrtisrmerts.