The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-08
THE PEIGHTAL BUTCHERY
The Crime and It's Perpetrators
Their Murderous Career.
THE EXECUTION TOMORROW.
Huntingdon in a Fermeht The
Final Preparations-The Fate
of COnsummate Villainy.
From Our o,Vn COrrespOnaen.

From Our OiDn CorrespordenL
HUNTINGDON, Pa, March Z.
Wednesday is the day fixed for the execution
here of two of the most consummate Villains
that fell into the clutches of the law In this
State, Albert Won Bodenberg and ,Gottleib Bob
ner by name. In the year 1S40 a whole family
was butchered in Huntingdon county by a
wretch named McConaughey; but since that
date there has been no Tragedy in the county
approaching the crime for which these two men
are doomed to death, and the criminal records
of the State contain but few cases approaching
it in downright cruelty. ".rr f
The Victims
of Bodenburg and Bonner were three in num-
ber-John Peightal, aged sixty-fve years; his
wife Sarah aged sixty; and Scott Garner, an
orphan boy, who made his home with the
family. The Peghtals lived at about, half q
mile from Pleasant Grove station, on the Hun
tngdon and Broad Top Railroad, which is seven
miles distant from the county seat. They
resided on farm comprising about hundred
acres of land which, like all in the neighbor-
hood, is poor as it could well be. Their house
was plain two-story log-cabin, plastered over
on the exterior, and fully on a par with the
unproductive soil. Yet old Mr.. Peightal was
industrious and saving, and, as he never made
any deposits in the bank when he came TO Hun
tingdon to sell his produce, it was generally
| known that he had considerable money in the
| house.
The Triple Tragedy.
| On the evening of Wednesday, November II,
1862 the three simple-minded people were
butchered in cold blood for the sake of the
| plunder which, it was rumored, could be had at
such terrible price. ..
Bonner had been living in Altoona for some
| time previous, and it was there that he made
| the acquaintance of Bodenburg, his confederate.
| Having made up. their minds, according to the
confession made about month ago by the
latter, to attempt the robbery of the Peightals,
the twain left Altoona two or three weeks before
the time of the tragedy. From Huntingdon
they walked out to Peightals place, which they
reached after dark. They entered the house
and asked for work. Old Mr.. Peightal received
them kindly but could not give them what they
| asked and they returned to Altoona and gradu-
ally devised scheme of murder as well as of
robbery Bodenburg insisted, in his confession,
that he was from the first opposed to extreme
violence, maintaining that his companion was
responsible for suggesting and urging the killing
of the family if their money could be secured
in no other way; while Bonner, in a statement
| made Immediately after his arrest persisted
| that the other was the leading spirit, and
| threatened to shoot him if he backed out of the
scheme. '"
Be this as it may, the project was gradually
| perfected, and on the evening of Monday, No
! vember Is, the two again left Altoona in COM
pany, each armed with pistol which had been
purchased at that place. They reached Peigh-
tails house at midnight, after the family had
retired, and entered the barn, where they passed
the remainder of the night. In the morning they
encountered Mr.. Peightal, who did not object TO
their intrusion upon his premises, and after
lettering about the neighborhood during the day,
they went to the house in the evening" while the
family were at supper, and were invited to help
themselves to the simple fare. After supper they
started out, pretending that they were going to
Huntingdon in search of work. But they were
followed to the barn by the owner, who, finding
that they intended to pass another night in it,
gave them permission to sleep in the house. ac-
cording to Bodenburg's story, while, according
to Bonner, the night was passed in q barn in the
neighborhood. If the story of the former be
true they received their breakfast also at the
hands of their victims on Wednesday morning.
The day was passed in the neighborhood, Bo-
denburg alleging that he repeatedly, during its
course, protested against any violence to the
persons of Mr.. Peightal or his family, and that
Bonner gave him solemn promise not to go
beyond robbery while the latter asserts that he
was reluctant to return to the house in the even
ing. and only did so when Bodenburg threatened
to take his life
In the edge of the evening the two culprits
reached Peightal's house. The family we're evi-
IDENTIFY at supper when they arrived, and had
not finished the meal when their earthly
careers were brought to close. Precisely how
or in what order it was done cannot be told.
Bodenburg, in his confession, alleged that he
kept watch by the railroad track, about hun
dred yards distant, while his companion pro-
ceeded to the house, perpetrated the deed, and
returned to him with bundle in which the
plunder was secreted. Bohner, on the contrary,
Immediately after his arrest, stated that he re-
NAMED at the railroad while the other did the
deed, returning after an hours absence with the
plunder Still another story was told by them
few days after their arrest, to the effect that
they had met two other men, one OF them named
Gordon, by whom the crime was committed.
The Discovery of the Crime.
After the bloody work was accomplished, the
villains made desperate attempt to conceal
their guilt The three bodies were covered with
straw carried from the barn, and over this was
placed quantity of bedding and old clothing,
and then the mass fred, and the 6esperadoes
attempted to make good their escape. About 8
o'clock some men who happened to pass the
barn on their way home from the station dis
lcsRtiHued on ne Sees~d Rassl