The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-08

tempting to enter, found the door locked. A
passage was forced. the fire was extlnguished,
and then the full enormity of the crime was re-
vealed. The coffee of the old man and the boy
had apparently just been poured out, while
Mrs. Peightal was in the very act of
pouring out her own, when the three had been
confronted by their murdercrs. The bodies lay
upon the floor, covered by the burning mass.
Those of Mr.. Peightal and the boy we're burnt
to q crisp from the breast down, and, although
the upper portions of all three had not been
reached by the flames their faces were consider
ably dishgured, and through the head of each
pistol ball had made its murderous way, the
remains of Mrs Peightal giving evidence of her
having first been struck with some blunt instru-
ment The bloody work had been well done at
the outset, and If the fire had not been dis
covered in time, the tragedy might well have
passed for ON accident.
The PIunder
obtained by the murderers is supposed TO nave
amounted to about $4,000, three-fourths of which
was in gold and silver; but only portion of 1t
was ever recovered. On the person of Bonner
was found $126, nearly all in greenbacks; and
$40 were recovered from his companion, as
explained below. In their search for it the
murderers had broken open o chest, which was
found in the kitchen, where the crime was COM
mitted and afterwards ransacked the bureau in
the parlor, in which they had found their booty.
The
Excitement Created by the Murder
throughout the neghborhood was intense, and
will not be abated until the culprits have suf-
fered the extreme penalty of the law which will
be so soon meted out to them. Through the
agency of this excitement the perpetrators were
speedily tracked and secured
The Arrest
being made on the very day following the COM
mission of the crime, and the prisoners arriving
at Huntingdon about noon on that day. They
had journeyed to this place on foot after the
MURDER arriving about half-past o'clock on
Wednesday morning. The time passed slowly,
and tSair nervousness attracted the attention of
thoLe who were present at the station. At half
past a train passed through the town, and on
it they took passage to Altoona. Rumors of
their having been seen lettering about Peghtals
place for two or three days gained credence as
the night had worn on, and messenger from
Pleasant Grove reached Huntingdon in search of
them but five minutes after the departure of the
train. A warning was sent to Altoona, forty
miles distant, by telegraph, and when the train
reached that point the two culprits were taken
into custody and transported to Huntingdon on
the first train. While awaiting the passage
through Altoona of the returning train, the two
prisoners had been confined in the lookup, and
Bodenberg embraced the opportunity to attempt
an escape. Climbing down into the cesspool,
he endeavored to dig passage with his hands,
and, failing in this, secreted there razor bear
ing the name of Peightal, and three bags and
package of coin amounting in all to $430. In the
bundle In his possession, when he was arrested
at Altoona, was found a roll of bills amounting
to about $110. Several articles of clothing,
which had belonged to Mr.. Peightal, and bill
for suit of clothes in his name, found upon the
cuprits at the time of their arrest also served to
fasten the crime upon them.
An Attempt Escape.
The prisoners remained in jail at Huntingdon,
awaiting their trial. until January IA, when the
proceedings were commenced. On the second
day of the trial. an old German from Altoona,
who had been subpGnaed for the defense,
stepped into a hardware store and innocently
inquired for saws and files that would cut iron.
Suspicion was aroused, and, on information
being sent to the Sheriff. the prisoners were
searched, and the evidence of project to
escape revealed Each was found in possession
of . sharp-pointed, double-edged knife, ten
inches in length, while all the provisions which
had been furnished them for several days pre-
vious were discovered carefully packed away in
haversack, ready for long journey. There
was also a note, written in German and evi.
IDENTIFY intended to be left behind, stating thai
it was better for one man to die than for two to
be hanged, and that they intended
to kill the guard that night and
then make good their escape. Timely
discovery of this scheme foiled it, and
The Trial
progressed, concluding on the 18th of January
in a verdict of guilty of murder in the frs
degree. A large number of witnesses were ex
amined, the course of the prisoners bein.
traced, step by step, from Altoona to the seem
of the tragedy, and back again to Altoona, ,wher
they had been arrested with their plunder. Th
court house was densely packed during the trial
and the utmost anxiety and interest were mani
tested by the whole community in its result.
The Sentence of Death
was pronounced by the court on January 81
Bonner remaining quiet when asked if he ha
anything to say why the extreme penalty Q
death should not be meted out to him, Will
Bodenburg embraced the opportunity to asser
his innocence, and deny all knowledge of til
crime until he was informed of it at the tim
of his arrest. About a week afterwards, how
ever, he subscribed to lengthy and ramblin
confession, the leading points of which hav
been no ted.
The Second Attempt TO Rsenpe-A Despernt
Fight-NOble Conduct of a Prisoner.
Since the trial and conviction, and until YER
recently, both of the men have evinced dii
position to obey the rules of the prison, and t
render themselves comfortable as possible
This was particularly the case with BodenberG
On Thursday last, however, the workmen ha
commenced work on the scaffold which was [
launch the condemned men into eternity, an
the sounds of their hammers and saws Dent